beakmeister
Guest
The bike starts and runs fine, only problem is, I do not have the ignition or nuetral light, the bulbs are ok, it is charging and the gear position indicator works, any clues?
Frank Warner
Registered user
Wot model bike?
Before the engine starts do you have two lit red lights (battery/alternator and oil pressure)?
Do they go out when the engine is started?
Before the engine starts do you have two lit red lights (battery/alternator and oil pressure)?
Do they go out when the engine is started?
Is It The Loom??
Hi,
I had a similar problem with my '01 1150. I traced it to the short loom which goes from a socket under the front of the tank to supply all the warning lamps.
This loom has small crimp connection inside it to slit one cable into 2 or 3. The loom doesn't have to flex 'cos it's strapped to the frame and brackets but I think BMW are a bit over-zealous with the cable ties??
A new short loom from BMW was a ridiculous price - over £100 if I remember correctly!!. I got as/hand one from Motorworks and it's been fine since. - Worth a check anyway - try sqeezing or twisting the loom along it's length and see if any of the affected lamps go off/on.
Cheers........................Grizzly
Hi,
I had a similar problem with my '01 1150. I traced it to the short loom which goes from a socket under the front of the tank to supply all the warning lamps.
This loom has small crimp connection inside it to slit one cable into 2 or 3. The loom doesn't have to flex 'cos it's strapped to the frame and brackets but I think BMW are a bit over-zealous with the cable ties??
A new short loom from BMW was a ridiculous price - over £100 if I remember correctly!!. I got as/hand one from Motorworks and it's been fine since. - Worth a check anyway - try sqeezing or twisting the loom along it's length and see if any of the affected lamps go off/on.
Cheers........................Grizzly
beakmeister
Guest
Re: Is It The Loom??
Grizzly said:Hi,
I had a similar problem with my '01 1150. I traced it to the short loom which goes from a socket under the front of the tank to supply all the warning lamps.
Thanks Grizzly, I will check it out tonight
BiG DoM
Registered user
Had any luck with this fix yet? I have a similar problem with no neutral (RID gear indicator works though)light, no Battery light and no low fuel... have oil light though and indicators and main beam lights?!??? Any suggesyion welcome as I have literally spent HOURS trying to trace the fault.
Noel
Registered user
It could be an alternator fault if it does not have a feed to start with it will not illuminate the dash, maybe a tech head could confirm this (as this usually happens on forklifts my occupation).
beakmeister
Guest
BiG DoM said:Had any luck with this fix yet? I have a similar problem with no neutral (RID gear indicator works though)light, no Battery light and no low fuel... have oil light though and indicators and main beam lights?!??? Any suggesyion welcome as I have literally spent HOURS trying to trace the fault.
Had a look but without removing the tank I cant locate the conectors mentioned. My missing lights are exactly the same as yours, I only have RID, oil, full beam and indicators, this could be significant in that it is probably one conector block comman to both our bikes that is faulty, but where is it?
BiG DoM
Registered user
beakmeister said:Had a look but without removing the tank I cant locate the conectors mentioned. My missing lights are exactly the same as yours, I only have RID, oil, full beam and indicators, this could be significant in that it is probably one conector block comman to both our bikes that is faulty, but where is it?
F'aa*k - had the tank off again this weekend and checked all connectors again. I have swopped out relays where I can as well.
Perused numerous times the wiring diagram...
I am going now, before I put the tank back on, to strip off the screen and instrument console to get to the "short loom" from the missing warning lights and trace it back... I will strip the insulation if necessary to find these "small crimp" connectors.
I really hope to find a fix this time as it is frustrating me that I cannot fix it (oh and the dealer had a look a while back and did not find a fix...mumbled something about all my extras wired in - I mean only spots with an Autoswitch and Techlusion...easy enough to disconnect if need be ... and my wiring is neat...they are so full of shite! I will keep you posted.
beakmeister
Guest
BiG DoM said:I am going now, before I put the tank back on, to strip off the screen and instrument console to get to the "short loom" from the missing warning lights and trace it back... I will strip the insulation if necessary to find these "small crimp" connectors.
Let me know how you get on, some photo's would be great if you track this one down
BiG DoM
Registered user
EUREKA!!!EUREKA!!
