RoSPA_man Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 Hi Today I had the first denial of service - ie my bike stopped running. I called the recovery people, but sent for petrol while waiting - even though the gauge suggested I had a quarter tank. left. My hunch was correct - it started first click after adding fuel! So what's up with my fuel gauge? It now reads full (I filled up). Was it just a glitch or is this a known problem? If common, is there a remedy - take it out, clean it...other? While in there, should I replace any fuel filter parts? Or is there no fuel filter like the ones that were on the 1150s? Any steer would be appreciated Link to comment
dirtrider Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 Afternoon Hugh The newer hexhead RT’s have no (replaceable) fuel filter. As far as your gas gauge failing reading incorrectly? I have had a number of gauge failures on my heaxheads. Sometimes they fail with the empty light lit and others have failed with it showing a full tank all the time. With BMW using that resistance type fuel strip (no actual float) they can fail in about any configuration from full to empty to somewhere in between. You might try traveling with a few liters of extra fuel in a container then seeing if it runs out of fuel again with the gauge showing something left. In any case you might want to get in the habit of watching miles/kilometers traveled on each tank full as you probably know by now how far you can go on a tank-full. With all my gauge failures I ALWAYS reset one of the trip sets to 0 at each fill up just to be safe. Link to comment
RTs4me Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 Hi Hugh, another UK member here . Fuel gauge failure is a VERY common problem. The sensor strip fails. It's not fixable - complete replacement is required, followed by calibration via dealer diagnostic computer. Fill up and zero the trip meter, as already mentioned in earlier posts. I refuel at about 220 miles. I have lost all confidence in the displayed level and calculated range shown. Bring back float lever arms! Even though your bike may be out of warranty, I'd be enlisting your dealers assistance in pursuing a 'goodwill gesture' from BMW to cover the full cost of replacement. Shout long and loud to make yourself heard! I speak from experience - currently on strip number 4 on my second RT. Strangely, RT number one (2006- 2008) had no problems ever! Link to comment
RoSPA_man Posted February 5, 2011 Author Share Posted February 5, 2011 Hi Hugh, another UK member here . Fuel gauge failure is a VERY common problem. The sensor strip fails. It's not fixable - complete replacement is required, followed by calibration via dealer diagnostic computer. Fill up and zero the trip meter, as already mentioned in earlier posts. I refuel at about 220 miles. I have lost all confidence in the displayed level and calculated range shown. Bring back float lever arms! Even though your bike may be out of warranty, I'd be enlisting your dealers assistance in pursuing a 'goodwill gesture' from BMW to cover the full cost of replacement. Shout long and loud to make yourself heard! I speak from experience - currently on strip number 4 on my second RT. Strangely, RT number one (2006- 2008) had no problems ever! Thanks Bmwobbler Is it possible it's a on-off? It seems that that damn strip costs about £150! Link to comment
RTs4me Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 I've known the dealers to try and dry out/clean faulty strips, but usually that doesn't work as a long-term fix. However, I guess that you've nothing to lose by trying that approach. In my experience, once the strip starts behaving oddly, complete failure is not far away. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news 'Mileage to failure' seems to be completely random - as stated, one bike had the same strip for the duration of my ownership, my current bike has had several replacements. There doesn't seem to be any pattern to it My bike is out of warranty now, but if it fails again, I'll be knocking on BMWs door. I've driven cars and ridden bikes for thirty years - my current RT is the only vehicle I've ever had a fuel guage failure with. It just isn't acceptable in the 21st century on a £12k bike Link to comment
dirtrider Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 Evening Hugh Before totally blaming the fuel strip you might try and figure out if it really was out of fuel. How much was added at roadside? Then how much did you add at fill-up? It does seem to point to the fuel gauge but there is also the chance your fuel pump controller is starting to fail. That can completely stop the fuel pump then after it sits for a while allow a re-start like nothing is wrong. If you can convince yourself that the roadside added fuel + the amount added at fill-up equals a full tank then you probably do have a failing fuel strip. On the other hand if roadside fuel + fill-up fuel doesn’t add up to a complete tank full then suspect something else like the pump controller. Link to comment
Joe Frickin' Friday Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 Before totally blaming the fuel strip you might try and figure out if it really was out of fuel. How much was added at roadside? Then how much did you add at fill-up? It does seem to point to the fuel gauge but there is also the chance your fuel pump controller is starting to fail. That can completely stop the fuel pump then after it sits for a while allow a re-start like nothing is wrong. This was exactly my situation last August ('09 RT, 12,000 miles). Tank was low (should have been good for at least another 20 miles), but definitely not empty. Engine died. Bike sat for two minutes, and then started right up again. I thought my gauge was crapping out, but then... ...A month later, with a full tank of gas (had filled it only a few miles prior), I was experiencing intermittent engine stalling - several times over a couple of miles - before it stalled and refused to restart for a good five minutes. GS-911 (and ultimately, the dealer) confirmed a corroded fuel pump controller, replaced under warranty. Suggest visiting the dealer and hooking bike to their diagnostic computer. If the FPC is dying, the bike's electronics will have registered a corresponding error code. Link to comment
