Curses

[mylovelyhorse]

2012 F800GS, 51,800 miles.

As I rode home this evening the oil pressure warning light came on. That was conveniently close to Bahnstormer Alton, my local dealer (and supplier of the bike when it was new). They were just closing and the only person left was a sales chap, but I nabbed a bottle of oil & a rag and checked the oil. The bike has never before burnt oil and was only a tiny bit low today. I topped it up and gave the bike 10 mins rest. On firing it up all seemed fine and the oil pressure warning light did not come back on.

During the next 15 miles or so the engine seemed a little hesitant so I did the trip at minimum revs in the highest gear I could.

Then the oil pressure warning light came on again. I stopped, waited a few mins and checked the oil but the level seemed fine. I resolved, as I was <5 miles from home, to potter on. I very, very gently rode the last few miles running mainly at only slightly over tickover. Water temperature remained constant, by the way.

I got home and stopped the engine. On careful inspection I can see no evidence of leaking oil. I gave it 10 minutes and then tried to run it to see if there was any top end noise or anything. Frankly it didn't sound rattly or anything when it fired up but it wouldn't tick over so I stopped the engine quickly and put it away for the night.

Tomorrow I shall give Bahnstormers a ring. It has had all but 1 service there (I did the 42k oil & filter change) and they've all been done pretty much on time too. It's scruffy to look at but the engine gets lots of attention.

Any thoughts on symptoms and possible diagnosis?

 

[Uncle-Fester]

Sounds like it could be a faulty oil pressure switch, similar thing happened to my 1100, no engine noise but oil light on, change switch, all good.

 

[mylovelyhorse]

I do hope so!

 

[mylovelyhorse]

Just spoken to Bahnstormers.

Oil pressure switch fine. Lambda sensor gone. Main ECU showing internal faults and needs replacing. £600 quid. Nearest is in Germany and will take a week to arrive.

I have asked them to discuss with BMW UK whether or not 51k miles is a reasonable lifetime for that part & to relay my opinion that it's at least 51k short of minimum acceptable lifespan. I think this should be replaced by the manufacturer not by me.

Coded to the bike, secondhand ones can't be used.

 

[mylovelyhorse]

BMW UK have asked that Bahnstormers put in a claim and they'll decide whether they'll agree it and if so by how much. In the meantime the part needs to be ordered & they have done so.

 

[Posh Pete]

Once had a Saab 900. I went to the local motor factor for a new oil pressure switch.

Me: Need a new ops for a Saab 900

He: And you think that will cure it?

Me: I know it will cure it!

He: Why?

Me: Cos it's leaking oil all over the shop! Now do you have one or not?

Exit smart arse to the racks behind him!

 

[Christos x]

Do you have any own fit electrical stuff plugged in? Only asking because I had an oil light issue when I had to buy a new phone charger (or something similar) a few years back. When plugged in it seemed to make the oil warning light do some odd stuff. Rode with the oil light on for a few miles, no noises, checked levels etc all good. Unplugged the phone charger and all seemed fine and no light. Plugged it back in and oil light came on, rode it all good. Unplugged it no light all good. Ditched the charger and bought a different on a few miles up the road, plugged it in no oil light, all good and remained good to this day.
Also, I'm a tad cynical re BMW dealer workshops after one tried to convince me that my clutch needed changing after 23k, the whole clutch and not just plates, for the princely sum of £680... needless to say I told them where to go and after another 50k on the clock the clutch is still doing fine!!!

This may not help in any way shape or form but sometimes its the simple things and you dont need to shell out cash money on the say so of BMW

 

[Sooty09]

Just had a look through my 2016 manual and checked my bike and my wife's 2013 F700, no oil warning light. The latest Motorrad spec sheet states the on board computer includes oil warning but it gets no mention in the hand book. On the R1200GS a level switch displays OIL OK if the bike is warm and stationary, I have seen nothing like it on the F800GS. I did get an oil warning on the R1200 while braking hard on a down hill road but no pressure warming light.

