Bike cut out

[fbpmc]

Hi after filling up with fuel coming to the end of a long days riding, I rode off from the garage and a mile or so later the bike cut out.
would not restart, then I saw smoke coming from under the Tank !!
disconnected the battery in a hurry . The coil has burnt out and melted the red sealer all over the alternator.
AA brought me home. Looked today and fit a new coil . it will not start. Fuel pump makes the normal priming noise, still don't think there is a spark I connected a timing light to one plug lead and no flash.
What could be wrong ??
The bike is a year 2000 R1150GS only done 24,000 miles.
Any help would be appreciated.

 

[Ian J Hartley]

Can you confirm that you are getting a Positive voltage on the low tension side of the coil.

Green wire +12 volts.

If you are then try disconnecting the tachometer. It's the connector on the right hand side of the head stock. Just in case a fault with the tacho is affecting the motronic signal to the coil.

Edit The tachometer connector has three wires to it (brown, black, green ) so you don't confuse it with the front brake connector just below it which has two wires.

Edit I'm taking it for granted that you have checked all your fuses are OK.

 

[fbpmc]

Bike Cut Out

Hi thanks for the reply, I have a live to the low tension side of the coil, All the fuses are OK and the Motronic and Fuel Pump relays click when the ignition is switched on, the fuel pump primes OK and fuel pours out when I disconnect the fuel pipe.
I will try it again with the Tacho wiring disconnected ( Lost the light for today will resume tomorrow and let you know )
Thanks again for the help.

 

[cele0001]

+1 on Hartleys advice

Coil is triggered from ME by switching the ground.If you have injector pulse (you should check) and power to the coil, it might have fried the electronics inside the ME. Not the best scenario.

Edit: ME = (Motor Electronics, Motronic, brain, etc)

 

[fbpmc]

Hi thanks for that , I take it that that means the ME or engine management unit is possibly goosed !!! what is that going to cost.
I bought BMW for reliability but am getting disappointed as time goes on would I get a good second hand one.

+1 on Hartleys adviceis triggered from ME by switching the ground.If you have injector pulse (you should check) and power to the coil, it might have fried the electronics inside the ME. Not the best scenario.

Edit: ME = (Motor Electronics, Motronic, brain, etc)

 

[fbpmc]

Hi thanks for that , I take it that that means the ME or engine management unit is possibly goosed !!! what is that going to cost ?.
I bought BMW for reliability but am getting disappointed as time goes on, would I get a good second hand one ?.
Motoworks recon the engine management units were petty built proof. Obviously not !

 

[Ian J Hartley]

I wouldn't go jumping ahead.

The motronic modules are usually very reliable and quite robust. They trigger devises by switching earths, or negative going pulses, and this is the trigger that goes to the other side low tension wire of the coil. If this line has gone constant low through a problem with your tacho, then all the current will flow constantly through the coil, and as the coil gets no trigger, the HT side won't work, hense no spark. But your motronic is likely to be undamaged.

 

[cele0001]

I would also not jump to conclusion , until you exhaust all possibilities. Finish the troubleshooting as per Harley's input. Sorry to rain doom and gloom preemptively. ME is very resilient.

 

[fbpmc]

Hi disconnected the Tacho wiring , put the tank back on and "IT RUNS" brilliant , I presume this means there is a fault in the Tacho itself ? do I need to gat a new Tacho.
Thanks very much for your advice if you're ever up this way there is beer waiting ( And a room for the night if needed )
Cheers. FBPMC ( Dave Muscroft )

 

[Ian J Hartley]

Great news!.

You could try examining the tacho cable loom from the connector all the way to the tacho it's self, just incase a wire has chaffed through. You would be looking for damage to the black wire. If you find nothing obvious., then the assumption is it might be faulty internally.

You could try reconnecting it briefly to see what happens. If your engine dies, then you will know it's the tacho.

Good luck!

Ian

 

[cele0001]

Great news!.

You could try examining the tacho cable loom from the connector all the way to the tacho it's self, just incase a wire has chaffed through. You would be looking for damage to the black wire. If you find nothing obvious., then the assumption is it might be faulty internally.

You could try reconnecting it briefly to see what happens. If your engine dies, then you will know it's the tacho.

Good luck!

Ian

Once again sir, I apologize for jumping the gun. I am also of the opinion that it is very rare for ME to fail, if fact I have only seen one (on a car).
Nice work and well deserved praise.