Huzband Posted February 6, 2011 Share Posted February 6, 2011 Tank was low (should have been good for at least another 20 miles), but definitely not empty. Engine died. Bike sat for two minutes, and then started right up again. I thought my gauge was crapping out, but then... ...A month later, with a full tank of gas (had filled it only a few miles prior), I was experiencing intermittent engine stalling - several times over a couple of miles - before it stalled and refused to restart for a good five minutes. GS-911 (and ultimately, the dealer) confirmed a corroded fuel pump controller, replaced under warranty. Suggest visiting the dealer and hooking bike to their diagnostic computer. If the FPC is dying, the bike's electronics will have registered a corresponding error code. Great. Something else to think about as I bear down on the end of my warranty. At least I got a refresh on the FD at 23k. Link to comment
Joe Frickin' Friday Posted February 6, 2011 Share Posted February 6, 2011 Great. Something else to think about as I bear down on the end of my warranty. At least I got a refresh on the FD at 23k. I think the FPC is to hexheads what the HES is/was for oilheads. If you plan on riding far from home and place a high value on time, you'd be wise to carry a spare under the seat, along with the tools to replace it. I'd happily shell out a few bucks up front for the ability to swap it out by the side of the road on my own in The Middle of Nowhere, if it means not having my bike towed 200 miles to the nearest dealer, waiting two days for them to open and then waiting another day for the part to arrive. Having said all that, we're a bit ahead of ourselves. I hope Hugh will have the dealer examine his bike and positively diagnose the problem, whether it's the fuel strip or the FPC - or something else. Link to comment
Huzband Posted February 6, 2011 Share Posted February 6, 2011 True everything you said, Mitch. Hopefully for Hugh, it's just the strip. One word of warning on that, though. I've had my fuel strip replaced twice under warranty. Fine, but for one thing. Used to be when the miles to zero read 0, I still had a gallon or so of reserve. Ask 2bmwfan. She was getting REAL nervous on the way to the '08 Un when we passed 0 in the middle of BFE Nor.Cal. & still had thirty miles to go to the nearest gas station. No problem. Now? I got NO reserve. A couple months ago, I pushed my luck. Planning to stop for gas in the next few miles, it quit while showing 1 mile to go. To put it mildly, I was less than disappointed. Link to comment
Mister Tee Posted February 6, 2011 Share Posted February 6, 2011 I have NEVER ran out of gas, ever, in anything. Until the fuel strip failed on my 08 RT. Funny thing is, I actually DID reset the trip odometer since I fueled it last, but the m#*$#$#king display randomly defaulted to odometer mileage like it commonly did and I didn't bother to reset it because the fuel gauge had previously been so accurate. C14 - working gas gauge, display always shows last selected option (trip odometer.) Link to comment
Steve Kolenda Posted February 8, 2011 Share Posted February 8, 2011 On my 2000 R1100RT there were two fuel indicating systems. The gauge on the display and a warning light that would come on when the fuel level was low. I believe these systems were independent of each other so that even if the gauge was not reading correctly the warning light would come on. On my 2011 R1200RT there appears to be three systems. The gauge on the display, a warning light and the miles to empty. Are any of these independent of each other? Link to comment
dirtrider Posted February 8, 2011 Share Posted February 8, 2011 On my 2000 R1100RT there were two fuel indicating systems. The gauge on the display and a warning light that would come on when the fuel level was low. I believe these systems were independent of each other so that even if the gauge was not reading correctly the warning light would come on. On my 2011 R1200RT there appears to be three systems. The gauge on the display, a warning light and the miles to empty. Are any of these independent of each other? Evening Steve Well! Sort of. They are independent in the way they read in different areas but the down side is they all use the same fuel strip as the basis for their info. SO, a faulty fuel strip can make them all inaccurate. You should have 2 trip sets so once you know how far you can go on a tank-full (worst case) you can use one of those as a redundant fuel-to-empty system. Link to comment
RoSPA_man Posted February 15, 2011 Author Share Posted February 15, 2011 Great. Something else to think about as I bear down on the end of my warranty. At least I got a refresh on the FD at 23k. I think the FPC is to hexheads what the HES is/was for oilheads. If you plan on riding far from home and place a high value on time, you'd be wise to carry a spare under the seat, along with the tools to replace it. I'd happily shell out a few bucks up front for the ability to swap it out by the side of the road on my own in The Middle of Nowhere, if it means not having my bike towed 200 miles to the nearest dealer, waiting two days for them to open and then waiting another day for the part to arrive. Having said all that, we're a bit ahead of ourselves. I hope Hugh will have the dealer examine his bike and positively diagnose the problem, whether it's the fuel strip or the FPC - or something else. Hi Hugh will definitely not have the dealer examine the bike, not after my last experience where I left it in their hands to do the brake recall and had incredibly soggy brakes afterwards. When I complained (I re-bled myself later that day), the dealer said it passed whatever test they do, but ".. it is possible for some air to remain in the new pipe.." . Isn't that the whole point of the test to check for no air!!! No, I prefer to screw up my bike by myself rather than wondering what the dealer did or didn't do! The tank did take a full 26 litres between roadside and fill-up so it does appear to be the gauge. I now simply fill every 200 miles and reset both trips which is no big deal. Meanwhile the gauge seems to be reading correctly - maybe it stops at 1/4 full! Link to comment
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.