2007 RT Fuel Strip Went South

I've been thru 7 fuel strips on 4 bikes. They mostly broke at the connection at the top where the wires connect to the sensor strip. This is at the top of the filler and is above the level of the gasoline. This connection is encased in some kind of epoxy block. There didn't seem to be any deterioration there, just an open circuit inside the block. I would assume that the connection just internally disconnected due to vibration or improper securing crimp or whatever method was used there. There was absolutely no deterioration of the strip. It's resistance was intact as close as I could get to the place where it was connected to the wires.
My approach to this issue now that the bike is out of normal warranty, is to buy the strips and replace them. I understand BMW no longer advises to do a recalibration. I never thought it worked well anyway. The strips I measured all seemed to be close enough to the nominal resistance. I did not recalibrate the last time this spring...just had my wife with her small hand reach inside the K1200S tank and unplug the old strip and plug in the new strip. Works fine as before. AND, using a BMW part with an invoice for the part as I understand the parts warranty I read a few years ago, I can have a dealer replace it under warranty next time within 2 years including labor no matter who does the labor.

breaking at the top of strip

Never have seen the strips after failure because all were under warranty.

About recalibrating strips, that may explain why my gauge is so far off since the last one was installed. I can fill up after the warning light goes on and the bike will hold less than 4 gallons of fuel.

Doesn't it seem that if fatigue due to vibration caused the strips to fail by breaking at the top the strips could be re engineered to be more durable? If that was the case seems like building a more durable strip would have been more cost effective than going back to the floats?

BTW, my bike doesn't vibrate, it purrs.

dpmonk said:

Never have seen the strips after failure because all were under warranty.

About recalibrating strips, that may explain why my gauge is so far off since the last one was installed. I can fill up after the warning light goes on and the bike will hold less than 4 gallons of fuel.

Doesn't it seem that if fatigue due to vibration caused the strips to fail by breaking at the top the strips could be re engineered to be more durable? If that was the case seems like building a more durable strip would have been more cost effective than going back to the floats?

BTW, my bike doesn't vibrate, it purrs.

Click to expand...

It seems like the GS always had an issue with accuracy. K12S not so much. As to vibration, just a guess, since I don't see how gas or alcohol could get past the epoxy if it's done correctly.

Actually - BMW received enough broken strips back (go figure) so they told the dealers to just chuck the old ones. Talk nice to your service adviser and they'll save your old one for you.

As Jack hypothesized - the failures all seem to be in the junction block (between the plastic strip and the wiring to the plug) on strips I've dissected.. and I can't see any way that alcohol would get past the epoxy unless it's wicking by capillary action along inside the wires going into the junction (and that sort of thing can happen..) Problem is - I haven't found any way to get into the epoxy junction to see what's going on without destroying it..

I'm no longer a member of the fuel strip failure club. Yesterday I traded in my '10 RT for a new '11 RT.

wellston said:

Dealer told me the same thing many of you all have been told - that BMW blames the ethanol content in U.S. fuels. He said to use an additive (some sort of BMW approved stabilizer) and to use Shell and Marathon fuels only.

I don't blame the dealer service manager for simply passing on what he has been told to say by BMW, but this advice is B.S. That fuel strip is a poorly designed piece of crap, plain and simple.

Click to expand...

It is not the ethonal that is causing the problem. This is happening in countries all over the world, most of which use no ethonal.

I am on fuel strip number five.

Jack

So as of yesterday I am on fuel strip number 3 on a 2009 GS, and thankfully I was at the end of month number 23 of the 24 month warranty. You guys were right and the replacement was completely covered. Thanks to my dealer and to BMW.

Not sure what to do now other than hope that number 3 fails before 2 years is up...

wellston said:

So as of yesterday I am on fuel strip number 3 on a 2009 GS, and thankfully I was at the end of month number 23 of the 24 month warranty. You guys were right and the replacement was completely covered. Thanks to my dealer and to BMW.

Not sure what to do now other than hope that number 3 fails before 2 years is up...

Click to expand...

Well...I noticed that the resistance of the strip was more consistant in the latest strips I measured both 2 years ago (from a very new batch at the local dealer which is now closed...but we have a new dealer now) and strips just recently from Max BMW where I bought the last two. I was hoping that it was a sign that BMW has silently corrected their supplier and are supplying less defective strips. The key antenna poor connections were somewhat more serious, preventing the bike from starting, which caused them to admit that the antennas were in fact crap.
The last two strips I have installed on Viki's bike and mine seem to be reasonably in agreement as to calibration with no calibration. Her's is slightly scotch...about a 1/4 gallon.
So...here's hoping. I have thought of taking a strip on trips. If you have a hand the size of Ryan M. or my wife's, Viki, you can install the strip in a parking lot without removing the tank on a K-S.
But I bought the extra strip as just mojo to not ever need the spare. Ha!

cjack said:

Well...I noticed that the resistance of the strip was more consistant in the latest strips I measured both 2 years ago (from a very new batch at the local dealer which is now closed...but we have a new dealer now) and strips just recently from Max BMW where I bought the last two. I was hoping that it was a sign that BMW has silently corrected their supplier and are supplying less defective strips. The key antenna poor connections were somewhat more serious, preventing the bike from starting, which caused them to admit that the antennas were in fact crap.
The last two strips I have installed on Viki's bike and mine seem to be reasonably in agreement as to calibration with no calibration. Her's is slightly scotch...about a 1/4 gallon.

