• Welcome, Guest! We hope you enjoy the excellent technical knowledge, event information and discussions that the BMW MOA forum provides. Some forum content will be hidden from you if you remain logged out. If you want to view all content, please click the 'Log in' button above and enter your BMW MOA username and password.

    If you are not an MOA member, why not take the time to join the club, so you can enjoy posting on the forum, the BMW Owners News magazine, and all of the discounts and benefits the BMW MOA offers?

  • Beginning April 1st, and running through April 30th, there is a new 2024 BMW MOA Election discussion area within The Club section of the forum. Within this forum area is also a sticky post that provides the ground rules for participating in the Election forum area. Also, the candidates statements are provided. Please read before joining the conversation, because the rules are very specific to maintain civility.

    The Election forum is here: Election Forum

Clutch Fluid Change 2009 RT1200

B

BRIT00704106

New member
Looks like most people have there brake fluid changed but not there clutch fluid.
if i am wrong when should it be changed and can i do it myself
thanks Bruce
 
Bruce - BMW doesn't call it out as a regular service item but yes, you should do it. I did mine for the first time earlier this year and it was really dark and cruddy, most likely from degradation of the rubber hose. It's not difficult at all. I'll start doing it on the two-year cycle when I do the brakes.

Important thing is to realize that it takes different fluid than your brakes. Use special "mineral" oil clutch fluid. Pretty inexpensive stuff.

Wyman's instructions will get you going.

Good luck.

JayJay
 
Jayjay... what bike?

After 8 years with my '05 the clutch mineral oil (not brake fluid as came in the earlier bikes) looked new. If it didn't look new I'd suspect slave cylinder issues. The only thing I did during the 8 years I owned the bike was remove fluid as the clutch wore to keep the level below the MAX mark. AFAIK the current owner (a friend) is still running the same clutch fluid.
 
In my experience the discoloration of the fluid - whether DOT4 or mineral oil - comes from deterioration in the slave cylinder. It is often caused by the beginning failure of the throwout bearing allowing the piston to spin and wear the seals in the slave cylinder assembly. If I had discoloration of the fluid I would remove and inspect the slave cylinder. Any sign of gritchiness in the built-in throwout bearing would cause me to replace the slave cylinder.
 
Hodadd said:
So which mineral oil is favored?

(I know, I know, BMW only,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,):whistle
Click to expand...

To function, hydraulic jack oil would work. BUT - what I don't know is what lubrication abilities has been formulated into the BMW specified oil. I raise this point beacuse there is some tendency/ability for the slave piston to spin in the bore. This wears seals. This is not present in jacks, and most equipment mounted hydraulic cylinders. BMW MIGHT have an additive to improve lubricity. I don't know, but for the difference in cost I would be inclined to use the BMW stuff.
 
PGlaves said:
In my experience the discoloration of the fluid - whether DOT4 or mineral oil - comes from deterioration in the slave cylinder. It is often caused by the beginning failure of the throwout bearing allowing the piston to spin and wear the seals in the slave cylinder assembly. If I had discoloration of the fluid I would remove and inspect the slave cylinder. Any sign of gritchiness in the built-in throwout bearing would cause me to replace the slave cylinder.
Click to expand...
Thanks for this feedback, Paul. I hadn't thought of it that way.

The fluid was dark, almost as if it had been cooked. And when I pulled the old fluid from the master cylinder there was quite a bit of black crud solid precipitate on the walls of the reservoir. I wiped the underside of the rubber bladder that goes under the cap but didn't get any transfer, so my conclusion was that the crud was coming from deterioration within the hose. When I flushed the system it took a bit to get all the dark fluid out, but eventually I did. It didn't even occur to me that this amount of solid material could propagate all the way back up the hose from the slave.

This might be a good weekend to pull the slave cylinder, inspect the seal and see if there's any sign of roughness. No signs of any fluid on the ground, so at least even if it is degrading the seal is intact. For now ...

JayJay

PS - Marchy, this is on my 2009 RT.
 
jayjay said:
No signs of any fluid on the ground, so at least even if it is degrading the seal is intact. For now ...

JayJay
Click to expand...

This is a good place to point out than unless a "drain" hole or groove has been added as a modification, any leak of the slave cylinder won't exit to the ground until and unless the cavity has filled up, the fluid has flowed along the clutch rod fouling the clutch, and then the fluid can exit at the bellhousing drain hold.

This leak is accompanied by the fluid level going down. Clutch wear causes the fluid level to go up, so if it ever goes down there is a leak.
 
Hodadd said:
So which mineral oil is favored?

(I know, I know, BMW only,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,):whistle
Click to expand...

It has been reported that BMW uses Magura Blood hydraulic fluid. I don't know how accurate those report are. Also, it depends upon the bike. Beemerboneyard says in their description for the Magura product "Not for use on the K1200/1300 bikes (2005 and later) or the K1600 bikes.".

