F800GS Stalling - AGAIN

F800ST Stalling

I rode 45min (dry, 70F) and the engine suddenly cut-out (like no gas). Started it and then repeatedly cut out every 15-30s. Finally made it home. Bike continues to cut out even at idle and getting harder to crank it back up - no gas into engine? Yet, tank 3/4 full. Left it alone for 10 minutes. Started right back up. Idling ok for 15min. No problems.

Next day, rode into the dealer. No problems. The dealer is swarmed and won't be able to look into it till next week.

Anybody out there know what is wrong with my bike? It just had the 20K miles full service less than 100 miles ago.

avarliew said:

I rode 45min (dry, 70F) and the engine suddenly cut-out (like no gas). Started it and then repeatedly cut out every 15-30s. Finally made it home. Bike continues to cut out even at idle and getting harder to crank it back up - no gas into engine? Yet, tank 3/4 full. Left it alone for 10 minutes. Started right back up. Idling ok for 15min. No problems.

Next day, rode into the dealer. No problems. The dealer is swarmed and won't be able to look into it till next week.

Anybody out there know what is wrong with my bike? It just had the 20K miles full service less than 100 miles ago.

Click to expand...

Did you notice if there was a vacume in the fuel tank? Mine has been pulling a vacume on the fuel tank that amost collapes the tank. It dies at idle, but ok at speed. Could be the fuel tank vent valve. When mine was tested on the GS 911, we could not here the valve cycle. Since I am leaving for a trip so I put a small pice of tube(from a spray can) under the filler lid. No more vacume.

stalling

My wife's 2010 650 twin has experienced stalling on a couple of occasions also.
The problems that are being described sound very much like issues some of the early 650 singles had. That problem was traced to the carbon cannisters getting clogged. The 650 twins have had cannister issues because the vent hose can suck in water. The dealer cannot remove the cannister, but you can.
Another issue to consider is the fuel. Some bikes don't like the ethanol much of the fuel in the US contains. Water in the gas will cause many of the symptoms you mention also. The problems with water in gas seem more prevalent since the introduction of ethanol but I don't know if the two are related.

This could explain the problem:




Vehicle Make / Model: Model Year(s):
BMW / F650 GS 2008-2010
BMW / F800 GS 2008-2010

Manufacturer: BMW OF NORTH AMERICA, LLC Mfr's Report Date: DEC 17, 2009

NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID Number: 09V499000 NHTSA Action Number: PE09051


Component: ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

Potential Number of Units Affected: 4498

Summary:
BMW IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2008 AND 2010 F650 GS AND F800 GS MOTORCYCLES MANUFACTURED BETWEEN JANUARY 2008 AND DECEMBER 2009. DURING ENGINE OPERATION, A VACUUM IS CREATED IN ORDER TO DRAW FRESH AIR INTO THE CANISTER. THIS AIR THEN MIXES WITH THE FUEL VAPORS CAPTURED BY THE CANISTER, AND IS SUBSEQUENTLY COMBUSTED. DUE TO THE ROUTING OF THE VENTILATION HOSE, WATER NEAR THE END OF THE HOSE COULD BE DRAWN INTO THE CHARCOAL CANISTER.

Consequence:
WATER COULD FLOW INTO THE CANISTER CAUSING A STALLING CONDITION INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.

Remedy:
DEALERS WILL INSPECT AND ADD AN ADDITIONAL HOSE AND ROUTE IT SUCH THAT THE PRESENT DEFECT IS PREVENTED. THIS REMEDY WILL BE PERFORMED FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN DURING JANUARY 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT BMW AT 1-201-307-4000.

Notes:
OWNERS MAY ALSO CONTACT THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION'S VEHICLE SAFETY HOTLINE AT 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), OR GO TO HTTP://WWW.SAFERCAR.GOV .
__________________

Progress

Some progress, the dealer changed the throttle bodies and reflashed the computer as advised by BMW NA.
He then used it for two days without problem, but on day three it stalled on him.
At least the dealer has seen the problem first hand.

These bikes seem to be having a lot of problems

GS650/800 stalling

HOLD THE PHONE.

My wife and I both have Gs650 twins. [I've owned every series of BMW's since the /2] We BOTH experienced the bikes stalling, TWICE at speed nearly causing us to crash.

Our dealer, BMW Chicago, replaced injectors, did the canister recall and they STILL stalled.

