Near death experience !!

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Dr John

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Just had to relate this to 12gs owners !..... My best friend is on his second 12gs....the first , an 04 behaved faultless ....except for having to have the fuel pump relay replaced when bike refused to start ! ......he through time moved to a 12gt , only to return to a new 07 Gs last year .....the bike has just covered over 3k miles and last week while battling with fast rush hour motorway traffic and on the fast lane........The bike just DIED !!!!!! .....He reckons that only for mega luck and the grace of God , he would have been Killed.
Bike was taken to BMW and fault discovered to be ..........FAULTY FUEL PUMP RELAY !!!!!!!
Please somebody tell me how BMW can defend this !!!!!!!!
How many years does it take to fix a lethal fault ?
 
Dr. John, it seems that nobody is listening. I am a little frustrated in that nobody (even this site) seem to want to get a joint responce to BMW and get this problem sorted. Several times already threads have been started with the intention of getting a letter together, but the problem with blogs is that the time span is link to everything else in the world today... about seven miliseconds.

The fault have happend hundresd of times, but BMW simply replace them under warranty. they don't give a feck about the stranded rider or the near death experience.

This is a great site, but if it does not stand up for the rights of the rider then what is it for.

UKGSER do something that can collectively convey our frustration at this and other common faults to BMW.

Now, Dr. John, the above comments will get a response saying i'm an idiot.... but nothing will get done about the problem of the fuel pump relay or the EWS. So we with our expensive German bikes will go around with spares in our pocket. Last time I had to do that was with my 1954 BAS B31, which use to eat clutch cables because someone had upgraded the clutch to six spring.

Do re realy need to accept that kind of situation in 2008....
 
deaninkl said:
Dr. John, it seems that nobody is listening. I am a little frustrated in that nobody (even this site) seem to want to get a joint responce to BMW and get this problem sorted. Several times already threads have been started with the intention of getting a letter together, but the problem with blogs is that the time span is link to everything else in the world today... about seven miliseconds.

The fault have happend hundresd of times, but BMW simply replace them under warranty. they don't give a feck about the stranded rider or the near death experience.

This is a great site, but if it does not stand up for the rights of the rider then what is it for.

UKGSER do something that can collectively convey our frustration at this and other common faults to BMW.

Do re realy need to accept that kind of situation in 2008....
Click to expand...

What it needs is for someone to take up the challenge. Search, and collate the information, from here and other sites, and find the time to write the e-mails. Send them to BWM and the countries vehicle safety depatment and the MP in charge of road safety. These are all be things that you'd be able to do.

So are you the knight in shining armour:nenau
 
I presume it is the fuel pump controler on the top of the fuel pump on the left of the tank that is the problem. BMW have done their usual thing of quietly starting to use a different unit that doesn't seem to work very well either! I have a 1200ST here for service at the minute with the same problem.
See many EWS threads for other examples.
Brian
 
Was told by the dealer that the new unit I have as a replecement (05 1200GS) is a different type and doesn't suffer from the same problem. However, if I'm on a long trip and it's been raining then I remove the left cover, take off the bird-bath cap and use tissues to dry the bowl out. Pain to do but it was in 1/4" of water last week!
 
I personally don`t think it`s the water sitting in the relay. I always forget to check it and when I do, it`s always full of crap and water. I just wipe it out and spray with WD40. I`m pretty sure it`s a mechanical or electrical issue in the unit.

I`ve not had it happen and I`ve done 30,000 miles on my 06 GS-A but it must be heart stopping in the fast lane.

BuMW will say they know there is an issue with certain units and always replace them under warranty so I`m pretty certain nothing could be done through a court. All manufacturers have issues with certain parts and just replace as it`s cheaper to do this than go through a redesign or a change of supplier.

Would be intersting to know how many bikes have suffered but only the BuMW warranty department will know this and good luck in trying to get that info....:thumb
 
deaninkl said:
The fault have happend hundresd of times, but BMW simply replace them under warranty. they don't give a feck about the stranded rider or the near death experience.
Click to expand...

When did a faceless multinational corporation ever give a fcuk?:nenau

This is a great site, but if it does not stand up for the rights of the rider then what is it for.
Click to expand...

This is a forum for people with an interest in a certain motorcycle not a association set up to fight for the rights of minority BuMW owners:rob

UKGSER do something that can collectively convey our frustration at this and other common faults to BMW.
Click to expand...

Rest assured that BuMW are ardent readers of this and similar sites:augie


Do re realy need to accept that kind of situation in 2008....
Click to expand...

No. Buy something else with different reliability problems:thumb2
:D

I personally experienced a similar situation in the south of France on the motorway fast lane on a VFR, yes a 'HONDA' VFR, and the regular/rectifier went pop.......i had the wife on the back. Brown troosers to say the least. Honda v BuMW:handbag
 
st247 said:
What it needs is for someone to take up the challenge. Search, and collate the information, from here and other sites, and find the time to write the e-mails. Send them to BWM and the countries vehicle safety depatment and the MP in charge of road safety. These are all be things that you'd be able to do.

So are you the knight in shining armour:nenau
Click to expand...

st237, after complaining I should be the one to do it... but I live in Malaysia, they sell about 5 GS's a year here so BMW really don't take much notice of us.