The book for my bike says to use "Vitamol V10" which is a Castrol product.
 
jayjay said:
Thanks for this feedback, Paul. I hadn't thought of it that way.

The fluid was dark, almost as if it had been cooked. And when I pulled the old fluid from the master cylinder there was quite a bit of black crud solid precipitate on the walls of the reservoir. I wiped the underside of the rubber bladder that goes under the cap but didn't get any transfer, so my conclusion was that the crud was coming from deterioration within the hose. When I flushed the system it took a bit to get all the dark fluid out, but eventually I did. It didn't even occur to me that this amount of solid material could propagate all the way back up the hose from the slave.

This might be a good weekend to pull the slave cylinder, inspect the seal and see if there's any sign of roughness. No signs of any fluid on the ground, so at least even if it is degrading the seal is intact. For now ...

JayJay

PS - Marchy, this is on my 2009 RT.
Click to expand...
So, good news. I pulled the slave cylinder (boy, is that inner bolt a PITA to get to) and there's no evidence of fluid leakage. There's a thin coating of heavy grease on the actuator shaft, but other than that, everything is clean and dry.

And at about $150 for the part, I'm not up for prophylactic replacement.

But Paul, thanks for the heads up.

JayJay
 
Reason For Clutch Fluid Change

jayjay said:
Bruce - BMW doesn't call it out as a regular service item but yes, you should do it. I did mine for the first time earlier this year and it was really dark and cruddy, most likely from degradation of the rubber hose. It's not difficult at all. I'll start doing it on the two-year cycle when I do the brakes.

Important thing is to realize that it takes different fluid than your brakes. Use special "mineral" oil clutch fluid. Pretty inexpensive stuff.

Wyman's instructions will get you going.

Good luck.

JayJay
Click to expand...

Thank you for the feedback but, I'm trying to address the bike racing to about 6000+- when depressing the clutch lever to release the cruise control and the engine races, clutch starts to burn (smoke once, and smell twice) so, it was suggested I change the fluid and if still problem replace the clutch switch to try and solve the problem. Bike is 2012 R1200RT with 19K on it. I had a dealership in Fl. do oil change and the bike was in tough shape when I picked it up and oil leaking around the cylinder head. I want to do the work myself when possible and my main goal was to see/watch a video on changing it & the switch, if possible. Sorry for my long answer but, it's the first time I've used this forum and only looking for a video (Y-Tube) or some type of step by step instructions to facilitate getting the two steps completed. Thanks again, B
 
If your engine is racing you need to deal with the switch. You should have the dual contact switch; one contact should click just after you begin to squeeze the lever and the other clicks when the lever is fully in. Could be an adjustment issue, could be that you have replaced the lever with one that doesn't operate the switch properly (I've seen that), could be a bad switch.
 
2012 BMWR1200RT Clutch Fluid & Switch

AntonLargiader said:
If your engine is racing you need to deal with the switch. You should have the dual contact switch; one contact should click just after you begin to squeeze the lever and the other clicks when the lever is fully in. Could be an adjustment issue, could be that you have replaced the lever with one that doesn't operate the switch properly (I've seen that), could be a bad switch.
Click to expand...

Thank you for confirming my decision to replace the switch & fluid as a precaution. B
 
My 2010 RT did same thing, just the engine speed bump part though and not that high, but I also did not like having the clutch engage way out from the handle bar. So I adjusted the plunger out a bit to get actuation where I like it, with better control, and of course the additional benefit is the switch activates a tiny bit before the clutch allowing dropping cruise without clutch dis-engagement:thumb. Just FYI.

GD
 
Last edited:
What's the FIRST step?

Hey guys thanks for all the tips on cluch fluid change. Wyman, the first steps in the BMW attachment is to remove the dust boot, attach hose and inject mineral oil. I assume it is drained at some point somehow prior to this step? What's the best way to drain the system? Thanks!
 
swpifer said:
What's the best way to drain the mineral oil before following the steps in the BMW attachment? Thanks!
Click to expand...

there is no need to "drain" the mineral oil....just remove all of the oil in the reservoir, refill and pump through new mineral oil for a reservoir or two of fluid....

:thumb
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

B
2013 RT clutch issue
Replies
6
Views
1K
gtrider
gtrider
K
Flush/replace brake fluid 2005 R1200ST
Replies
3
Views
1K
drneo66
D
K
08 k1200s clutch bleed
Replies
4
Views
813
20774
20774
B
1971 R/75 issues/Timing help
Replies
4
Views
380
bigvic54
B
B
Integral ABS. System Flushing/Bleeding
Replies
3
Views
2K
pglaves
pglaves
Back
Top