The sorry saga of 1200GS/GSA fuel pump controller failures (410 so far)

[Wingit]

When: Aug 2008
Where: 40 mins from home.
(Luckily it didn't fail on a recent 2000 mile trip around Europe)
Rider: Ken Watson
Bike: 08 1200GS, 7k miles.
Remedy: BMW recovery back home. BMW transport from home to dealership next morning. Fixed same day.
Days lost: None

[Wilburt]

When:- 26/03/08
Where:- 1.5 Hours from Madrid en route to Morocco with two mates.
Rider:- Clive (Essex Boy)
Bike:- 2004 1200gs
Remedy:- Called Carole Nash 1pm, told them I needed recovery to BMW Madrid.Local tow company arrived about 1 hour later and took me to nearest Yamaha dealer! Continually called Carole Nash, but then tow company said they could not take me that afternoon so had to stay in B & B overnight, mates stayed too but they headed off next morning for the ferry to Tangiers.
Went to Madrid BMW next morning, got there 11:21 and they told me to wait for their call.
It as 5:30 next evening before bike was fixed. Cost about £50 for the B&B first night, then £120 for the Madrid hotel close to the dealer, then £150 for the fuel thingy, plus expenses. Lost 2 days holiday and all confidence in BMW.

Went 1 week ago on edgeware rd. 06 bike with 2 weeks of warranty left. BMW car & service guy showed up inside the hour & had me up & running. Kudos to the tech. Thumbs down to the product!!!

[Myke Rocks]

My freind, Noel Hadden has had 2 R1200GS BMWs.

1st was 2005 model, & he had a relay failure on it.

He later bought a 2008 model having been assured by local dealer that the fuel pump relay problems had been resolved.
He has had 2 more replaced under warranty this year.
He now carries a spare with him.
All incidents occurred in Northern Ireland.

In the immortal words of Oscar Wilde:
to lose one parent is unfortunate, to lose two smacks of carelessness.

Regards Michael A. Mc Namee

[Hadrian]

Yip had the very same problem with my 2004 GS back in July of this year!

- When did it happen?:September 2008

- Where were you?: In Co. Galway out for the weekend

- bike details (model and year): 2006 R1200 GSA

- remedy: electrical bypass fix on side of the road using direct feed from Auxillery socket using cable from Sat Nav . Toured for rest of day before calling BMW assisst to recover Bike whilst i returned to UK by Plane

- How many days work/holiday did you lose? None, just had a good friend who talked me through the fix

- Were there any incidental costs? Not yet

[JohnnyBoxer]

Met a chap yesterday when I pulled up next to him on my 2008 12Adv

He had a 2007 12 Adv model

He was hoping this was 3rd Sunday lucky

Last Sunday he was recovered with a Fuel Pump Controller and the Sunday before that he suffered EWS failure

2 BMW Assist recovereies on consecutive Sundays

He'd never heard of UKGSER and thought he was unlucky

I pointed him here to find the real deal

When did it happen? 2005 after seal was replaced on recall
- Where were you? middle of nowhere single track road inthe lake district
- rider name william short
- bike details (model and year) r1200gs 2004
- remedy BMW recovered and repaired at dealer
- How many days work/holiday did you lose? 1day
- Were there any incidental costs? No

[phc1058]

year of bike: 2005

mileage when failed: approx 18000 miles and 2 months out of warranty

symptoms:engine stalled a few times on tickover then packed up completely about 3 miles later

trailered home by AA

contacted local dealer who were certain it would be the pump controller at fault without even seeing the bike so ordered and fitted new style controller which rectified problem

Originally Posted by Tim Cullis

I don't think congratulations is the right expression, but phc1058's FPC failure is the 200th documented incident amongst UK owners, 99 of which have happened so far in 2008.

BMW UK is aware of this thread and I have received a response to some of the questions I posed and BMW Munich has been asked to comment on others. I will post if and when there is anything concrete I can share.

Tim

[Mr K]

Year of bike: 2004
Mileage: 42,500 and a bit.
Where: Waternish, Isle of Skye.
When: 29/08/08.

Phoned RAC. RAC deployed Portree Coachworks, who phoned Oonyack, who managed to get the bypass thread emailed to Portree Coachworks..

Back on the road 3 hours late...but not in a truck..

FPC, as yet un-replaced is working again without bypass fused-up..



Strangely, I ordered a new FPC from Cooper BMW, Boldon and they claim never to have had the part in stock or ordered one... ... 1 week later it has not arrived...

Originally Posted by wilbjr21

Chris - I know this to be incorrect.

I can loan you one until yours comes (latest part number) as I have two.

Originally Posted by SHORTY

So do i as when mine failed they replaced it under waranty. 2004 model
perhaps your bike has a new type with different part number? or the FPC was supplied by BMW or BMW assist and not ordered by coopers

[M3GS]

2005 model - 8400 miles. Mine just gone in Pyrenees. This bike is has been French registered for a year or so and not sure if BuMW GB will entertain a goodwill claim but I'm going to try anyway. Cost 112 Euro for replacement part and fitted it myself.

Not having a good year as my almost new GB reg GS Adv also stranded me in middle of France with ring antenna failure a few weeks ago. BuMW GB investigating my complaints over this episode as we speak.

Both issues could have been largely prevented by proper recalls as any other manufacturer would have done.

The fcuking money I've spent with them on cars and bikes over the years!

Now where's the nearest KTM dealer...