 

[mylovelyhorse]

Yeah, well this has taken an interesting turn. The oil pressure switch is fine (and yes, the bike really does have an oil pressure switch and warning light) but the ECU is reporting that it has "internal faults" and has basically failed. As they're a £600 item I pointed out that the ECU is hopeless if it fails at <52k and my dealer agreed. BMW UK say that they will cover 80% of the cost of the replacement ECU. It's on order and will be fitted this week.

 

[Sooty09]

What indicates low oil pressure, 2016 bike and there is no mention in the hand book. Not questioning whether there is a switch ,its is on the left hand of the cylinder head and is shown on the spares Microfich at Rainbow BMW.

 

[steve hughes]

Yeah, well this has taken an interesting turn. The oil pressure switch is fine (and yes, the bike really does have an oil pressure switch and warning light) but the ECU is reporting that it has "internal faults" and has basically failed. As they're a £600 item I pointed out that the ECU is hopeless if it fails at <52k and my dealer agreed. BMW UK say that they will cover 80% of the cost of the replacement ECU. It's on order and will be fitted this week.

Wow that sounds like a result, dissapointing its only done 52K , but at least you are back on the road.

 

[mylovelyhorse]

The new ECU has arrived & been fitted. The bike runs nicely until it gets warm when the idle is inconsistent. The ECU then reports no signal from one of the engine sensors (can't remember which one but it's not one that has been mentioned before). The sensor itself is OK (they say) so they think there's an intermittent wiring fault between sensor and ECU. This is now "under investigation". So far my part of the bill is knocking on the door of a grand. Good job we have some savings.

I might be going to Spa (departing next Thurs) on the wife's bike (F800ST)...

 

[mylovelyhorse]

Wow that sounds like a result, dissapointing its only done 52K , but at least you are back on the road.

Not as yet, I'm afraid

 

[Deleted account 181015003]

I would be ask them retry the original ECU when they find and fix the wiring fault you dont want to be paying for a new ECU for a wiring fault

 

[mylovelyhorse]

Indeed.

 

[mylovelyhorse]

I've just asked Bahnstormers about the situation and the old ECU / new ECU thing & this is what they say.

The old ECU was kicking out 2 sets of error codes, one of which appeared to be reporting faults in that ECU itself. Replacing it with the new ECU quashes the errors related to the ECU but the sensor error that they believe to actually be a wiring error remains. The bike runs fine when cold but once it warms up the idle is "all over the place" and it isn't smooth. I should be using the bike to go to Spa on Thursday morning & they will spend "another couple of hours" on it between now and then looking for a wiring fault. Maybe I should have asked them to replace that bit of the loom but I suspect we're into order from Germany territory there.

If it is rideable bar the iffy idle then I will probably retrieve it and take it to Spa. If that's not possible I will take the wife's F800ST (after checking with my travel insurance as according to that I'm not covered if I don't own the bike I'm riding). That won't be so convenient as its factory lowered and gives me a bit of cramp if I ride it for too long (like 2 hrs plus).

 

[mylovelyhorse]

I do get to go to Spa...

Got the GS back from BMW this afternoon. They said that they have it running but without a stable tick over once warm. They have done all the things they can immediately think of and no error codes are showing on the ECU. Their next step would basically be replacing sensors one by one. As that takes a while and costs a bit, knowing I needed it for tomorrow & the weekend, they said "it runs but it's not right" and I took it back.

After the 25 mile ride home from their place, I'm not happy with the way it is so going on the wife's F800ST. The GS runs pretty well fine when over 2,500 rpm but once warm and at tick over the revs flick from 750 to 1500 and back fairly unpleasantly and it regularly stalls. That made me feel that I was running a rather high risk of ending up stuck somewhere on the side of a Belgian road with a non-functional GS. Not an end to the weekend that I fancy, to be frank.

So the ST is loaded up and ready to go. Possibly even overloaded, frankly - but WTF - I will enjoy riding it