 

[fbpmc]

Hi !!!!!!!!!! SPOKE TOO SOON I'M AFRAID. Took the bike on a run 20 miles or so ran perfectly got home turned the bike on and off a few times No problem, then took wiring out of its zip ties to look for chaffing on the Tacho loom, the wiring is all bunched up and seems way to long for the bike, anyway the bike will not start ( I did not reconnect the Tacho ) so It can't be that, that's stopping it.
I'm thinking there is a broken wire somewhere that I have just disturbed !! any thoughts on which part of the loom / connector blocks to start looking at ?
Sorry to be a pain but I thought we had this sorted.
Offer of Beer still applies.
Cheers Dave .

 

[oblertone]

Broken wires ...

... are not uncommon in the part loom between the ignition switch and the first multi plug; mainly because they are cable tied too tightly from new and the constant flexing eventually snaps a wire.

 

[MikeO]

Have you rechecked all the fuses?

 

[DrFarkoff]

Do you have any dash lights? Neutral light? Rider Information display?

What else isnt working apart from it not starting

If you haven;t any dash lights check the battery connections and if they are good check the base of the Ignition switch and along that wee loom and see if you get any coming on!

Hi !!!!!!!!!! SPOKE TOO SOON I'M AFRAID. Took the bike on a run 20 miles or so ran perfectly got home turned the bike on and off a few times No problem, then took wiring out of its zip ties to look for chaffing on the Tacho loom, the wiring is all bunched up and seems way to long for the bike, anyway the bike will not start ( I did not reconnect the Tacho ) so It can't be that, that's stopping it.
I'm thinking there is a broken wire somewhere that I have just disturbed !! any thoughts on which part of the loom / connector blocks to start looking at ?
Sorry to be a pain but I thought we had this sorted.
Offer of Beer still applies.
Cheers Dave .

 

[DrFarkoff]

the bike cut out, would not restart, then I saw smoke coming from under the Tank !!
disconnected the battery in a hurry . The coil has burnt out and melted the red sealer all over the alternator.
AA brought me home. Looked today and fit a new coil . it will not start. Fuel pump makes the normal priming noise, still don't think there is a spark I connected a timing light to one plug lead and no flash.
What could be wrong ??.

I would suspect that you have had a pretty major voltage/current surge if the coil pack has melted!!!!

and that has damaged the hall effect sensors

Take off the front plastic drive belt cover and you will see a cable coming out below the bottom pulley have a feel is it hard and crispy or soft and pliable

If its hard and brittle that is the most likely cause of your lack of spark and you probably wont be getting any fuel squirting either

 

[Ian J Hartley]

I'm taking it for granted your fuses are OK.

When you switch on the ignition, the fuel pump primes as before.

I take it you haven't lifted the tank, so your throttle cables are seated correctly.

I take it your problem is as before, no ignition. Ie no HT spark.

If it is a broken wire, or short, then it is likely to be in the area which you have disturbed, on the other hand it could just be coincidental and you might have a faulty hall sensor. That's located on the crackshaft pulley and is the timing trigger for your ignition and injectors.

First I would be checking the black wire on the coil pack for a short circuit to earth. It might require disconnection of the motronic plug from the motronic module to get sensible readings, as sometimes the electronics inside can give false earths. You may also have a failed coil pack again.
This black wire is a screened wire and runs from the motronic connector to the coil pack LT connector (screened along this length) but there is a tap off from a crimp (unscreened) which goes to the tacho connector. A short to earth along this length would stop the coil from working.

If this wire checks OK then, you might have to check the hall sensors are working OK.

This explains how to check your hall sensors?
http://users.rcn.com/dehager/service/oilhead_hall_sensors.pdf

Good luck

 

[fbpmc]

Hi thanks for that I will have a look at that tomorrow, I suspect No ignition and No injectors as the plugs are bone dry after cranking the starter quite a few times. I will let you know.

 

[fbpmc]

Hi I will check this tomorrow and let you know. Thanks for your advice.
Cheer FBPMC

 

[fbpmc]

Hi I have checked the wire coming from the Hall sensor and it is soft and pliable, no small of anything burnt in there.
All fuses and relays are good. I am just about at trhe limit of my ability and am looking for a good independent BMW garage to take over the job, does any one know of one near Wetherby / Leeds Yorkshire?