Starting Problems (Again)

Evening all.

I posted here a couple of months ago looking for help with starting problems. Many thanks to all who suggested fixes....

The original post is here -

http://www.ukgser.com/forums/showthread.php?t=105828

The problem is it's back.

The bike - F650GS, '00, 35,000 miles, serviced around 4000 miles ago

The symptoms - Either hard starting (Starts but dies off quickly) or the idle speed runs at between around 1900 and 2500 revs, getting faster and then slower. This doesn't always happen and sometimes fixes itself once the engine is warm and can usually be solved by turning the ignition off and on again. The problem first reared its head about three months ago, pretty much since it's last service.

What I've done to try and fix it -

-Checked battery connections aren't loose
-Reset the 'Brain' several times using the three methods I've come across (Taking out the correct fuse, Disconnecting the battery and removing the brain unit, each for at least fifteen minutes)
-Doing a throttle position reset
-Cleaning throttle body, checking for cracks in the rubber
-Cleaning out the Idle air bypass (if that's it's correct name), which was filthy
-Checking throttle cable routing and correct positioning
-Checked air sensor is positioned correctly and plugged in
-Replaced spark plug with extended tip iridium variety as suggested on the chain gang site
-General look around for broken/bare wires



My question is this - Is there anything else I can try myself before bringing it in to a dealer and getting the faults read?

Many thanks for reading and sorry for the unusually long post.

Have u had your altenator checked?

There is a technical bulletin somewhere on the F650 forum which deals with faulty load control relays , the relay which feeds the BMS unit during starting.
Replacement is the only cure - first the relay , and quickly while it is still starting , the bike .
The Paralever R100 GS is a splendid alternative , not much heavier , handles a bit better, is a lot faster, and simplicity to work on.

I had a 00 F650 GS myself for two tears and it wouldnt start for about half of that time so I can relate to your frustration.

I love my big GS - luckily my BMW dealer traded the F650 on it for a sensible price - happiest day since my divorce came through !!!

Thanks gingerdj and BeemerBoff,

Forgive my lack of technical understanding. What symptoms would either a faulty alternator or a faulty load control relay give as far as starting/idling the bike goes? I can get the alternator checked easy enough by a mate but how would I pin down the load control relay as being of fault? Would it show up if the faults were read?

Ta again

Finn

The relay doesnt show up as a fault on the diagnostic ,so it is hard to trace. It is a special piece of gear which makes certain that the BMS unit has the correct voltage for a few seconds at starting time.
They are a standard , trouble free item on almost every vehicule with electronic injection - BMW must have gone to a lot of trouble to find one which doesnt work. I replaced the TYCO unit in mine with a Siemens unit from a wrecker and it worked long enough to get it sold .
I have no idea if BMW have a fix for the problem but the only BMW authorised workshop for 600km hadnt a clue and didnt want to know.
It must be common as the only thing the dealer did when I traded it was to test the starting , about half a dozen times.
Someone must be looking after me , as it was the only time ever that it would have passed the test. !

Beemerboff said:

There is a technical bulletin somewhere on the F650 forum which deals with faulty load control relays , the relay which feeds the BMS unit during starting.
Replacement is the only cure - first the relay , and quickly while it is still starting , the bike .
The Paralever R100 GS is a splendid alternative , not much heavier , handles a bit better, is a lot faster, and simplicity to work on.

I had a 00 F650 GS myself for two tears and it wouldnt start for about half of that time so I can relate to your frustration.

I love my big GS - luckily my BMW dealer traded the F650 on it for a sensible price - happiest day since my divorce came through !!!

Click to expand...

I tried to find one, rare as rocking horse do doo's