2011 R1200 GS - Engine surges after synchronization with GS-911

Hi,

My bike (with 74,000 km on it) was working fine prior to doing a synchronization with the GS-911 today.

As part of routine maintenance, I thought I would check the synchronization, so I connected the GS-911 using my laptop and I believe I followed the directions as prompted by the GS-911. I used two mercury columns from my mercury four column manometer for the balancer.

Before doing the synchronization I calibrated the exhaust flap successfully.

As it turned out, I actually didn't make any adjustments whatsoever to the bike's two throttle body cables as the differential pressures at idle, and at 1400 - 1800 rpm, were within specification, as per the BMW Repair Manual DVD.

When I finished the calibration procedure, the laptop said the procedure was successful. But in reality it was not successful, because when I finished the procedure the engine is now steadily surging back and forth between about 1500 to 2000 rpm, so the bike is not idling normally, and it is not driveable.

There were no fault codes before I started and there are no fault codes now.

When I attempted the synchronization procedure again, the engine runs normally when the idle actuators are locked during the procedure, but when they are unlocked, at the start of the procedure, and at the end of the procedure, the engine surging starts.

After the problem arose, I did some other things with the GS_911, and the GS-911 says that it successfully performed the idle actuation calibration, as well as the idle actuator test 1 and test 2, as well as the electric fuel pump test, as well as the injector 1 and injector 2 tests.

During the synchronization procedure, I ran the bike at idle, and I also sped the engine up a bit with the twist grip to check the pressure differential between 1400 to 1800 rpm, as per the BMW Repair DVD...would my moving of the twist grip have screwed something up? Is there a way of "re-calibrating the twist grip?

I have started the engine several times since, thinking it might "reset" itself, but the problem is still there.

Can anybody please help me out?

Thank you.

Dave McDougall
2011 R1200GS

Re do the lock/unlock throttle stepper procedure. Be sure to follow the prompts exactly.

I've also read that resetting all adaptation values can sometimes help, but I'm not sure it is a real or placebo effect.

I've tried re-doing the synchronization procedure a couple of times to the very best of my ability, but it hasn't solved the problem. Thanks for the suggestion though.

Dave

Dunno, but...

Check out posts 4-7 here Yes, it is referring to an 1150, like I said, "Dunno, but..."

Funny - a friend from Denver called me with the exact same problem with his 2013 GS about a week ago. Did a sync and had the same surging.

After a lot of going around - he reset the adaptation values using his GS-911 and the problem was solved. Instantly. Not a placebo - for real. Since you have a GS-911 this is the very first thing I'd try. You do have to teach the ECU the gear selector values after doing the reset, but you can do that with a short ride.

Let us know how it works out for you.

BTW - you can teach the ECU the throttle position, only one twist is necessary with the ignition on, but it will also learn it just as well by riding the bike. No need to sacrifice chickens and dance counter-clockwise around the bikes as was done with the R1150's..

Problem Solved!!!

Thanks so much marchyman and Don for suggesting the resetting of the adaptation values. Like your friend in Denver, Don, it solved the problem instantly, for real. Your suggestion certainly saved me a lot of inconvenience and probably $$$...I was going to have to have it towed to the nearest dealer about an hour and a half away, and even though the bike is under warranty, I am not sure what position they would have taken if they said it was my fault. Again, thank you so much. This forum certainly saved my bacon this time. I am not sure that I ever would have tried re-setting the adaptations before I would have resigned myself to towing it to the dealer.

Best regards,

Dave McDougall

It's Magic

Sure enough, after a tune up and setting the synchronization with a GS-911 (anyone know why they named it after a Porsche?) the engine surged very badly at idle. Reran all the tests and synchronization several times, still surged. Then I read this thread and without the chickens or dancing it was instantly cured by resetting the adaptation settings.
Now if I just knew what that actually did ------ ???

Thanks to all who helped.

lmac1129 said:

Sure enough, after a tune up and setting the synchronization with a GS-911 (anyone know why they named it after a Porsche?) the engine surged very badly at idle. Reran all the tests and synchronization several times, still surged. Then I read this thread and without the chickens or dancing it was instantly cured by resetting the adaptation settings.
Now if I just knew what that actually did ------ ???

Thanks to all who helped.

Click to expand...

Welcome to the forum!
Nice that you found help right off the bat
Gary

(anyone know why they named it after a Porsche?)

Click to expand...

I don't think it has anything to do with Porshe.
My understanding is that it was originally created for field diagnostics : R1200GS (GS) emergency (911) = GS-911

We're supposed to dance COUNTER-clockwise??? damm...

It was not named after a Porshe. It was developed in South Africa by some folks who were and knew R1150GS riders who spent a lot of time the the African version of the outback. Thus GS for their motorcycles and 911 for what you dial when you want to call for help.

lmac1129 said:

Sure enough, after a tune up and setting the synchronization with a GS-911 (anyone know why they named it after a Porsche?) the engine surged very badly at idle. Reran all the tests and synchronization several times, still surged. Then I read this thread and without the chickens or dancing it was instantly cured by resetting the adaptation settings.
Now if I just knew what that actually did ------ ???

Thanks to all who helped.

Click to expand...

Ted Porter of the Beemer Shop, US importer of the GS911, explained this at the MOA National Rally last summer. If I understand correctly, the Motronic engine control module constantly monitors the idle, and keeps it synchronized by inserting these adaption values. When you do a manual sync these values are no longer needed.

jkersh1 said:

Ted Porter of the Beemer Shop, US importer of the GS911, explained this at the MOA National Rally last summer. If I understand correctly, the Motronic engine control module constantly monitors the idle, and keeps it synchronized by inserting these adaption values. When you do a manual sync these values are no longer needed.

Click to expand...

Well, almost. At idle the air is set by the stepper motor controlled air-bypass passages (around the throttle plate). The throttle body balance is done above idle since the throttle plates are supposed to be fully closed at idle (free-play in both cables.) The ECU (it's not a Motronic - it's actually by Seimens, no longer Bosch) adjusts the opening of the bypass passages by monitoring speed, temperature, and the way each cylinder fires (it can do the calculations fast enough to adjust the variables - timing, stepper motor setting - within one firing cycle - meaning the next time the cylinder is fired the adjustment is made.. amazing..) It slowly learns the behavior of the engine and sets baselines (adaptations) that it uses to start out with when the engine is cold started. If these are too far off - the system goes into an oscillation mode trying to find what the new settings should be. That's actually a flaw in the engineering. Resetting the adaptations erases all the stored data (and baseline settings) and then defaults the system back to the factory baseline settings - which means the engine will run and idle. It then starts storing information and setting new adaptations.

Anyway - the fix is easy. Probably should do a reset every time valve settings are changed..