2008 R1200GS fuel strip conversion (sorry!)

[misterfrostie]

Hi guys -

I'm new to the forum, after 49 years of avoiding road bikes I finally gave in and got my license 18 months ago and bought an RNineT and a 2008 R1200GS. Naturally the fuel strip sensor on the GS isn't working and I have the warning triangle. I've tolerated it for long enough and today cracked on getting the tank off and getting to grips with the ECU pins whilst I wait for the float to arrive. Having read more about this topic this morning I'm more confused than ever

I've got the GS, not the GSA and so I only have one large opening to the tank on the LHS. I've stripped out the fuel strip and the pump but my pump looks different to everything I've seen on conversion instructions (which are almost all GSA based) - mine doesn't seem to have a facility on the pump for mounting the float assembly.

Now I've read that the float hangs from the filler neck on the GS like the fuel strip does. Is 16148554065 the right part number for this and does it hang off the same wire bracket that the fuel strip does ?

I've also now read that BMW now have an uprated fuel strip 16141600132 that might be worth trying rather than going for the float conversion.

My current position is that I've got the fuel pump out, I'm waiting for my float 16148554065 to arrive, I'm now not sure if it's gonna fit and I'm wondering if I shouldn't just fit this uprated fuel strip instead

Any guidance, experience, help and views very much appreciated.

 

[Santa-2512]

If you do a search,

there is a big thread on fuel strip / float conversion floating around somewhere


I think Denzo was the thread starter


Welcome to the forum BTW

 

[misterfrostie]

Thanks Santa. I read through the whole thing but I'm still not clear on what the right solution or float part number is for the GS

 

[Mistacat]

On Earlier bikes the float was mounted to the fuel pump on later bikes it was mounted to the fuel filler neck.
Mounting it to the fuel filler neck gave the float more travel & hence more accuracy.
We have mounted cheap 0 to 100 ohm aftermarket floats to the pump and done the conversion which has worked ok but not perfect.
perhaps you have a post 2010 pump fitted without the float sender mountings.

 

[misterfrostie]

That makes sense Mistacat. Looks like I might be stuck with either replacing the pump assembly or putting the ECU pins back and replacing the fuel strip with a new one.

Hopefully below is a pic of my pump assembly, clearly no mountings for the float

https://www.amazon.co.uk/photos/share/v0ixdjrpSaD9frIEhRJ4z84CilV6WBerMd3bKPa58jk

 

[botus]

if you read the entire "correct" post... you ought to have more questions or more info for us about your bike

three possible solutions

1) replace the strip - more accurate than a float on the pump of a (small) tank bike - but more money and more hell if it plays up again
2) fit the float if it has the clips on the pump, mine does (but there was a recall for a free pump on my last of the original one's before the later styling update - I don't know but I would think u might have a free pump waiting at a dealership ?) Then find you and get nowhere, as you have the wrong ZFE (I expect you have the wrong ZFE), and then have to buy the box to convert the signal from probeemer - both is still cheaper than the original strip part - but you'll have to tolerate a wobble in the reading between 80 and 40 miles as the float sinks faster on the small tank at that point, then goes back to normal
3) fit the float as you KNOW you have ESA suspension and the twin socket ZFE that can accept input wiring for either strip or float

Whilst that excellent thread starts with all the info an ESA suspension GSA needs to convert on page 1, the madness effecting the rest of us comes at the tail end of page 7 (after a lot of pre work and debate getting us grounded on why, page one doesn't work for all)

 

[DevonAl]

It’s a lot easier to blank off the triangle with a piece of foam, and reset the trip every fill up, it was about 160-170 miles on my 06 GS.

Al.

 

[Santa-2512]

It’s a lot easier to blank off the triangle with a piece of foam, and reset the trip every fill up, it was about 160-170 miles on my 06 GS.

Al.

The 06 had the float fitted - if not, i had the only working srtip since they were fitted lol

 

[DevonAl]

The 06 had the float fitted - if not, i had the only working srtip since they were fitted lol

Mine had a strip, it was fitted with a new one when I bought it, lasted just over two years, never bothered replacing it.

Al.

 

[DrFarkoff]

New model of fuel strip released a few months ago

If I recall If BM "fit it" you get a 2 year warranty

 

[botus]

It’s a lot easier to blank off the triangle with a piece of foam, and reset the trip every fill up, it was about 160-170 miles on my 06 GS.

Al.

its not - and there is no need

you can solder four 3 pence resistors together and slot them in the multiplug - and as far as the bike, and BMW diagnostics know the bike is almost 100% normal with a full tank of fuel (trip loses range to go, but ave speed and consumption still operate)

 

[DevonAl]

its not - and there is no need

you can solder four 3 pence resistors together and slot them in the multiplug - and as far as the bike, and BMW diagnostics know the bike is almost 100% normal with a full tank of fuel (trip loses range to go, but ave speed and consumption still operate)

I could if I knew what you were talking about, I now have a 1200r LC so don’t really care. But if you don’t know how many miles your bike does to a tankful if the cheapo electronic crap fails you shouldn’t be riding unsupervised.

Al.