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Broken Ignition Wire

M

m_stock10506

Well-known member
My 2001 R1100RT is very high mileage. The motor died when pulling out from a gas station today and I noticed that the RID went blank except for the clock, just like the ignition was turned off.

Got home. Up on the centerstand, side stand up, I turned on the ignition and moved the bars left and right. When the bars are moved left, maybe half-way between straight and full lock, everything shuts off. RID and all dash lights go off just as though I moved the ignition key to off. I thought that the tight cable ties issue was an 1150 build issue, but sure looks like that's what I have.

With these symptoms, which wire is likely breaking and where should I be looking? All of the sheathing covering the wire bundles is still intact now, so I'm going to have to start cutting cable ties and peeling away the outer sheath.

Thanks.
 
You need to remove one or more of the cable ties. Look for the one that seems to have kinked the cable bundle. Then carefully slit the outer sheath of the cable at least an inch in both directions and try to examine each of the wires for cracking.

If you get the bundle of wires separated then wiggle/flex them individually to ID the one that makes and breaks the contact to turn on the RID.

I don't have a wiring diagram for that bike but a red and a green wire are the ones I have found to be the culprits on my R1150R and F650 Dakar bikes.

HELP: Who has a good wiring diagram to ID the most likely wire here.
 
I like the large color laminated wiring diagrams from Prospero's Garage. I have found these to be accurate with correct color codes for wires.
Alas, I did not see something for the 2001 R1100RT. I did see one for the 2000 R1100RT, maybe I missed the 01 version. Here is the link -
colorwiringdiagrams.com

BMW R1100RT RT 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000

Prospero's Wiring Diagrams presents: 11 x 17, Laminated, Full Color Wiring Diagrams for Motorcycles & Vintage Sports Cars! PROSPERO'S WIRING DIAGRAMS offers the Sports Car Enthusiast the finest color wiring diagrams available. Our diagrams are accurate and easy to use - they are based on Factory...
colorwiringdiagrams.com colorwiringdiagrams.com
 
A couple of the culprits are here; also the schematic from the old Mac-Pac group.
CutTheseTiesR1150R.jpg
 

Attachments

  • R1100RT-Elec-Diagram-V2_2.pdf
    160.5 KB · Views: 6
This got more interesting. I cut several cable ties holding the wire bundle to the frame. None of the wires or the outer sheath showed any cuts. I stripped away the outer sheath as much as I could, exposing the wires inside. I turned the bars to just the point where the ignition would cut off and then manipulated the wires at all points with my fingers. I could get the ignition to go on and off, but could not feel any indication of a depression in the wires, which all had totally intact insulation on them.



It all seemed very misleading and I was reluctant to start cutting wires when I couldn't identify clearly where there was a break. Kept working the bars to try to identify where the problem was. Then when holding all the exposed wires in place and moving the bars, the only spot that was flexing now was the entry point of the wire bundle into the ignition connection at the bottom of the lock - photo below. Trying to manipulate there, it seemed that this was the problem spot. It still didn't seem 100% that there was a break there.



So, I tried spraying DeOxit D5 into the lock from the key entry point and also at the bottom by the connector. Initially that had no effect. However, after a few minutes, I was moving the bars again and the ignition stayed on from right lock to left lock. This is only conjecture right now, but it appears that the DeOxit may have worked itself down to the electrical connections and cleaned away grime or whatever may have been interfering with the ignition. I will give it some time to completely dry off and see if it remains working.
Capture.JPG
 
 
m_stock10506 said:
This got more interesting. I cut several cable ties holding the wire bundle to the frame. None of the wires or the outer sheath showed any cuts. I stripped away the outer sheath as much as I could, exposing the wires inside. I turned the bars to just the point where the ignition would cut off and then manipulated the wires at all points with my fingers. I could get the ignition to go on and off, but could not feel any indication of a depression in the wires, which all had totally intact insulation on them.



It all seemed very misleading and I was reluctant to start cutting wires when I couldn't identify clearly where there was a break. Kept working the bars to try to identify where the problem was. Then when holding all the exposed wires in place and moving the bars, the only spot that was flexing now was the entry point of the wire bundle into the ignition connection at the bottom of the lock - photo below. Trying to manipulate there, it seemed that this was the problem spot. It still didn't seem 100% that there was a break there.



So, I tried spraying DeOxit D5 into the lock from the key entry point and also at the bottom by the connector. Initially that had no effect. However, after a few minutes, I was moving the bars again and the ignition stayed on from right lock to left lock. This is only conjecture right now, but it appears that the DeOxit may have worked itself down to the electrical connections and cleaned away grime or whatever may have been interfering with the ignition. I will give it some time to completely dry off and see if it remains working.
View attachment 100507
Click to expand...
m_stock, your thought process and how you proceeded is excellent, having had to battle (more than once) with intermittent electrical issues myself, I have the greatest respect for those who choose to enter the battle such as you. Nice job ...and I'll buy that spray as well.
 
fbt80 said:
m_stock, your thought process and how you proceeded is excellent, having had to battle (more than once) with intermittent electrical issues myself, I have the greatest respect for those who choose to enter the battle such as you. Nice job ...and I'll buy that spray as well.
Click to expand...
I use that DeoxIT regularly. Good for the use noted above, scratchy volume type controls (potentiometers), and even if you find something that had alkaline battery leakage. It’s a great terminal cleaner/flusher.
OM
 
omega man said:
I use that DeoxIT regularly. Good for the use noted above, scratchy volume type controls (potentiometers), and even if you find something that had alkaline battery leakage. It’s a great terminal cleaner/flusher.
OM
Click to expand...
I got a BBQ starter sparky-thing that drives me crazy. First target that I will use it for. :)
 
fbt80 said:
I got a BBQ starter sparky-thing that drives me crazy. First target that I will use it for. :)
Click to expand...
Never thought of that application. I would be interested in the results.
OM
EDIT- CHECKING THE CAN- EXTREMELY FLAMABLE!
 
Last edited:
omega man said:
I use that DeoxIT regularly. Good for the use noted above, scratchy volume type controls (potentiometers), and even if you find something that had alkaline battery leakage. It’s a great terminal cleaner/flusher.
Click to expand...

Just to add a side note to all the DeoxTI posts. I also have an 84 R100. The turn signal switch on the bars was giving me terrible grief. It wasn't making good contact and the left side wouldn't activate the turn signals and I could hear the relay buzzing instead of it clicking. Tried replacing the relay, no change. What do you use for a flakey electrical switch - Quick Dry electric contact cleaner, of course. Tried that, the turn signals worked perfect for one or two rides and then the switch became incredibly difficult to move, like the inside parts swelled up. Tried the same again, same result. Got DeoxIT and the switch worked and continued to work. QD Contact cleaner is great for connections that don't move. I use it on my 1100RT under tank elec connector and my RT fuel gauge reads full 10 bars for 30+ miles. I spray it any time I have the side fairing off. But for electrical switches that MOVE, DeoxIT is the best.
 
So funny, just after writing you, my driving lights installed maybe 6 months ago decides to flash on an off and completely turn off when turning the bars to the left...cut the zip ties holding the wiring and now have one light flickering and the other dead...I think my spray comes this week. I'll pull it all apart and connect one light at a time and check fuses first....Denali.
 
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