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2005 1200GS with electrical problem with controls on handle bar

espressoforyou

New member
I need help with an electrical problem. All the controls on the handle bar have stopped working.

The following controls have stopped working: Blinkers, trip meter control button, horn, heated hand grips, flashers, the ABS warning light is on, and the ABS servos work intermittently. Also the tail light works but not the brake light.

I installed a brand new battery but that did not solve the problem. Bloodworth BMW in Nashville is looking at the bike and said that it might be the wiring harness and wants to install a new $1,400 wiring harness. But they also said that even if they install the new wiring harness it might be one of the controls on the handle bar causing the problem. Sound like an expensive trial and error method.

Has anybody seen this problem before and do you have any suggestions.
 
This is purely nuts. First, the problem does not sound battery related at all. Second, suggesting a new main harness trial-and-error is just goofy.

Step 1 is to unplug the handlebar control assembly and do some electrical trouble shooting. It could in fact be in the main harness but ... troubleshooting the circuits comes first.
 
Thanks for your reply Paul

Paul, can you believe that my bike has been at Bloodworth BMW for 3 months. If you remember, I took my bike to Bloodworth on 06-05-2012 for the ongoing leaking engine output seal, counterbalance seal, transmission input seal and clutch cylinder leak. They determined that it was the counterbalance seal leaking and replaced it for the FOURTH time. With the help of BMW NA "asking" Bloodworth to look for the root cause of the leaking seals they found that the counterbalance shaft had a small groove in it so Bloodworth replaced the counterbalance shaft. Only time will tell if this solves the problem

On the electrical problem they said that "it looks like the wiring harness needs to be replaced before any further diagnostics can be performed as no consistent voltage readings can be gathered without a 100% operable harness".

I don't know a thing about wiring harness diagnostic procedures, but this seems like a crazy and expensive way to look for a solution.

If the wiring harness is the problem, could it be possible that with the bike broken in half SIX times to replace all the leaking seals that the wiring harness could have be damaged in the process? I know that if I removed the engine from my car six times that it would be a good chance that I would damage some of the wiring.

If it is

I appreciate any help you can give me.

Thanks
 
With all the work that has been done on your bike, I'd do a close visual inspection for a wire crimped/shorted during the work. Without the work I'd say look for the spot where a mouse/rodent had been chewing.
+1 on thinking it's an expensive way to diagnose a problem. OM
 
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