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Fuel strip poll

Have you had at least ONE fuel strip fail?


  • Total voters
    835
To quote Don from post 474 of this thread:

I realize this will seem repetitive - but.. haven't seen any mention of reports to DOT/NHTSA, so:

You can find the instructions right here: https://forums.bmwmoa.org/showthread.php?64037-Fuel-strip-poll&p=858929&viewfull=1#post858929

I'd suggest reporting each and every failure. Lesser brands have been mandated by DOT to issue a recall to correct this exact sort of fuel-readout failure, since it would obviously be dangerous if it failed on a highway with heavy traffic and you can't coast off to the side of the road.

I think the only way that BMW will actually resolve the fuel strip problem IS if DOT requires it. According to a knowledgeable mechanic I was talking to - his feeling was with the correct float assembly - and perhaps a bit of intermediate circuitry - a float assembly could be made to operate with our existing displays and on-board-computer. BMW hasn't been motivated to do this. As in most corporate cultures - economic decisions seem to be the rule. The way to make BMW want to fix (not simply warranty new defective product) the problem is to make it economically attractive to them. A mandated recall would seem to be the key to doing that. Eventually the 12 year extended warranty WILL run out - and knowing BMW owners - a lot of these bikes will still be serving their owners at that point. If there isn't a recall - the warranty conclusion will hit people right in their wallets - and it's not that far off for the first year fuel-strip bikes.
 
My 07GS with about 44K has not encountered a failure, although I probably just jinxed it by participating in this poll
 
Replaced fuel strip again (3rd strip) on my ‘07 R12GSA in August, now will be getting it done again on Saturday. Strip 1 lasted about 48K miles, strip 2 about 18k miles, strip 3 about 1500 miles...


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It currently thinks its full all the time now, previous one it thought it was always empty.


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Fuel strip

05 none 09 2 warantee, text at Daytona told me to use sea foam additive every 2 tank 20,000 more miles no problem. 13 none
Dave
 
Has anyone ever filed a defect petition with NHTSA for this issue? I had never heard of this until seeing a link for it in today's Bench Racing and the Morning Reads. Wonder if it would help at all? Thoughts.

From the article Here's How to Possibly Force a Recall on Your Car


"filing a defect petition forces NHTSA to investigate your complaint and tell you in a written statement whether there’ll be a recall and, if not, explain why."

Also found this related article by The NY Times

I haven't found the instructions yet on how to actually do it though. Both articles point here to NHTSA but I don't see actual instructions there. Am I missing something?

I found this example of one.
 
Last edited:
Three on an 09 R

I am the second owner, the prior owner had one in the first 25K and I've had 2, the bike has 60K on it now. BMW has done all the work for free.
 
2010 BMW R1200RT Fuel Strip

Hey, my 2010 BMW R1200RT Fuel Strip just went out, I'm at 44000 miles.

I called the number for the BMW Customer Relations at 1-800-831-1117 regarding the warranty. They told me it should still be covered but that I needed to call a BMW Dealer to check if the warranty has already been accomplished. I've called 3 different dealers and nobody has been able to tell me if it's covered or not. Is there another way to know before I take it in and get told that it was already done by someone else and no-longer under warranty?
 
They are covered for 12 years and the dealer should know that. A lot of us have had multiple ones done. I am on number six and since I have an 07 this is my last year.
 
Hey, my 2010 BMW R1200RT Fuel Strip just went out, I'm at 44000 miles.

I've called 3 different dealers and nobody has been able to tell me if it's covered or not. Is there another way to know before I take it in and get told that it was already done by someone else and no-longer under warranty?


Mine has been covered both times. You are covered until 12 years after delivery date.:)

Find a dealer who can hit their fanny with both hands. (if you can) :banghead

:thumb GD
 
Hey, my 2010 BMW R1200RT Fuel Strip just went out, I'm at 44000 miles.

I called the number for the BMW Customer Relations at 1-800-831-1117 regarding the warranty. They told me it should still be covered but that I needed to call a BMW Dealer to check if the warranty has already been accomplished. I've called 3 different dealers and nobody has been able to tell me if it's covered or not. Is there another way to know before I take it in and get told that it was already done by someone else and no-longer under warranty?

Even if replaced once they are still under warranty for 12 years. If your profile indicated where you are we might actually be able to suggest a dealer for you to contact.
 
I'm sure it's just a coincidence but my bike, a 2013 R1200R second owner, is going in tomorrow for a new fuel strip at 47,000 miles. The first owner replaced it once at 11,000. My failure occurred right after I fueled my tank with ethanol-free, a rare occurrence. After the warranty expires, if I still own the bike, I'll try the zapping fix.

Doug
 
I'm sure it's just a coincidence but my bike, a 2013 R1200R second owner, is going in tomorrow for a new fuel strip at 47,000 miles. The first owner replaced it once at 11,000. My failure occurred right after I fueled my tank with ethanol-free, a rare occurrence. After the warranty expires, if I still own the bike, I'll try the zapping fix.

Doug
Doug - my latest strip is (knock on oak-grain formica woodlike substance..) the longest lasting one I've had. It has the "Eilenberger modification.." (as my local dealer's mechanics call it..) On the R1200R the fuel strip runs directly below the filler hole. If you open the cap and look in with a maglite - you'll see it. The thought came to me - that in NJ we have emission collars on many gas pumps, meanig to turn the pump on one has to really push the nozzle pretty far into the opening. Doing this - it either will hit the fuel strip, or only be an inch or so away from it.. which means high-pressure fuel is directly impacting the fuel strip. That can't be a good thing.

I thought about it - and thought that adding a deflector shield above the fuel strip might help. I discussed it with a very savy mechanic at the dealership last time it was in getting a strip - and he thought it sounded good and would think about how to do it. He was quite proud that he thought of using a piece cut out of an oil bottle, with a few punched holes in it, and some tie-wraps to hold it to the top of the fuel strip. Now gasoline is deflected away from the strip when filling up.

And this strip is going on it's 3rd year - which is a real record for me (my first R1200R had 7 or 8 strips in 100,000 miles, this one had gone through 3 by about 20,000 miles). Does the deflector help? Dunno for sure - just anecdotally it seems to..
 
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