Gear selector windown blank !!!!

[jamieg7762]

I use my bike for my daily communte and have racked up 30,000miles in about a year and a half, the bike is now on just under 47,000 miles.

Yesterday on my way to work I noticed that the gear selector window was blank, I changed gear a few times and it remained blank. The same happened on the way home, but about about 20 mins riding the gear appeared in the window, but when I changed gear it went blank again.

Today I had the correct gear in the window, but when I arrived at work, the window went blank.

When the window is blank it will not find neutral, this is not me not knowing where it is, when I am in first and move the gear lever up slowly it will not go into neutral.
/
Anybody any ideas

 

[Bendy toy]

Others may have an answer but before riding the bike home call BMW. It might be something a harbinger something more serious going on inside the gearbox.

 

[jamieg7762]

cheers bendy toy,

I have spoken to my local bmw garage and they will have a look on friday when she is in for a service.

They sggested possible water ingress on sensor.

 

[Rob Farmer]

The gear indicator is driven from a plastic unit that bolts onto the back of the gearbox housing. they've caused the occasional glitch since the K series days.

 

[twig]

The gear indicator is driven from a plastic unit that bolts onto the back of the gearbox housing. they've caused the occasional glitch since the K series days.

agree with this man, quite a common problem on the 1200 as they do get water ingress as your dealer says
not an expensive part and easy to replace yourself

 

[AberdeenAngus]

Not sure why a problem with the sender would stop you finding neutral though ?

 

[twig]

Not sure why a problem with the sender would stop you finding neutral though ?

good point
let us know the outcome on friday jamieg, an interesting one this

 

[jamieg7762]

Unless the neutral thing is just my heavy club foot

Took extended warranty, so maybe covered by that

 

[(RIP) Miff]

Find the connector for the gear position sensor. Take it apart and clean it. Then WD40 it.

Sent by my fingers going tappety tap.

 

[Rob Farmer]

Of course the intermediate shaft bearings may have collapsed allowing the shaft to float and break the potentiometer

The gear indicator potentiometer is part 4 in the picture

 

[Dellis]

Generally when the gear position sensor goes on the blink it's to do with water ingress and what usually also happens is that the neutral light does not illuminate giving the impression that you're not finding neutral. Happened to me on both an 1150 and a 1200.

Dave

 

[jamieg7762]

Sounds like it dave, hopefully covered by warranty

 

[MIKA]

Had this a few times on mine.
Fixed every time by taking out the connecter from the sensor at the rear of the gearbox and spraying with WD40 as previously mentioned.

Try the easy things first

 

[Bendy toy]

Of course the intermediate shaft bearings may have collapsed allowing the shaft to float and break the potentiometer

This was the sort of thing I had in mind when suggesting to avoid riding the bike until the cause is found. WD40 and electrical contact cleaners are cheap and easy and wont affect the warranty.

 

[Dellis]

Sounds like it dave, hopefully covered by warranty

The one on the 1150 was fixed with a squirt of WD40 and some cleaning the one on the 1200 was sorted under warranty.

Dave

 

[seadog]

As above, mine was cured by liberal dose of wd40 in the potentiometer.



Mike

 

[Boxerboy55]

Others may have an answer but before riding the bike home call BMW. It might be something a harbinger something more serious going on inside the gearbox.

Shiite! If the bike is changing gear ok then the silly indicator switch is fokked - as others have suggested, give the switch a clean. You'd soon know if yer box was goosed. Letting the clutch out lets you know if you're in neutral and that doesn't need a wee green light. I think the OP said he knows how to move the lever up 1 click from first gear. Or down 1 from second.

 

[Neil A]

Potentiometer

If you want to take the potentiometer apart and clean it, put WD40 in it, seal the o-ring with silicone grease or whatever, you need a female torx spanner (can't remember what size it is, but I found out from a search on here somewhere) and also great manual dexterity/patience as access is very restricted. You won't get a socket on it. I got a small ratchet spanner off ebay for about £6.

The service manual on disc said something helpful about first removing the swinging arm to gain access! Undoubtedly that would make the work on the potentiometer easier, but.....

Make sure your clutch switch is working to allow you to start the bike in gear, if you pull in the clutch lever. There's something wrong with mine that I can't figure out, so if the indicator doesn't show neutral, the bike can't be started. Sounds like yours is okay, though.

 

[(RIP) Miff]

T6 or T8. Can't remember which.

 

[Dellis]

So what was the outcome of the dealer visit?