Actually on an earlier thread about the same subject Bebe did volunteer for the post. Are you still up to it Bebe??
 
deaninkl said:
UKGSER do something that can collectively convey our frustration at this and other common faults to BMW.
Click to expand...


http://www.ukgser.com/forums/showthread.php?t=145318

I presume it is the fuel pump controler on the top of the fuel pump on the left of the tank that is the problem. BMW have done their usual thing of quietly starting to use a different unit that doesn't seem to work very well either! I have a 1200ST here for service at the minute with the same problem.
See many EWS threads for other examples.
Click to expand...

There now maybe the UKSTER forum can join the fight:aidan
 
Had a fellow rider here in South Africa on his '07 GSA - motor just blew up!!

see his post: (hope you chaps understand some of the Afrikaans expressions?:augie)



"As I mentioned elsewhere on the site, my new 1200GSA's fuelpump failed at 1000kms leaving me stranded in traffic . . .
It was duly replaced by the agent the next day and all was well again.

I was on a long trip yesterday. Riding along in pure bliss thru thunderstorms and open veld, I noticed a ''flat spot'' in acceleration around the 140-150km/h mark. Over that speed it pulled like an ox all the way further into illegal speeds.

Sitting lekker (nicely) at around 160 there was a complete loss of power and engine cut-out with all the accompanying backfire and pinging type noises . . . I somehow recovered the engine and continued to ride on. I was in a remote part of the country with no cellphone reception and not a lot of options . . .

Then about 50-60kms further, there was a moer (helluva) of a bang and the whole farking motor just clonked out!

It was completely in its moer . . . Blown to pieces . . .

BMW said that research shows that about 60 of the 1000 GSA's sold in SA has suffered the same fate because of a software glitch in the electronic engine management sytem! Apparently the system pre or post ignite around 14-150 in 6th gear and then eventually you have an engine failure.

We agreed in principle to have a new engine fitted with all the new warranties in place again but firmly stated that they do not gaurentee it will not happen again! They are still working on the software and some kind of additive in the fuel will help for the time being!"

The rider's bike had 3400km on the clock....
 
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Do re realy need to accept that kind of situation in 2008....
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Yep, unless you have plenty of time to do battle with BWM who dont seem to care a toss and are selling plenty of bikes. Heres a little list you could pass on

front discs warping (shudder shudder)
fuel pump relay (dangerous on motorway or overtaking)
ring antenna (push it away from petrol stations :eek:)
final drive (dangerous on motorway or overtaking)
gearbox (Im on my second)
top box flying off (ok unless your the car behind)
crappy battery (three here please)
Air brake effect when front wings fly up cause the fastenings are crap (REALLY dangerous)

pretty well all the above have the potential to kill you but despite being on this forum for two and a half years I've never seen a representative from BWM come on here to enter any discussion or intill any confidence that things will be put right. Even worse I've never had a safety recall, maybe they lost my details.
Thats how much they give a toss not just about the bike but about your safety.

Decster is on the money. Vote with your feet

jeez im grumpy tonight :nenau
 
Why is the final drive dangerous on the motorway and overtaking
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Ok Ok,Im sure your right but I havent had one go yet so was just trying to emphasise my point with needless exaggeration and scaremongering

The rest is true though AND
Im still grumpy :beer:
 
Thanks for all the responses , fellow GSers. I just want to make clear that I myself have had an 1100gs for 10years and 60k miles now and have no bone to pick with BMW personally......... but my friend asked if I could warn 12gs owners on his behalf as to the potential lethal consequences of the "fuel pump relay fault"..................In his case , even a spare relay in his pocket as back up, could have been flattened like himself by the Artic behind him in the motorway rush , when the motor died as if hitting the kill switch !!!
 
Had a relay fail whilst doing an overtake facing an oncoming bus. Not a particularly enjoyable experience. Its reasonable that after 4yrs of failures they'd do something.
 
Ha I've an R1100GR :thumb and I don't need no steenking fuel pump relay for the near death thing!

Some Muppet in a cage coming thru the "salt mine" bends at Carrickfergus (Belfast bound) decided that they were gonna fix their radio or summat mid corner and drifted into my side of the road by 3 or 4 feet!!!:eek::eek::eek::eek: I hope you'll pardon my lack of precision in measuring this distance as I was a tad preoccupied at that moment

I offer my Wordly praise to the Diety connected with the Telelever as I hauled on the stoppy things and the GRrrrrrr stood up and went for the kerb and then I dropped her back over when the hazard was past and give it the beans again and it did what it said on the tin!

Result One nearly Splatted Hybrid GRrrrrr thing But Happily "not so" chalk it up on the near miss board!

If that had been a plastic rocket I don't think the driver would have noticed! It was more than likely the size and presence of my bike (and maybe the luminous yellow crash bars) that alerted said muppet!
 
I find it interesting (no make that incredible) that this not a problem in Australian models. Sure its a dry place and we dont use salt on anything but food but it does rain (sometimes), we do have road muck etc. I have never heard of this - and neither has my local dealership. This is demonstrably a potentially a FATAL issue. What you need is peak motoring body (is it the RAC) to be lobbied and make a representastion to BMW and to Government. Can you imagine the stink it it happened to a popular small car over there? Surely the lemon laws (if you have them) would force BMW's hand in all this.
Still shaking my head. :nenau
 
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