ENGINE COVER CORROSION.

[GedJack]

My 2006 12,000 mile GS has paint flaking off on the engine cover near the plastic cover. Rainbow are going to replace it under warranty, but I wanted to know from people on this site whether BMW have sorted this problem or in another year or 12,000 miles will i be looking for another engine cover.

Regards Gedjack.

 

[Dabba]

Found beginnings of the same too today on my year old adventure, so suspect its same old same old.

 

[(RIP) Mark H]

My theroy is its all down to lack of adhesion between the paint and the alloy cover, BMW warrenty claims will keep replacing the cover (till its out of warrenty) but the problem always going to be there, the answer is to improve the paint adhesion.
Etch primer is the way to go I belive, I plan to do mine during the winter, hopefully in situ, by removing the paint,maybe with paint stripper carfully applied after masking the engine block and removing the front plastic cover and applying the etch primer, then refinnishing with a satin finish black like hammerite smooth, this should impove the paint adhesion, but wont prevent wear from road debris thown back by the front wheel.
Some useful info on etch primers here...
http://www.bodyshopwarehouse.co.uk/default.asp?go=1&prodid=3988

 

[Davy F]

I plan to do mine during the winter, hopefully in situ

Bad move. Just remove it for the best results.

 

[ECM]

I had mine replaced for the second time now.
oct 2004, 67000km on it.
First time was within waranty, second time (within a year of the first) was not. A good talk with my dealer led to a coulance replacement anyway.

What you should do at least is open the cover and get rid of that idiot sponge that is in there. That sponge holds the rain / moisture in and exelerates the corrosion. Second you could spray tectyl or wax in that compartment to keep it from corroding even more.

 

[Les Wassall]

Had the sponge removed soon after getting the bike, no problems just take the cover of and rip the bottom 1/3 rd out, job done

 

[Geeza]

Rainbow automatically dispose of the sponge on the replacement........mine was replaced in Jan and so far it's ok (I maybe shouldn't of said that)

 

[oldenoughtoknowbetter]

Engine cover corrosion

Took the plastic cover off my 10 month-old GSA today and the tin worm's started to gnaw away underneath already. Got rid of the sponge of course but but the corrosion seems to start behind the sponge where there's a machined and unpainted (!) part of the cover. Moisture seems to get under the paint on the edge of the machined bit and creeps outwards and beyond the plastic cover.
But why do BMW put the sponge in there? It surely must have some purpose other than rotting front covers and costing them a fortune in replacements. Any ideas?

 

[cockneyjanner]

I've just had the front cover replaced on my 2004 GS, which wasn't covered by the warranty. I wrote to BMW Customer Services and was given the part free of charge, and I paid for the labour to fit it. Unfortunately the labour charge came to £170

The sponge part is fitted as a sound-proofing measure. I removed it when I first discovered the corrosion & it definitely has increased the noise level by a small amount.

My dealer has told me that they have replaced a few of these items twice! Even though they paint the bare machined area before fitting the rot still creeps in. I have now fitted a fender extender in the hope that it might help a bit.