Found the f'uc*er... thanks to beakmeister and grizzly. It was a break in wires in the short loom from the warning lights down the LHS to the connector under the tank (- the white one on the LHS ontop of the black one). I had in fact checked this loom before by slitting it having heard before that it could be this but started near connector under tank and went about 3/4 of the way up and found no joins so taped it up again. This time I started slitting the cover from the top just under the instrument nacelle...
and blow me down there are a whole bunch of crimped connections literally about an inch into the insulation covering!
Cannot imagine what BMW was thinking??? They are shrink insulated but on inspection it was clear water had made its way into these joins as they were corroded and powdery. The brown/green wires (ground I think) join from a three and two wire group to a single wire that then continues its way to the connector under the tank. It was this wire that was the culprit.
This loom at this spot takes alot of movement and I had also some time back tidied up the routing with cable ties... and probably inadvertantly forced the 'issue'. All I can say is I was VERY chuffed with myself when the lights blinked back on as per normal... especially since the bloody BMW monkey could not find the problem...I intend to rub it in next time I see him (which I generally avoid if possible by doing all servicing myself)
Found the f'uc*er... thanks to beakmeister and grizzly. It was a break in wires in the short loom from the warning lights down the LHS to the connector under the tank (- the white one on the LHS ontop of the black one). I had in fact checked this loom before by slitting it having heard before that it could be this but started near connector under tank and went about 3/4 of the way up and found no joins so taped it up again. This time I started slitting the cover from the top just under the instrument nacelle...
and blow me down there are a whole bunch of crimped connections literally about an inch into the insulation covering!
Cannot imagine what BMW was thinking??? They are shrink insulated but on inspection it was clear water had made its way into these joins as they were corroded and powdery. The brown/green wires (ground I think) join from a three and two wire group to a single wire that then continues its way to the connector under the tank. It was this wire that was the culprit.
This loom at this spot takes alot of movement and I had also some time back tidied up the routing with cable ties... and probably inadvertantly forced the 'issue'. All I can say is I was VERY chuffed with myself when the lights blinked back on as per normal... especially since the bloody BMW monkey could not find the problem...I intend to rub it in next time I see him (which I generally avoid if possible by doing all servicing myself)
beakmeister
Guest
BiG DoM said:EUREKA!!!EUREKA!!
Found the f'uc*er...
Well done mateAm I right in assuming from your posting that the faulty section of wiring is not under the tank, but is near to the warning lamp end of the loom?
BiG DoM
Registered user
Well done mate Am I right in assuming from your posting that the faulty section of wiring is not under the tank, but is near to the warning lamp end of the loom? [/B][/QUOTE]
Precisely - if you reach under the front nacelle where the warning lights are you can identify the bundle from here going into the loom - you may need to clip a tie or two as other cables may be bundled together. Once you have found this loom undo the tape at its top end and then slit it carefully downward with a blade an inch or two (edge facing outward so not to cut into any wires)... peel back the plastic cover and you will comcross at least 1/2 dozen crimped and shrink sealed wires... some joing 3 to one etc.
My fault was a brown and green three into one. If you switch the ignition on and squeeze the wires around a bit you should be able to identify the culprit. otherwise you will need to start carefully cutting the crimped joins open. Good luck and report back.
Am I right in assuming from your posting that the faulty section of wiring is not under the tank, but is near to the warning lamp end of the loom? [/B][/QUOTE] Precisely - if you reach under the front nacelle where the warning lights are you can identify the bundle from here going into the loom - you may need to clip a tie or two as other cables may be bundled together. Once you have found this loom undo the tape at its top end and then slit it carefully downward with a blade an inch or two (edge facing outward so not to cut into any wires)... peel back the plastic cover and you will comcross at least 1/2 dozen crimped and shrink sealed wires... some joing 3 to one etc.
My fault was a brown and green three into one. If you switch the ignition on and squeeze the wires around a bit you should be able to identify the culprit. otherwise you will need to start carefully cutting the crimped joins open. Good luck and report back.
Glad Your Fixed!!
Glad you've found the fault Big Dom - Like you, I couldn't believe
BMW used this method to split supplies - you'd think link wires at the lamp holders would be better?. I also split the loom sheath to get at the culprits and, in fact, did a temporary repairto the loom, as we were due to leave for Europe in a couple of days - this repair lasted several months before I fitted another loom.
