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Fuel strip poll

Have you had at least ONE fuel strip fail?


  • Total voters
    835
Is it SUPPOSED to do this?

Hi... first BMW, first post here on my three-month trial membership (we'll determine later just who's on trial), introductions later.

Bought a new-to-me '06 R1200GS with 50K miles last fall. First owner left fairly detailed records, and while it appears he had to replace the fuel pump, he did not mention the fuel strip. So I assume I'm still on the original. So... is it working? That depends on how it's supposed to work. It does not read "empty" on a full tank, nor have I run out with a "half tank" showing on the gauge. But it does act weird, at least compared to any fuel gauge I've seen in the past. Here's what happens: I fill the tank. The little bar graph reads full... and continues to read full for the first 90-120 miles. Then it instantly drops to the 1/2 mark. For the next 60-80 miles, it behaves like I would expect, slowly dropping until it hits the striped area. At that point the annoying display comes on (really? a flashing gas pump icon, plus the yellow caution light? highly distracting in my book..) and it starts counting down. I've never gotten close enough to tell if the countdown is accurate; furthest I've gotten is two of those stripes remaining.

So anyway: re the sitting at full till it's half gone (and that is a pretty accurate "half gone" based on stated tank capacity and my computed mileage) and the instantly dropping to "half"--is this what it's supposed to do? If so, I can go into the survey as "no failure yet"; if not, you can add me to the list of people who've experienced a failure, though a benign one.
 
When I replied to the survey I had just replaced my first fuel strip. One year later and I am about to replace my third. I am disappointed to say the least.
 
Funny, went back and dug into the results. Apparently I said none back when this first came up. I'm on my third, but should have kept my first. It was only flakey between 3/4 and 1/2 a tank. Both the replacements have been odd from 1/2 to 1 bar...
 
08 RT.
Original just went out.
In the process of deciding to bother with it. I always use the trip minder anyway after I ran out of fuel with "112 miles to empty".
 
So anyway: re the sitting at full till it's half gone (and that is a pretty accurate "half gone" based on stated tank capacity and my computed mileage) and the instantly dropping to "half"--is this what it's supposed to do? If so, I can go into the survey as "no failure yet"; if not, you can add me to the list of people who've experienced a failure, though a benign one.
That may not be what "its supposed to do".. but it is what most of them do. The reason is the twin lobe shape of the tank. The strip goes up from the fuel pump to the top of the tank to cross over the hump in the middle, then it goes down into the other lobe of the tank. Half full is about where the top of the hump is. It is not at all linear.

I'd be happy if mine worked accurately for the second half of a tank.. but my current strip is telling me I have 140 miles until empty, on a tank that's already gone 200 miles, with a 5 gallon tank capacity. That would be amazing mileage if it was true. Used to be at 200 miles it would be telling me I have no miles left (not true - but close enough..)
 
@deilenberger Faith's fuel strip is still going strong...knock on wood....but on the K12 mine went out last month...#7, and riding today it has died....this only lasted about 400 miles or almost 2 tanks of fuel


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2013 R1200R multiple fuel sensor fails

I have 2013 R1200R Classic which has had FIVE fuel strip fails since I bought it new; and when replaced still sends bogus data until it quits working. Except for the free replacement from my dealer, I am getting no support from BMW USA. Has anyone out there found a solution?
 
???

...I'm confused...I thought BMW got rid of the fuel strip some time in 2010.?...
I have a 2010 GS and I was told it doesn't have one.
Please advise...
 
...I'm confused...I thought BMW got rid of the fuel strip some time in 2010.?...
I have a 2010 GS and I was told it doesn't have one.
Please advise...
I have no idea what I could advise you of. I believe your GS may be made after that model switched to a float. The camhead/hexhead R1200R series NEVER switched back to a float. They continued using the fuel strip until the basic R12R was discontinued in 2014 (replaced by the liquid cooled R12R - which apparently uses a float assembly.) So - if you're referring to the post above yours - that's why a 2013 R12R has had 5 strips.

I'm on #3 on my 2012 R12R (did 7 or 8 on my 2007 R12R). This one seems exceptionally nice - it's actually registering during the first half of the fuel tank use, and seems pretty accurate at turning the light on (turned it on at 4.5 gallons used - on a nominal 5.2 gallon tank - although I've gotten 5.5 gallons in..) If it keeps working I'm happy with the calibration on this one.

This strip the dealership mechanic and I tried something different with. On the R12R (hex/camhead) the strip goes up over the hump directly under the filler neck. If you look with a flashlight - there it is. In some instances I believe it might be possible it gets hit by the filler nozzle. In all instances - filling the bike will result in fairly high velocity gasoline flow hitting it directly - in a device that uses a deposited metal film resistor on a thin plastic carrier. Over the long tem I don't think that's the best thing for the strip. So I proposed - and the mechanic agreed that perhaps a deflector of some sort should be put on the strip so gas doesn't directly strike it. He came up with the answer - a 2"x2" piece of oil bottle (gasoline resistant plastic) held on with 2 tie-wraps, so it's right under the filler neck. So far - so good. We'll see if this improves the longevity of the fuel strip or not. Maybe it will.. maybe not.
 
BTW - I would certainly suggest that anyone who has experienced a failure - look back in this thread to where I give instructions on how to report the failure to NHTSA/DOT.

