Just cut out on the M4...

[MMC]

She's in real trouble this time...

I spend an hour washing and polishing the 1100gs (ordinary - not pressure - hose), take her down to Bath to see me Mum in hospital, she runs wonderfully for 40 miles, then cuts and dies on the M4, helpfully in Lane 3. At least it was sunny.

Symptoms:

- stuttered and lost power for a couple of seconds first, then again, then the engine just died and refused to start again

- turning the ignition on when stationary but not cranking the engine, the rev counter needle wanders around the dial at first, then stops doing this after about 40 minutes of the bike stopped

- fuel coming from injectors, both sides, when ignition on

- plugs pretty black and sooty, no spark reaching them

- engine cranks, but won't fire (not too surprising given the above!)

I'm now back home in Bampton (and a big thank you to Pip for coming and rescuing me from Leigh Delamere - a fate worse than Clackett Lane), with the bike in Melksham, whence it was recovered.

Any suggestions before I flog her to the nearest passing biker and buy a K1100?

Cheers

MMC

 

[Panzer Patrol]

Disconnect the sidestand switch (just use a wire loop) then look in the air box to make sure you havnt soaked the paper air filter and it cant pass enough air then sell it

 

[MMC]

Thanks Panzer!! After a decent night's sleep, parting with the old girl doesn't look so attractive! The air filter's fine - drizabone - and the sidetstand cut-out was all working as it should.

Reckon a bigger hammer is the answer...

MMC

 

[(RIP) maverick]

Yes with these reliable BMW we have I was very tempted to use my new "tools" to fix the problem..

 

[richie]

Hi, I had a similar problem about 500 KM ago it cut out and then restarted less than a second later at about 80MPH then half hour later stopped for a beer and it would not start again after. Played around with the relays and fuses to no avail and then after another five minutes of ffffing and blinding the bike restarted. Since then still has not felt right so this weekend off with the tank to clean up the massive electrical connector under it. People have convinced me that this need doing and hopefully it'll run smooth again afterwards.
I'll let you know

 

[Dave Hall]

I had a persistant similar problem with an older boxer some years ago. About an hour after washing or passing through heavy rain it would cut out and would`nt start again for about 2 hours.
I eventually tracked it down to a hairline crack under the coil. I must have examined that coil ten times before I saw it (blind twat).
New coil....no problem

 

[MMC]

Thanks all - Maverick, Richie and Dave!

I've tried the bigger hammer, and that don't work. T'aint the coil, or the relays or the fuses or the wires or the little goblins that make the pistons go up and down (OK - side to side). I know this because Andrew Sexton told me, and he knows what he's doing - big time. Looks like it's going to be the Motronic control box.

Ulp. That means it's going to be expensive. It also means I should have stuck with my old R100RS - the only electric thing on there was the light at the front.

Even better, I called my breakdown company from the side of the motorway and they told me I wasn't covered. So I called the AA (I'm not a member) and they trailered me to the nearest garage, and Andrew recovered the bike from there. I called the breakdown boys again this morning and it seems that I am covered... That means they'll be getting a bill for £163 to get the bike to Andrew's and another £85 AA call-out fee. Grrrr.

Call centres - doncha love 'em?

MMC

P.S. Anyone got a control unit I can borrow to test??!!

 

[Rob Farmer]

MMC,

Before you go spending loads of dosh. Remove the plugs on the side of your Motronic and make sure theres no water in them. A friend of mine did the woo is me bit with his Motronic when his Beemer kept cutting out and running on one cylinder. Turned out to be moisture in the terminal box. He repacked it with silicone grease and did another 20K, without problems, before he sold it.

 

[andy white]

MMC,

Before you go spending loads of dosh. Remove the plugs on the side of your Motronic and make sure theres no water in them. A friend of mine did the woo is me bit with his Motronic when his Beemer kept cutting out and running on one cylinder. Turned out to be moisture in the terminal box. He repacked it with silicone grease and did another 20K, without problems, before he sold it.

Water from a Ford perhaps

 

[MMC]

Rob, thanks for that, but I've checked that too - all fine... Reckon it is the control box - when I tried to restart her at the side of the motorway, naff all happened apart from the rev counter needle wandering all over the dial... That sounds expensive to fix to me - and electronic rather than just electric.

Ho hum.

Water from a Ford indeed. Andy, you should be ashamed of yerself!

Cheers

MMC

(off for a glass of something most definitely NOT water)

 

[Rob Farmer]

Water from a Ford perhaps

Bloody comedians

Have they saved enough money to put fuel in your boat yet Andy?

 

[andy white]

No we where meant to go to sea in January on excercise but its been binned.

Were are off to Amsterdam and then Newcastle for five days each in November, the Heineken brewery museum in Amster's is going to get a visit form a gang of us, cant wait...

But I can assure you, I do work hard sometimes

How did the French job go?

 

[Rob Farmer]

No we where meant to go to sea in January on excercise but its been binned.

I suppose the 5p a litre rise on diesel put paid to that - Have you thought of mixing your own from chip fat and kerosene? You must get through a lot of chips on your boat.

Bloody Amsterdam and Newcastle..I can understand Amsterdam but Newcastle???...It's full of Geordies.


France didn't pan out...the job was on a self employed basis and there was no safety net with us renting out our house. Dam shame though I really wanted to go.

 

[littleredrooster]

but Newcastle???...It's full of Geordies.

Oi!!! I heard that!!

Panzer Patrol, Metal Man and meself will see you at playtime......

 

[Rob Farmer]

Just joking littel red. I've had a couple of great nights out in Newcastle. I heard it was voted one of the top ten places in the world for a night out....Not sure where I heard it...probably from a drunken Geordie in Newcastle. :drinkinpa