Click to expand...

Unfortunately - not all of them. My latest one seems to think I have a 7.5 gallon tank (really around 5.5 if it's run dry..) When I reach 200 miles on a tank I normally fill up. At that point the OBC thinks I can go another 130 miles or so.. and the gage is showing just under 1/2 full. I put in around 4.5 gallons.. Working it out in my head, 130miles/44mpg = ~ 3 more gallons it thinks I have.. I don't think so..

Means the OBC and gage are basically useless, but at least the light isn't turning on.

So...here's hoping. I have thought of taking a strip on trips. If you have a hand the size of Ryan M. or my wife's, Viki, you can install the strip in a parking lot without removing the tank on a K-S.
But I bought the extra strip as just mojo to not ever need the spare. Ha!

Click to expand...

Eilenberger's Law of Spare Parts "You'll never need the part you have.." - which leads me to have a lot of spare parts in my garage..

I wonder what the resistance is on that strip. The nominal resistance seems to be 2500 ohms for the sensor and about 32 ohms for the heater. The last ones I got are 2450 and 36 ohms.
I've wondered just what the calibration accomplishes. It used to take 20 min or so and done with the strip dry and installed in the empty tank. So must have been the empty tank sensor resistance reading.

cjack said:

I wonder what the resistance is on that strip. The nominal resistance seems to be 2500 ohms for the sensor and about 32 ohms for the heater. The last ones I got are 2450 and 36 ohms.

Click to expand...

Dunno. It was warranty so I didn't get to measure it.

I've wondered just what the calibration accomplishes. It used to take 20 min or so and done with the strip dry and installed in the empty tank. So must have been the empty tank sensor resistance reading.

Click to expand...

No - you missed one step in the calibration.. that was to put 1 gallon of gas back into the tank, and then do the calibration (which set the point the light would turn on..)

I'm thinking of asking them to do it since this one is so far off..

deilenberger said:

Dunno. It was warranty so I didn't get to measure it.
No - you missed one step in the calibration.. that was to put 1 gallon of gas back into the tank, and then do the calibration (which set the point the light would turn on..)

I'm thinking of asking them to do it since this one is so far off..

Click to expand...

Never heard of that, if fact reading directly from the RSD instructions (the latest I have is 2008), the fuel strip is to be calibrated outside the tank with the fuel pump assembly (K1200S) not installed. So there cannot be any fuel inside the tank.
Maybe the later RSDs changed the procedure...
Another interesting note on this side of the planet is that a current tech mentioned to me that calibration is no longer required. I just let that go by since I at that time never heard of any one gallon calibration, but I will have to ask him more about it.

Jack,

Ask him. I watched them do it for my first replacement strip.... but that was about 3 years ago. The tech was almost right. BMW stopped recommending the calibration because at one point they thought the calibration process was causing the strips to fail (can we say clutching at straw?)

2007 RT fuel strip.

24k miles, three fuel strips, using odometer now.
How about a class action suit!

Don't feel bad. Got back from a ride today (that included about 8 miles of sandy/washboard road), went to back the bike into the garage, and lo! and behold! A fuel warning light.... and nothing at all showing on the gage.

Guess #3 has bit the dust. Gotta call on Monday for my next warranty replacement.

Question that thing about the light on cal...doesn't seem to have been helpful considering how far off it was.

cjack said:

Question that thing about the light on cal...doesn't seem to have been helpful considering how far off it was.

Click to expand...

It wasn't done on this one.. it was done on the first replacement (which lasted about 22 months and 25,000 miles..) This is the third, and gonna head in for the fourth..

Maybe I'm wrong but it seems like there are several bikes with multiple fuel strip problems. 4,5,6,7 fuel strips on the same bikes seems weird

Could there be a problem causing this beyond the fuel strip itself?

Repair warranty - transferrable?

Anyone know if the warranty on replacement parts is transferable between owners? PO of my '08 RT had a fuel strip replaced 4/11. I have the receipt. Thx for any advice.

sloride said:

maybe i'm wrong but it seems like there are several bikes with multiple fuel strip problems. 4,5,6,7 fuel strips on the same bikes seems weird

could there be a problem causing this beyond the fuel strip itself?

Click to expand...

no.