Cheers.....................................Grizzly
Glad you've found the fault Big Dom - Like you, I couldn't believe
BMW used this method to split supplies - you'd think link wires at the lamp holders would be better?. I also split the loom sheath to get at the culprits and, in fact, did a temporary repairto the loom, as we were due to leave for Europe in a couple of days - this repair lasted several months before I fitted another loom.
Cheers.....................................Grizzly
Get rid of all the cable ties used on the wiring around the headstock - less problems in the future, when the wiring has had enough of being bent back and forth in the same spot thousands of times
BiG DoM
Registered user
Steptoe said:
Problem with this is that one then runs the risk of the cables hooking up on underside of the ignition switch, horn etc which could have more dire consequences. I think the answer is less ties and not too zealous with the pliers!
The real weakness here was the f'ing STUPID little crimped connectors within the loom ... they are asking for trouble, aspecially when moisture gets in which is easy from that position where spray etc comes up. Even the working connectors were green and powdery withing the heat shrink insulation. Once repaired I put a strong mini cable tie on the top of the loom where the wires exit and siliconed around them.
beakmeister
Guest
Let there be light!!!!!
Thanks to Bigdom and Grizzly, I now have a dashboard full of lights. I took the affected loom section right off the bike and put a continuity tester at the end of the affected bulb holders and the plug, BINGO, no continuity with the earth wire on the three lights, after cutting back the plastic sleeve as Bigdom said, I came to the splice connectors, these all easily pulled out as they had corroded and broken at the splice (sound familiar?), a new section of wire and a bit of soldering later soon sorted that out.
What was B*W thinking of when they came up with this method
Once again, many thanks chaps it just goes to prove the worth of this fine site
Thanks to Bigdom and Grizzly, I now have a dashboard full of lights. I took the affected loom section right off the bike and put a continuity tester at the end of the affected bulb holders and the plug, BINGO, no continuity with the earth wire on the three lights, after cutting back the plastic sleeve as Bigdom said, I came to the splice connectors, these all easily pulled out as they had corroded and broken at the splice (sound familiar?), a new section of wire and a bit of soldering later soon sorted that out.
What was B*W thinking of when they came up with this method
Once again, many thanks chaps it just goes to prove the worth of this fine site
BiG DoM
Registered user
Re: Let there be light!!!!!
Yeah it is a really great feeling when you solve a problem like this - as I said a BMW technician spent many hours and could not fix it!? Make sure you have sealed the top off the loom now - I used a small cable tie and silicone sealer so water will not make its way back in there.
beakmeister said:Thanks to Bigdom and Grizzly, I now have a dashboard full of lights. I took the affected loom section right off the bike and put a continuity tester at the end of the affected bulb holders and the plug, BINGO, no continuity with the earth wire on the three lights, after cutting back the plastic sleeve as Bigdom said, I came to the splice connectors, these all easily pulled out as they had corroded and broken at the splice (sound familiar?), a new section of wire and a bit of soldering later soon sorted that out.
What was B*W thinking of when they came up with this method
Once again, many thanks chaps it just goes to prove the worth of this fine site
Yeah it is a really great feeling when you solve a problem like this - as I said a BMW technician spent many hours and could not fix it!?
Make sure you have sealed the top off the loom now - I used a small cable tie and silicone sealer so water will not make its way back in there.Burra boy
Guest
Gentlemen, next time I'm in the Old Dart I'm buying the Old Peculier. By following the procedures set out in this string I found the problem that has been giving me the horrors for a very long time indeed. My neutral light and I thank you all!!!
I too have similar, they stopped working after a big ride on boxing day through a couple of creeks and an off as well.
I couldnt find anything either but after a few moment the lights come on so I figured all was well, though the connectors would be a bit shappy and it takes time for the current to get through.
thanks for the more info and as I have to take the front off to get welded soon, I shall have a proper look and maybe a fix.
I agree with Steptoe, there are a few too many zip ties and too tight.
Hay Ewe
I couldnt find anything either but after a few moment the lights come on so I figured all was well, though the connectors would be a bit shappy and it takes time for the current to get through.
thanks for the more info and as I have to take the front off to get welded soon, I shall have a proper look and maybe a fix.
I agree with Steptoe, there are a few too many zip ties and too tight.
Hay Ewe
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