Water in the airbox

[SteveT]

Having now stripped the airbox off of my F800GS several times in an attempt to identify an idling issue, I am asking the collective here if anyone else has experienced a build up of water in the airbox?

The odour given off by the water tells me thats it's condensing condensation from the crank case breather. The thing is, when I removed the airbox at the begining of Feb to allow access to change the plugs to iridium ones, there was no water in the airbox. Then, some 300 miles later the idle problem starts, which leads to me taking the airbox off again to check connections. This is when I find a fair quantity of water in the airbox. Mopped it up with some blue paper towel - it soaked one and a bit towels completely - put everything back together and took the bike to the stealers to get the idle sorted.
Over the weekend just gone I decided to lift the airfilter and check for water - yep, there was some more in there, after only 90 miles since I last dried it out!
Yes, it's cold just now, but it wasn't exactly hot in January when I was using the bike, before the idle problem arose, and there was no water in the box then. So I don't think it's to do with outside air temperature.

Any clues / experience of the same from the collective?

SteveT

 

[tosh23]

Bump.

 

[Dean]

28k here and no water found as yet.

Only doing shallow rivers at the moment and no big snow drifts darn sarth.

sounds worrying with the recurring water interesting to find the reason and hope you get a resulting fix.



any others had this?

 

[v8legend]

I changed my filter last year for a K&N. There was an accumulation of water which I assumed was due to washing. Maybe it just collects there after coming in the front intakes?

 

[MikeMike]

At least a few times a year, I ride in what could be safely called "close to Biblical" rain storms. Real tropical "tie the family to the roof of the bus" deluges.
I have yet to have a problem with water coming in the intakes, nor a problem with water seeping into the airbox. On the contrary, it is dry as a bone.
That much water in the airbox is likely going to be a cause of the rough running you have been having, if not, it certainly isn't helping things. Just a thought, I have seen people try to fit a GS1200 K&N filter but if you look closely, the edges are shallower. Have you compared your K&N to see if it is an exact fit and matches the pattern exactly of the newer stock filter that has the stronger wire mesh reinforcement on top?

 

[mark-forrest]

I had a problem with rough running on my previous 800 after a long run in heavy rain which ended up with the dealer stripping the airbox out and finding water in it. Never happened again until I came back from this years Dragon Rally on my current bike in the rain, wasn't as bad but stuttered quite a bit for a few days mainly when running at steady revs then slightly shutting throttle, seemed to clear up after leaving it outside at work on one of the few warmish days that we had about then. Only thing that may be relevant is that I had it serviced a couple of weeks before the Dragon and after putting bike back together they realized that one of the pipes was trapped so bike had to be stripped back down to free it off, could there be a drain pipe blocked?(if there is one )

 

[tosh23]

Just a thought, Change the k&n for the oem paper one...ride for a few weeks and see the results, I overlooked the fact that you have a k&n..
A k&n lets more air in than a paper one I would think (don't quote me) so it might have something to do with it..
Another thought, people wash their k&n to clean them, do they go rusty/let more water in and crud up ?
Anyone else using a k&n ..Wonder if they have a slight water issue...Tosh

 

[v8legend]

Just a thought, I have seen people try to fit a GS1200 K&N filter but if you look closely, the edges are shallower. Have you compared your K&N to see if it is an exact fit and matches the pattern exactly of the newer stock filter that has the stronger wire mesh reinforcement on top?

I've got a 1200 filter in mine, and it fits fine. Although I once noticed water in there, it was whilst I was changing to the 1200GS filter, so nothing to do with the K&N. I haven't looked since, n'or have I had any running problems.

 

[tosh23]

can you see what im thinking with these
http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=e...%2Funiversal-parts-301%2F1085378.html;400;300

 

[SteveT]

Yep, see where your going

I've blocked off the airbox where the breather connected to it. The breather pipe now runs down the front LH side of the engine and into a small collector bottle tye wrapped to the oilcooler/filter guard I have fitted.

Didn't take the bike out today, but will monitor the bottle contents over the next week of commuting. Heading for an off road weekend in Galloway forest over easter . . . . if I can get through the snow drifts down that way! Hopefully the bike will runs as designed! Here's hoping.

SteveT

 

[tosh23]

My fingers are crossed mate

 

[James3254]

Hi SteveT, did you figure out what was causing the issue my f800gs has the same issue and I cant figure out where the water is coming from.

 

[SteveT]

The water is condensed vapour from the engine breather that blows straight into the air box. There is no drain from the airbox - maybe the BM engineers thought that the engines heat would evaporate any condensate that built up in the airbox!

See post #10 in this thread to see my solution.

I've done the mod detailed in post#10 on 3 other F8GSs and a F650GS twin since #10 post and have had no running problems what so ever, even in the proper cold winters we have up north (my current F8GS is into its 5th winter of use with me). Currently running a snazzy small drinks can as a collector, with drain holes at its base to allow the condensate to . . . . drain away

SteveT