Water in Engine !!!

[Marky Mark]

Hi All,
I am in Columbia on a trip from Alaska to Argentina on a 1200 GSA and after a faultless 25,000 miles I road my bike through a 2 foot deep river as the bridge was down. The bike cut out half way across having taken in water through the air intake. I changed the oil, plugs. and air filter but it still won't start.
Does anyone have any images and advice on cleaning out the fuel injection unit as I presume that is my next task ...p.s I am a bit of a novice on the technical side (and the riding evidently)..
rather urgent if anyone can help...Many thanks.

 

[arrybash]

What happens when you submerge the air intake with the engine is running is it sucks water into the engine, then the piston comes back up and tries to compress the water (which it can't do as water does not compress) then hydraulically locks the engine and it stop abruptley.

The risk is that the momentum of the rotating force damages something typically bent crankshaft or conrod!!!!!!!!!!!

I guess what you would notice if this happens is the engine does not sound to good turning it over on the starter and/or no compression at the spark plug.

Only you can work out if this has occured, if it has you have big problems.

If you got away with it (typically cause the engine was maybe running slow), its a case of tracking down where the problem is.

Are there sparks at the plugs?

Are the injectors spraying fuel. Do not put your hands near the injectors as the force will inject the fuel into your blood stream and its then curtains for you!!!!!!!!!!!!

Best of luck.

Chris

PS a mate of mine is somewhere with nick saunders and 25 other brits on bikes heading up from argentina to alaska right now. He was in Ushuhia on Tuesday 30th march heading North at the rate of some 500 miles per day.

They must be somewhere in your area. They have lots of spares and back up trucks.

Link is here

http://timmystravels.wordpress.com/

 

[The Bede]

... Check the basics and see if she'll start. A local mechanic may be able to help, but that may depend on you having all the necessary torx bits etc.

... As Chris has said if water gets past the piston it could be serious if it get's into the cylinder. It can also get into the crank-case via a breather that runs up to the air box. Messy I'm afraid.

... If you can't get it running get it on a pick-up, or truck. There are BMW Motorrad workshops in Bogota, Medellin and Cali.

Autogermana (Bogota)
Calle 127 B 7 – 15
Tel: 6578080
Fax: 6578089
Horario de atención:
Lunes a viernes: 7:00A.M – 6:30 P.M
Sabados: 08:00 A.M – 12:00

Ruta 40 (Medellin)
Calle 34 N 44A - 65
Tel: 4 2623059 Ext: 104
Fax: 4 2622073
www.ruta40.com.co
Horario de atención:
Lunes a viernes 8:00A.M – 6:00 P.M
Sabados: 8:00A.M – 12:00 P.M

Autobonn (Cali)
Avenida 6ª Norte N 40 - 41
Tel: 2 6655700
Horario de atención:
Lunes a viernes 8:00A.M – 6:00 P.M
Sabados: 8:00A.M – 12:00 P.M


... If you're closer to Ecuador, get a truck to the frontier, you could try to push the bike across and get another on truck the other side.

Alvarez Barba SA
Avenida 10 de Agosto, N51-97
Phone: 240 2535-241
Quito

... Just in case your Atlantic side, here are the details for Venezuela

# Motocicletas Bavarian
Oficial Venta y Servicio Post-Venta
Gerente General: Miguel Betz Gerente de Post Venta: Lloyd Smallpage Gerente de Operaciones: Germán Mellior Av Principal de los Ruices Urbanización Los Ruices - Caracas - 1070 Caracas
tel: 58 212 239 29 25
e-mail: [email protected]

# Amantini Motors

Avenida Orinoco - Qta. Kawa Las Mercedes Caracas
tel: 58 212 963 61 10

... I'm in La Paz and currently bikeless which doesn't help you much. I do check the Lat-Am section here regularly (twice a day or so) so if I can be of assistance post there, or PM me.

... All the best, post and let us know how you get on

... John

 

[Marky Mark]

Any clues on cleaning the fuel jets please

Thanks for the reply Chris. Do you or anyone out there have any images or clues on cleaning the jets please...

 

[Marky Mark]

... Check the basics and see if she'll start. A local mechanic may be able to help, but that may depend on you having all the necessary torx bits etc.

... As Chris has said if water gets past the piston it could be serious if it get's into the cylinder. It can also get into the crank-case via a breather that runs up to the air box. Messy I'm afraid.

... If you can't get it running get it on a pick-up, or truck. There are BMW Motorrad workshops in Bogota, Medellin and Cali.

Autogermana (Bogota)
Calle 127 B 7 – 15
Tel: 6578080
Fax: 6578089
Horario de atención:
Lunes a viernes: 7:00A.M – 6:30 P.M
Sabados: 08:00 A.M – 12:00

Ruta 40 (Medellin)
Calle 34 N 44A - 65
Tel: 4 2623059 Ext: 104
Fax: 4 2622073
www.ruta40.com.co
Horario de atención:
Lunes a viernes 8:00A.M – 6:00 P.M
Sabados: 8:00A.M – 12:00 P.M

Autobonn (Cali)
Avenida 6ª Norte N 40 - 41
Tel: 2 6655700
Horario de atención:
Lunes a viernes 8:00A.M – 6:00 P.M
Sabados: 8:00A.M – 12:00 P.M


... If you're closer to Ecuador, get a truck to the frontier, you could try to push the bike across and get another on truck the other side.