You can find the instructions right here: http://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.
 
I have no idea what I could advise you of. I believe your GS may be made after that model switched to a float. .
Not until the watercooled..

Hmmm...well unless I'm wrong in deciphering 'internet stuff', MAXBMW Parts shows a 2010 GS as having a lever-type sensor:
(10) 16 14 8 554 064 LEVER SENSOR

If I am totally off on this please advise, but maybe you've done that already.
I read your quote
Not until the watercooled..
and now I'm back on the worry train... ;)

I subscribed to this thread quite a while ago, but it's peaked my interest.
I was told by the PO and the dealer this 2010 GS didn't have the 'fuel stip'.

Thanks
 
Hmmm...well unless I'm wrong in deciphering 'internet stuff', MAXBMW Parts shows a 2010 GS as having a lever-type sensor:
(10) 16 14 8 554 064 LEVER SENSOR

If I am totally off on this please advise, but maybe you've done that already.
I read your quote
and now I'm back on the worry train... ;)

I subscribed to this thread quite a while ago, but it's peaked my interest.
I was told by the PO and the dealer this 2010 GS didn't have the 'fuel stip'.

Thanks

Once again - PLEASE READ WHAT I WROTE CAREFULLY. I was referring to the R1200R. I made several references to it being the only model from 2011 on that continued to use the fuel strip. It used it until the model was discontinued in 2014. Your GS undoubtedly DOES USE A FLOAT - if the dealer said so, the parts listing says so, and the guy you bought it from says so - it's so. I do try to write as precisely as I can when posting here. It seems somehow I must have failed in this case - please let me know how.

I said:
deilenberger said:
I have no idea what I could advise you of. I believe your GS may be made after that model switched to a float. The camhead/hexhead R1200R series NEVER switched back to a float. They continued using the fuel strip until the basic R12R was discontinued in 2014 (replaced by the liquid cooled R12R - which apparently uses a float assembly.) So - if you're referring to the post above yours - that's why a 2013 R12R has had 5 strips.

What is unclear? I said your bike was made AFTER BMW switched back to a float.
 
Multiple Failures

I have a 2008 K1200S. The first failure happened around 2011 with fairly low miles. Since then I have had three replacements all of which have failed, sometimes within weeks.
 
Change answer

I have a 05 r1200rt ,bought with 13K miles
Now have 54K and it seems the fuel strip failed
Up until about a year and a half ago I used mostly Marathon fuel, then switched to Shell
Don't know if this is coincidental or maybe part of the problem
I know when I get the new strip I won't be going back to Shell :scratch
 
2010 12 rt

WOW! I'm amazed at the longevity of this thread, since 2011. Very surprising that BMW hasn't fixed the problem, though after 11+ pages of responses, I haven't read every line.

Second owner of my 2010 R1200RT. Currently 35.1 K miles. In June 2015 rode an IBA SS 1000, then first strip failed this April 2016. Replaced in May 2016. In July 2016 rode an IBA BB 1500. It just failed the first replacement strip only 10 days ago [ on 9.10.16 ].

Will probably drop her off at my dealership in the next week or two for the next fuel strip replacement.

Thank God they are guaranteed for 10 years!

Ride Safe.

Jim on Long Island
 
WOW! I'm amazed at the longevity of this thread, since 2011. Very surprising that BMW hasn't fixed the problem, though after 11+ pages of responses, I haven't read every line.

Second owner of my 2010 R1200RT. Currently 35.1 K miles. In June 2015 rode an IBA SS 1000, then first strip failed this April 2016. Replaced in May 2016. In July 2016 rode an IBA BB 1500. It just failed the first replacement strip only 10 days ago [ on 9.10.16 ].

Will probably drop her off at my dealership in the next week or two for the next fuel strip replacement.

Thank God they are guaranteed for 10 years!

Ride Safe.

Jim on Long Island

12 years actually - but from the date the bike was originally sold. So yours is good until 2022.

PLEASE take the time to report the failure(s) to NHTSA. The website is: https://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/VehicleComplaint/ - there are instructions above, that I think I'll copy here:

Don Eilenberger said:
Here is what I filled out (after selecting the on-line form found at: https://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/VehicleComplaint/) <---- LINK UPDATED 10/3/16

VIN: Entered my VIN#
VEHICLE: BMW R 1200 R 2007 (this is on the drop down screen once you enter BMW.. it's down a ways.. look for your bike if it's not there use the ones that are there as a pattern to create a new model listing.)
APPROXIMATE DATE: I entered the date it first happened (as the instructions say to.)
CRASH: No
FIRE: No
FATALITY: No
VEHICLE MILEAGE: I put down the approximate mileage it first happened at
SPEED: I put down 65 for good luck.
AFFECTED PARTS: FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM <-- this is the important one. This is how the complaints get lost.
TELL US WHAT HAPPENED: Fuel gauge stopped responding, leading to running out of fuel while moving. This is a common failure on many bike models from BMW from 2005-2013. I have had this happen 5 times so far, and each time the fuel level measuring strip in the fuel tank was replaced. This is an unsafe condition since loss of engine power from running out of fuel can be quite dangerous on a motorcycle.


I then filled in my personal info.
 
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