TODAY - after a very animated conversation with BMW customer relations, they finally pulled the fuel tanks and found "metallic contaminants". OF COURSE. It's the only thing that explains all of the conditions under which these bikes stall. It's not rain, it's not the drain tube. It's CRAP in the fuel tank.

If you have a GS650/800 MAKE your DEALER remove the fuel tank. They recalled them for the wrong reason.

John Bingham

Seems like it's only the US bikes with the canister. I removed my canister as soon as I got the bike and have had no problems.

Well, my wife decided to trade her F800GS for a low frame R1200GS, so that is the end of the stalling saga for us

jjbingham said:

HOLD THE PHONE.

My wife and I both have Gs650 twins. [I've owned every series of BMW's since the /2] We BOTH experienced the bikes stalling, TWICE at speed nearly causing us to crash.

Our dealer, BMW Chicago, replaced injectors, did the canister recall and they STILL stalled.

TODAY - after a very animated conversation with BMW customer relations, they finally pulled the fuel tanks and found "metallic contaminants". OF COURSE. It's the only thing that explains all of the conditions under which these bikes stall. It's not rain, it's not the drain tube. It's CRAP in the fuel tank.

If you have a GS650/800 MAKE your DEALER remove the fuel tank. They recalled them for the wrong reason.

John Bingham

Click to expand...

John:

"metallic contaminants" ???
Any details on this?
Not that "metallic contaminants" are good, but wouldn't the filter assembly on the pump address this?
I'm not meaning to badger you here, I'm just confused........

I guess the good news is that many of us have cosmetic cracks in our fuel tanks and will be having the tanks replaced anyway?

The canister recall will only help in wet situations, from your notes your situation is different than that ... you've got dry stalls as well... The canister could be clogged, but, but as I understand it the recall does not include replacing the canister, only a "T" in the drain line and a second vent hose....

bicyclist said:

Roy, it sounds like the tank breather is not functioning. As the gas is pumped out no air is replacing it and a vacuum is being drawn in the tank, hence the whoosh when you open the filler. At some point the pump can't overcome the vacuum and the bike stalls.

There is a well documented problem with the carbon canister and a recall to fix it. The dealer should certainly know about it. If he doesn't, you'd be well advised to find another dealer.

Click to expand...

I now have another problem as I had my grage door open and the sun was shining on the back of the bike, and it started to leak gas on the floor. I opened the fuel tank and it was under pressure. Somthing is not working rignt.

On USA-model bikes the owner's manual advises to fill only to the bottom of the red "dip tube" to leave room for expansion. If tank was very full then wamed by the sun and expanded further there is little choice for the bike other than to either vent the gas or risk tank rupture other than that .... it would be the usual bad actors ? ....

bicyclist said:

Roy, it sounds like the tank breather is not functioning. As the gas is pumped out no air is replacing it and a vacuum is being drawn in the tank, hence the whoosh when you open the filler. At some point the pump can't overcome the vacuum and the bike stalls.

There is a well documented problem with the carbon canister and a recall to fix it. The dealer should certainly know about it. If he doesn't, you'd be well advised to find another dealer.

Click to expand...

Canister recall done and no problems since. They said it was really pluged up.

roybarnes said:

Somthing is not working rignt.

Click to expand...

your keyboard??

Outstanding solution!

My 09 F800GS with 7500 miles was stalling and then after 6 times in one day it would not restart.

Turned out to be a bad fuel pump controller. My shop has seen these go bad before on the big GS's. They usually just go out completely all at once. Bike seems to run fine now....

Well, I guess that wasn't the fix...
When I got the bike home it seemed slower to start than usual.
Rode 70 miles and turned it off. Would not restart until I pounded on top of the fuel pump wth my fist...the dealer ordered a fuel pump and I will try again after it's installed tomorrow...will report further afterwards...

Fuel pump replaced.
After a 60 mile test ride, the bike starts and runs fine now.

OK
Rode about another 200 mile this morning and everything seems to work fine. Consider it fixed!

Stalling

I had all of the same symptoms - seemed like it had run out of gas when it was a full tank, stalling when running down the hiway at 65-70mph.

My Dealer replaced the Fuel Pump and Fuel Injectors. It now seems to run better than ever. I have had no problems since the fix, but I do need to rack up a few more miles.

I have seen a fair number of others with this same problem/fix on the ADVRiders forum.

TP..

Just returned from a 1400 mile ride through New Mexico and Colorado including Engineer Pass and Cinnnamon pass...the bike ran flawlessly and is truly a joy to ride with the new fuel pump...