Cheers

Roger

Originally Posted by Tim Cullis

Out-of-warranty costs to owners was one of the issues I raised with BMW.

The response so far is that there are a number of factors that BMW consider in goodwill 'claims' such as the age of bike, the mileage covered, number of owners and whether the bike is dealer maintained.

BMW has said that whilst no promises are being made, they will look into the parameters that are set for this component.

Tim

Cheers Tim, one lives in hope!

[lywood]

When: June 2006

Where: South of France

Name: Donnie MacLeod

Bike: 2005 R1200GS - 15k miles

Remedy: BMW Assist returned bike to BMW Nime. Spare taken from new bike in showroom. They claimed it was the first time they had seen this problem. BMW Assist was excellent.

Cost:15 hours lost

yes - another one
happened yesterday 15th sept - at Navan , Ireland
Damian Crummey
1200gs 2006
aon axa free breakdown cover to local bmw dealer ( joe duffy motors ) Dublin
1 DAY lost and very important meeting missed !!
NO expences BUT - booked to travel to France on 27th sept with 2 mates for a weeks bikin ( i dont think so ) - dealer has stated he is out of the part as there is such demand for them !!! - i have to wait until 13th oct for the part to arrive - no bloody holiday !!

Originally Posted by vmaxoutlaw

Sounds like you need to bypass the controller. Simple enough:

http://www.advrider.com/forums/showpost.php?p=6898745

Jerry

Originally Posted by Tim Cullis

I took the liberty of changing Jerry's link to a post slightly further down the AdvRider thread that shows the procedure more clearly.

I ran my 1200GSA with the bypass in place for several weeks whilst I was in Morocco, and then rode back to the UK.

Tim

thanks for the info - may just have to do that ( and will if no better alternative arises ) but as ive over a week before the trip - anyone know where to source a new unit in the uk ? - irish dealers say none available from the official uk dealers

23.9.08 having been told by local dealer that part would not be available until mid oct , got a call last friday to say they had received some parts and my bike was ready !! - thanks to joe duffy motors ( i think ) - so i assume ive got the newest type now fitted - still bringing printout of the pictures showing how to bypass the unit if im stuck on holiday ( the pictures show how to cut the wires etc .. but to the less mechanically minded of us - where exactly is the part and how do i access it ????

Bike: 05 R1200GS
Fuel Pump Failure: May 2008
Where: Cork
mileage on clock - 14,500km
Cost: - 50 euro collection, labour on the part - 120 euro

My whole bill came to 700 euro (service as well)

Days lost - about 8 weeks - this is how long it took to get the parts!

They also highlighted the ABS controller as having gone -this involved the replacement of the entire CPU for the bike.

I came off 8 years of riding Honda Blackbirds for this?

Great bike for our roads but the minute a new VFR 1000 is launched I'm outta here and back to Honda

[TyreMark]

When - 2 weeks ago on fourth day of european hols

Where - La Spezia, Italy (Bike lost power on stretch of dual-carriageway. Restarted but died completely a mile later, where I was able to get off road onto garage forecourt)

Name - Barry (Tyremark)

Bike - 2006 R1200GS

Remedy - After dropping H&B tank bars/fog-lights was able to get at tank panel and remove fuel pump controller (totally dry and no sign of moisture)
cut wires below unit and pushed them into connector that plugs into controller then pvc taped them in place
Days lost - None, took an hour to sort mainly due to removing/refitting the tank bars/lights.

Incidental Costs - Next day (300 miles later) found a motorrad dealer 'Moto Sport' at Pistoia who were extremely helpful and sold me a controller off a new Gs in the showroom. Cost 104 euros fitted myself and bike completed the remaining 2500 miles of hols flawlessly. By the way bike seemed to run perfectly without controller with no noticeable difference in fuel consumption

A Big Thank You to Tim and all those who contributed to the workaround it certainly saved the day and the holiday

[POG]

When - 21-09-2008
Where - B6270 Gunnerside, N. Yorks Moors (Middle-of-nowhere)
Name - POG
Bike - R1200GSA 2006 '06

Remedy - Recovered to home address as dealers were closed (Sunday). 3 hour wait for recovery, 2.15 recovery back to home, having to listen to inane recovery driver

Time Lost - Unknown (spoke to dealers - they have none in stock and won't have until mid October)

Cost - Unknown, 3 weeks without bike. Will fit myself as won't want to fork out for 1 hours labour. FPC part is changing along with part number. Cost of new part as yet unknown.

The bubble has burst

Originally Posted by POG

25-9-08: The new controllers are now being shipped to dealers (Alan Jeffries, Shipley) and are available. The rest of their order should arrive in early next week - I guess that this might be the case with other dealers as well.

I was contacted by AJ's today as they have a lead on their shipment and have received 3 of the new FPC's (one of which they have very kindly put aside for me ).

The other extremely good news for me is that BMW are paying for the FPC (which will save me about £70, and this is very good news for me in this economically arid period).

Thank you very much to Mike, the Service Manager, for pulling out the stops and getting the part for me, thus enabling me to get my bike back on the road Top bloke and a great dealer

[Tim Cullis]

Update on failures

2004: 7
2005: 14
2006: 30
2007: 51
2008: 105

Total: 207

According to BMW a new version of the fuel pump controller was introduced a couple of weeks ago.
However it seems many dealers do not have this in stock.

Will the new version of the FPC be any more reliable than the version introduced in May?

Tim