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Fuel strip poll

Have you had at least ONE fuel strip fail?


  • Total voters
    835
Here we go again number 8

Number eight
I have already listed two bikes with multiple fuel strip failures,here is another one.
We have had this 2008 R1200R for a few years and up until two and one half years ago we have replaced 7 seven stripson it. six of these in one year.

We were on a short ride today and as leaving home the bike's engine quit running, just shut off and forced my wife to pull off and restart it.
She stated that the fuel gauge started going nut's again and showed low fuel but also showed 200 miles remaining on mileage calculator.

We have lots of experience with strip failures but none that caused the engine to cut off and quit running.
It started right up and ran fine the rest of the trip but the strip is dead once again.
Yes just after the two year warranty expired.


Has anyone had this occur to them when their strip failed?
 
Number eight
I have already listed two bikes with multiple fuel strip failures,here is another one.
We have had this 2008 R1200R for a few years and up until two and one half years ago we have replaced 7 seven stripson it. six of these in one year.

We were on a short ride today and as leaving home the bike's engine quit running, just shut off and forced my wife to pull off and restart it.
She stated that the fuel gauge started going nut's again and showed low fuel but also showed 200 miles remaining on mileage calculator.

We have lots of experience with strip failures but none that caused the engine to cut off and quit running.
It started right up and ran fine the rest of the trip but the strip is dead once again.
Yes just after the two year warranty expired.


Has anyone had this occur to them when their strip failed?

No connection between what the fuel sender says and the bike running. When the first one failed on my wife's bike, she asked me on the intercom if the bike will stop running when the display got to zero miles.
It was just a coincidence. These engines are also noted for just dying...no reason (sort of). Usually we have had that happen when the weather and the bike was hot.
 
Engine cut out

No connection between what the fuel sender says and the bike running. When the first one failed on my wife's bike, she asked me on the intercom if the bike will stop running when the display got to zero miles.
It was just a coincidence. These engines are also noted for just dying...no reason (sort of). Usually we have had that happen when the weather and the bike was hot.

I agree that there should be no connection it is just weird that the fuel strip failed at the exact same time.
We have owned more hex heads,cam heads, oil heads, airheads than the law should allow and have never had on just die like that.?
Thankfully my 2012 GS has a float.
Dave
 
FWIW, my dealer said methanol additives etch thru the strip where the air/fuel level meet in tank. I am not a chemist. He said always store bike full. I.e. strip not exposed to air. No failure since.
This is a scientific sample size of 1.

My dealer told me the same thing. I was also told the US is only country that uses ethanol.


Pete
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk 2
 
My dealer told me the same thing. I was also told the US is only country that uses ethanol.


Pete
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk 2

Our half dozen strips all failed in the epoxy block where the wires are connected to the strip. The part not in the gas. Mechanical failure just like the key antennas. Dealers usually feel the need to supply an answer...whatever sounds good. Maybe the USA is the only country with too much oxygen in the air and the wires corrode...or maybe it's the sugar in the donuts...
Our strips were perfect from the connection block on down. I even measured some of them below the block and they read out perfectly.
 
Our half dozen strips all failed in the epoxy block where the wires are connected to the strip. The part not in the gas. Mechanical failure just like the key antennas. Dealers usually feel the need to supply an answer...whatever sounds good. Maybe the USA is the only country with too much oxygen in the air and the wires corrode...or maybe it's the sugar in the donuts...
Our strips were perfect from the connection block on down. I even measured some of them below the block and they read out perfectly.

I have often wondered if during the installation a not so careful technician could unknowingly damage the strip causing a premature failure.?

However there were two times that the strip failed before they were installed?

Dave
 
strip # 2

2012 R1200R. First one dead at the date of purchase May 5, 2013. Replacement lasted from August 2013 till last weekend. Scheduled for replacement on November 2. Worked flawlessly for 1-1/4 years... :banghead
 
I thought that I was immune but my fuel strip went out on my 2009 R1200GS at around 64,000 miles.
From what I have read that's not bad. The new one comes with a 2 year warranty.
 
Does BMW NA have this info???

Just wondering if anyone at BMW Motorad USA has this information?
It may produce some results if they had all the links from failed fuel strips to review and bring them up to speed.
How do you do this?
Dave
 
Just wondering if anyone at BMW Motorad USA has this information?
It may produce some results if they had all the links from failed fuel strips to review and bring them up to speed.
How do you do this?
Dave

Hi Dave,

It's unclear to me if this would be "new" info to them. They know how many bikes using the strips were sold in the US, and they know how many strips were sold, plus they have all the info on repeat failures from warranty claims.. If anything - they have much better info than we can garner from this unscientific poll.

You have to remember BMW's reaction to issues like this (pretty much in order that it happens):

1. What problem? First time we've heard of this.
2. There is no problem.
3. Oh - that problem -- it's your fault (blame US fuel, blame the way we ride them, etc.)
4. There is no problem in Europe
5. What problem?
6. Thank you for calling..​

I know people mention having the MOA get involved - but my WAG (I haven't been in the position) is if the MOA "got involved" they'd get the exact same treatment. It's not as if the MOA has any leverage over BMW.

Best bet - read back in the thread on how to report failures to NHTSA - and do it. Eventually you can hope NHTSA may pay some attention if there are a large number of complaints for the same issue, and it can be demonstrated that it is a safety hazard (and they have forced recalls of various cars and bikes for fuel gauge failures.)
 
2006 RT No failure!!

My RT hasn't had a failure at all. It has always been a little out of calibration, but I don't mind since it's out in my favor. When it says I have zero miles remaining, I can go another 60 easily.

Currently at just under 102K miles!

Terry
 
My RT hasn't had a failure at all. It has always been a little out of calibration, but I don't mind since it's out in my favor. When it says I have zero miles remaining, I can go another 60 easily.

Currently at just under 102K miles!

Terry

Sheesh man!!!! Dont jinx yourself!
 
No problems on my 2005RT fuel strip. 110K miles. I've never run the tank dry and use ethanol free gas when possible.
 
2005 R1200ST with 28000miles . . . maybe

Just experienced what might be a failure. Will be checking it out, but not happy at being in this club ;)
 
09 GSA Fuel Strip

09 GSA, 5 strips in first 20k miles. Current strip is not accurate, I just use odometer. This is the only problem I have had with this motorcycle.
 
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