Alvarez Barba SA
Avenida 10 de Agosto, N51-97
Phone: 240 2535-241
Quito

... Just in case your Atlantic side, here are the details for Venezuela

# Motocicletas Bavarian
Oficial Venta y Servicio Post-Venta
Gerente General: Miguel Betz Gerente de Post Venta: Lloyd Smallpage Gerente de Operaciones: Germán Mellior Av Principal de los Ruices Urbanización Los Ruices - Caracas - 1070 Caracas
tel: 58 212 239 29 25
e-mail: [email protected]

# Amantini Motors

Avenida Orinoco - Qta. Kawa Las Mercedes Caracas
tel: 58 212 963 61 10

... I'm in La Paz and currently bikeless which doesn't help you much. I do check the Lat-Am section here regularly (twice a day or so) so if I can be of assistance post there, or PM me.

... All the best, post and let us know how you get on

... John

Thanks The Bede...I am in Medellin and will contact Ruta 40 asap...cheers..

 

[The Bede]

Thanks The Bede...I am in Medellin and will contact Ruta 40 asap...cheers..

... I've been searching, I can't in this brief time find what you need. If you can get it to Ruta40 they'll give you a quicker and more accurate answer.

... Best of luck and do let us know how you get on, that way it'll 'search' for the next person in need.

... John

 

[RickG]

Thanks for the reply Chris. Do you or anyone out there have any images or clues on cleaning the jets please...

It's unlikley the injectors are blocked as you would need to directly pump crap down the fuel lines. This would have to come from the tank and get past the filter in the pump. The injectors run at high pressure and would clear any rubbish stuck on the outside. I assume you didn't submerge the tank? If you did, a litre of water in the bottom of the tank would be enough to stop the bike running.

You'd be unlucky to have hydraulic locked the engine if it turned over Ok on the starter after you'd pulled it out the river. Did it?

Any sign of water on the plugs when you pulled them out? If yes, did you try turning the enigine over on the starter with the plugs out to pump out the water?

When you changed the oil, was it contaminated with water? If not, it implies the airbox didn't get full enough for water to flow down the breather and into the sump

Anyway, hope you are getting sorted by now. Good luck!

 

[Marky Mark]

It's unlikley the injectors are blocked as you would need to directly pump crap down the fuel lines. This would have to come from the tank and get past the filter in the pump. The injectors run at high pressure and would clear any rubbish stuck on the outside. I assume you didn't submerge the tank? If you did, a litre of water in the bottom of the tank would be enough to stop the bike running.

You'd be unlucky to have hydraulic locked the engine if it turned over Ok on the starter after you'd pulled it out the river. Did it?

Any sign of water on the plugs when you pulled them out? If yes, did you try turning the enigine over on the starter with the plugs out to pump out the water?

When you changed the oil, was it contaminated with water? If not, it implies the airbox didn't get full enough for water to flow down the breather and into the sump

Anyway, hope you are getting sorted by now. Good luck!

Thanks Rick,
The tank wasn't submerge but there was water contimination in the oil. I took out plugs and a light water mist came out when turning over the engine, I'm letting it all dry out and fingers crossed it should start when I get the battery charged up again...I'll let you all know ,
many thanks guys...

 

[RickG]

Might be worth blasting everything with WD40 too. Make sure all the electrics are dry, especially the coil/plug sticks.

Fingers crossed....

 

[Marky Mark]

Thanks for your help everybody. After I let the bike dry out for a few days (and put more petrol in as it was very low but not out !!!!) it started and has run like a dream ever since. I'll never know if I'd put more petrol in earlier if it would have started sooner. does anyone have any experience of trouble starting when there is still a couple of litres in the tank ?

 

[RickG]

It's more likley the drying out sorted the problem. Maybe the small amount of fuel left in your tank sloshed over to the wrong side after you'd dropped it for the pump to pick it up after you dropped it, but that's clutching at straws.

Good the bike pulled through though!

 

[Marky Mark]

Thanks Rick.
However it's worth noting for any one that drops their bike while the fuel is very low that it can prevent it from starting untill more fuel is added. It has happened to me a couple of times since the river incidence I'm ashamed to say....

 

[sockpuppet]

Tip the bike over to the right and all the petrol goes to the other lobe

 

[(RIP) Bin Ridin]

Glad to hear you are up and running! Bin

 

[Hexme]

Hi All,
I am in Columbia on a trip from Alaska to Argentina on a 1200 GSA and after a faultless 25,000 miles

You luck sod, all I've got to look forward to today is finishing work

I'm really pleased that you got the bike sorted, good luck and safe riding