'97 r1100rt

m_stock10506 said:

Put the bike up on the center stand, and raise the side stand. Make sure the "kill switch" is centered in the run position. Get your head near the gas tank and turn the key to the ON position. You should hear a whirring or soft rumbling sound coming from the gas tank. It should last for about a second, then stops. With the key in the ON position your RID (rider info display) on the right side of the dash should be displaying the time, gear indicator and fuel level. If you have gear indicator and fuel on the RID, you should be able to turn the ignition key off and on and each time you turn it on the fuel pump should cycle for a second. If you don't hear anything from the tank, that' s a problem. Report back.

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After doing what you suggested, NOTHIN'. I know what your talking about because the two times I had it running I remember the distinctive whirring. How long before the gas in the tank becomes crap? It's been in
there since April (that's when I got it). Who knows how long before that (7 years??). I added another gallon of premium last week. Thanks, Wayne.

Well now, you have narrowed it down to the fuel pump not running.

Go back to your fuses. Actually pull them out and look at them. Put them back in them check to make sure you have power at both sides of the fuse.

If your RID says you have some fuel in it, it's not likely that the fuel pump connector isn't connected.

Bad fuel doesn't make a fuel pump not run. It will pump beer.

Your next step is a wiring diagram and a volt/ohm meter.

In addition to the fuses. Make sure to check the fuel pump relay - relay # 6. Easiest way is to swap relay 5 - the Horn relay - with relay 6, fuel pump relay.

roncooper said:

Search youtube for Chris Harris. He has a r1150 no start video that might help. Be forewarned-he uses "salty" language.

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Thanks Ron, I found his videos a couple of weeks ago and have been watching them.

m_stock10506 said:

In addition to the fuses. Make sure to check the fuel pump relay - relay # 6. Easiest way is to swap relay 5 - the Horn relay - with relay 6, fuel pump relay.

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I bought several new relays. All have the same numbers on them. Thanks, Wayne.

If you are going to guess and throw parts at it until it runs, I'm out.

If I did that or do that with my guys, today's problem would have hit the $15K mark at 9:00 AM and it still wouldn't run. I burned $700.00 of labour cost and found a connector that came loose. They were pissed at me that I told them to pull the stump pans and get dirty, but, they did. If I was wrong, it would have cost my company $15,700 and downtime that would have exceeded $60K waiting for the part.

Imagine my boss asking me why we spent $15k and lost $60K in downtime because I didn't do the simple things first?

noobus1100 said:

I bought several new relays. All have the same numbers on them. Thanks, Wayne.

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Wayne,
If you start replacing parts without making some additional measurements, it may become harder to find your problem.

By confirming that your RID shows fuel level when you turn the key on, we've confirmed that your key switch, kill switch and side stand switch are working. Now we need you to make some measurements with a dvm so we can determine why the fuel pump isn't running, which requires that several devices operate: Fuse 5, Fuse 6, the Motronic relay, the fuel pump relay, the fuel pump connector, the fuel pump, and the Motronic ECU.

It would help if you made some basic measurements with a DVM. In the debugging process you can start with the pump and work backward or at the battery and work forward. I suggest that you get a DVM, remove the connector from one of the fuel injectors, and measure the voltage at its green/white wire. When you turn the key on, the voltage should go from zero to ~12V for a second or two.

From that one piece of data we can point you toward the fuel tank or toward the electrical box.

dieselyoda said:

If you are going to guess and throw parts at it until it runs, I'm out.

If I did that or do that with my guys, today's problem would have hit the $15K mark at 9:00 AM and it still wouldn't run. I burned $700.00 of labour cost and found a connector that came loose. They were pissed at me that I told them to pull the stump pans and get dirty, but, they did. If I was wrong, it would have cost my company $15,700 and downtime that would have exceeded $60K waiting for the part.

Imagine my boss asking me why we spent $15k and lost $60K in downtime because I didn't do the simple things first?

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Master Yoda, I have the utmost confidence in your diagnosis. I'm listening to you! I bought new relays probably two months ago when I read someone else's helpline to the previous owner. He said to switch the load shed and horn relays, which worked, but it DIDN'T SOLVE THE PROBLEM. Wouldn't the relay still be toast, no matter where it was?

roger 04 rt said:

Wayne,
If you start replacing parts without making some additional measurements, it may become harder to find your problem.

By confirming that your RID shows fuel level when you turn the key on, we've confirmed that your key switch, kill switch and side stand switch are working. Now we need you to make some measurements with a dvm so we can determine why the fuel pump isn't running, which requires that several devices operate: Fuse 5, Fuse 6, the Motronic relay, the fuel pump relay, the fuel pump connector, the fuel pump, and the Motronic ECU.

