just washed bike.. took ride.. bike died after 5 miles. like i pushed the kill switch.. after 5 min.. started bike.. got a mile down road, notice the tach jumping up and down. bike died. if its my HES sensor, can i let the bike dry and and ride to my mechanic to replace HES sensor.. or , since the moisture is in already in sensor am i looking at a Tow?
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1100 RT died on road
- Thread starter RICH7196
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- hes repair hes wiring
PGlaves
#13338
The moisture is likely in the wiring bundle. If you can get to the top of the bundle (4 wires inside an outer sheath) you can spray WD40 down into the bundle which will absorb the water and get you home.
bike sat in dry garage all night.. turned the key and tach is not jumping .. changing a HES sensor is not in my wheel house.. closest mechanic is 60 miles away.. should i have bike towed? or take a gamble and ride it? of course i need to order part etc.
if i ride , it will be on a dry day.. thanks for any input.. fyi: i did a 100 mile ride prior to washing bike with no issues..
if i ride , it will be on a dry day.. thanks for any input.. fyi: i did a 100 mile ride prior to washing bike with no issues..
Some of the "Oilhead pro's" will probably want some history on the bike.
Mileage?
Has the HES ever been changed to your knowledge?
Year?
Model?
Some of the guys are a wizz on these bikes. One of our Members even remanufactures the HES units.
Good luck.
OM
Rich: My '99 did the same thing (repeatedly 5X) 4 of which required a tow. I replaced the HES, fuel pump, hoses, ECU,ignition switch, cleaned all connectors I could find, added another ground. Mine only did it when it was hot ambient temp, or after a short park and hot soak. Forgot , I also replaced the injectors and removed the new ones (and sold) when that was not the issue. Then I wussed out and sold the bike. All the experienced wrenches on this site, along with my dealer, were most helpful and I certainly hope your issue is an easy fix--hang in there as those ARE great bikes.
BTW, my bike was sold with full disclosure and the price reflected that.
m_stock10506
Well-known member
Changing the HES is really not a difficult job. GS Addict on this forum rewires the HES with new correct wire harness. With shipping back and forth (BC Canada) you'll be down for about 3 weeks. Mark the position of the HES where it is now and replace the repaired HES in the same position. Bike will run fine if it was running okay before.
Everything you described is "classic" HES indications. It's the wire harness that degrades from age and heat. It dries, hardens and crumbles to powder. Leaves the HES signal wires exposed and subject to shorting and cross-talk. If it all dried out from the wash, it might drive normally. Maybe.
Tow it
Arranging for a tow in advance is usually much cheaper than an emergency call through the police. And you can shop around for prices. Some dealers will have their own trailers and work with you on price if they are doing the work.
I had to laugh about such an "early" failure, you realize your bike is 18 years old I assume. Time flies.
These old bikes are expensive to own if you don't do your own wrenching. An HES change requires a fair bit of reading up on it before starting anyway. Start there and think about it. It's just nuts and bolts.
Arranging for a tow in advance is usually much cheaper than an emergency call through the police. And you can shop around for prices. Some dealers will have their own trailers and work with you on price if they are doing the work.
I had to laugh about such an "early" failure, you realize your bike is 18 years old I assume. Time flies.
These old bikes are expensive to own if you don't do your own wrenching. An HES change requires a fair bit of reading up on it before starting anyway. Start there and think about it. It's just nuts and bolts.
PGlaves
#13338
The defect is that the insulation on the individual wires in the bundle shrinks, cracks and crumbles. This allows arcing between the individual wires providing false signals for both injection and ignition. Often if dry everything functions but a little moisture inside the bundle creates havoc.
BMW revised the wire used later to avoid the problem but the original wiring simply dies with age and heat cycles.
The fix is to re-wire or replace the assembly. PM GSAddict
BMW revised the wire used later to avoid the problem but the original wiring simply dies with age and heat cycles.
The fix is to re-wire or replace the assembly. PM GSAddict
dieselyoda
Active member
Have you checked the fuses?
dieselyoda
Active member
Pulled every one? Did a continuity test on each?
I don't want to insult you, please, believe me.
Seldom a few days go by and my crew wants to tear a machine apart and when I ask about fuses, grounds, battery voltage, I get the "all good". Sometimes it isn't all good.
But, my gut is leaning towards the HES.
It's a pretty easy job. Have your phone ready, take picture of the steps to get there, mark the relationship of the HES to the front cover. Try to get the new HES close to those marks and see if it runs.
Don't worry about timing and such right now.
jconway607
JohnWC
Mine is a 96 1100 with about the same mileage on it. I read about the problems with the HES sensor and decided to change mine, and I was glad I did. Indeed, the insulation on the wires was crumbling. I was just lucky it hadn't failed already. So I would very much guess yours is in need of that repair. GSaddict rebuilt mine at a very reasonable cost and did great work on it. Highly recommended as opposed to buying a new one. If you read a manual, you will find that changing the HES is not a difficult job. No special tools and it doesn't take long to do.
tangoalpha
Member
Anybody....what year did BMW change the wiring/insulation for the HES? Curious whether or not that's something I'll need to change on my '02 R1150RT.
Similar thing happened to my 2001 R12C three years ago, with similar mileage at 40k +/-. I had just gassed it up in preparation for the next days ride, was about 5 miles from home and it quit at about 50 mph. I coasted to a stop, tried to re-start it, it coughed, fired and ran for a few seconds, a few times, but then wouldn't start at all. My independent bmw mechanic when through it, couldn't find anything else wrong. I ordered the replacement HES and it's run fine since.
m_stock10506
Well-known member
Don't know the year. Likely your 2002 1150 has the old style wiring. This photo illustrates the differences between the old wiring and replacement BMW wiring. I did not produce this photo - another Oilhead contributor created it. You should be able to see the wiring harness and sheath just by removing the right side fairing and finding the harness heading up under the gas tank.
gsaddict
Pepperfool
Attachments
gsaddict
Pepperfool
Old comparison, I updated info on the next post. (#18)
Last edited:
roger 04 rt
New member
Just had gsaddict check mine. It was toast although it looked perfect. A gsaddict replacement has been installed! Kudos to Addict!