It would help if you made some basic measurements with a DVM. In the debugging process you can start with the pump and work backward or at the battery and work forward. I suggest that you get a DVM, remove the connector from one of the fuel injectors, and measure the voltage at its green/white wire. When you turn the key on, the voltage should go from zero to ~12V for a second or two.

From that one piece of data we can point you toward the fuel tank or toward the electrical box.

Click to expand...

I'm not replacing parts Roger getting volt meter today. Thanks.

dieselyoda said:

Well now, you have narrowed it down to the fuel pump not running.

Go back to your fuses. Actually pull them out and look at them. Put them back in them check to make sure you have power at both sides of the fuse.

If your RID says you have some fuel in it, it's not likely that the fuel pump connector isn't connected.

Bad fuel doesn't make a fuel pump not run. It will pump beer.

Your next step is a wiring diagram and a volt/ohm meter.

Click to expand...

I'm getting voltmeter today

roger 04 rt said:

Wayne,
If you start replacing parts without making some additional measurements, it may become harder to find your problem.

By confirming that your RID shows fuel level when you turn the key on, we've confirmed that your key switch, kill switch and side stand switch are working. Now we need you to make some measurements with a dvm so we can determine why the fuel pump isn't running, which requires that several devices operate: Fuse 5, Fuse 6, the Motronic relay, the fuel pump relay, the fuel pump connector, the fuel pump, and the Motronic ECU.

It would help if you made some basic measurements with a DVM. In the debugging process you can start with the pump and work backward or at the battery and work forward. I suggest that you get a DVM, remove the connector from one of the fuel injectors, and measure the voltage at its green/white wire. When you turn the key on, the voltage should go from zero to ~12V for a second or two.

From that one piece of data we can point you toward the fuel tank or toward the electrical box.

Click to expand...

I bought the relays way back in the beginning. After I read an old thread. Someone suggested to "Dick" [his name really is Richard]. I'm pretty sure, swapping relays doesn't fix the problem. Exchanging load shed and horn relays may enable the lsr,but then you wouldn't have a horn. Am I correct? I wanted all the relays to function and not lose anything.

noobus1100 - Swapping relays is just a diagnostic technique, not a permanent repair. I haven't had to do it on a bike yet, but if the relays are the same and you swap them, you have the possibility of the failure following the relay to the new function and the original problem being "fixed." I did just that on the air conditioning on my van last year and was able to solve it quickly without fighting my way to the plug on the back of the compressor. In this case, if you swap the relays and the bike still doesn't start, but the horn still works, it probably isn't the relay.

Are you in Ohio? If so, how close to North Ridgeville (44039)?

Is this the thread you thought you lost to the Cosmos? Are you still having the issues you mentioned in that post as well?
https://forums.bmwmoa.org/showthread.php?89839-97-r1100rt

As for older topics which may be about your bike,
https://forums.bmwmoa.org/showthread.php?10107-Reno-To-Columbus-Ohio-2006
https://forums.bmwmoa.org/showthread.php?47341-98-R1100RT-Electric-issues
https://forums.bmwmoa.org/showthread.php?47781-97-1100-RT-Relay-or-Kill-switch

You mention the fuses being good, but did you actually check them or just look at them? I don't really trust the exposed wire ones that originally came on the bike. One intermittent failure caused by a wire broken at the crimp was enough for me to just start swapping them out with new over-molded fuses from the auto parts store before I do anything else. Thanks again, dieselyoda.

roger 04 rt said:

Wayne,
If you start replacing parts without making some additional measurements, it may become harder to find your problem.

By confirming that your RID shows fuel level when you turn the key on, we've confirmed that your key switch, kill switch and side stand switch are working. Now we need you to make some measurements with a dvm so we can determine why the fuel pump isn't running, which requires that several devices operate: Fuse 5, Fuse 6, the Motronic relay, the fuel pump relay, the fuel pump connector, the fuel pump, and the Motronic ECU.

It would help if you made some basic measurements with a DVM. In the debugging process you can start with the pump and work backward or at the battery and work forward. I suggest that you get a DVM, remove the connector from one of the fuel injectors, and measure the voltage at its green/white wire. When you turn the key on, the voltage should go from zero to ~12V for a second or two.

From that one piece of data we can point you toward the fuel tank or toward the electrical box.

Click to expand...

Good morning, I got a voltmeter and did what you said. Pulled the injector on the right side, 0. Tried the other side, just for ****s and giggles, 0. Now what?

noobus1100 said:

Good morning, I got a voltmeter and did what you said. Pulled the injector on the right side, 0. Tried the other side, just for ****s and giggles, 0. Now what?

Click to expand...

just to confirm, you had the meter turned on to DC Voltage with the positive lead from the meter connected to the green / white wire and the negative lead from the meter attached to the battery negative post or a good frame ground location, right? You then should have turned the key to the on position, making sure the RID turned on and simultaneously watching for a brief voltage at the injector.