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Jimv73

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Airhead for decades with a short time on a Oilhead in early 2003, back to air and now on a 2004 R1150RT that I purchased late last year w/32,xxx miles on it and rode it as is—no issues. This spring, did a semi tune up by adjusting valves, new plugs, new battery, filters and changed fluids about 2,000 miles ago and it has been running great, so I didn't bother with a new fuel filter or throttle body sync since it was running so well. Last week, it developed a rough idle out of nowhere and not all the time. Thought maybe a bad tank of fuel so ran it down and refilled and still at times running rough. So I pulled the BBS's yesterday and they were very dirty with the right side having about a 1/16” of black material spike sticking up and thinking, this is it! Cleaned them up and reinstalled to the same position they were removed and riding in this am seemed much better, but then I went out for lunch ride and it's now running worse to the point where I have to blip the throttle a couple of times to get rpm up on take off or it will stall. Been rather hot here in NEOhio recently and sure that's not it. Once its running at speed, it has plenty of power with zero hesitation, just idles poorly and getting worse at times. Feels like its not getting fuel.......... Any thoughts would be appreciated

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Airhead for decades with a short time on a Oilhead in early 2003, back to air and now on a 2004 R1150RT that I purchased late last year w/32,xxx miles on it and rode it as is—no issues. This spring, did a semi tune up by adjusting valves, new plugs, new battery, filters and changed fluids about 2,000 miles ago and it has been running great, so I didn't bother with a new fuel filter or throttle body sync since it was running so well. Last week, it developed a rough idle out of nowhere and not all the time. Thought maybe a bad tank of fuel so ran it down and refilled and still at times running rough. So I pulled the BBS's yesterday and they were very dirty with the right side having about a 1/16” of black material spike sticking up and thinking, this is it! Cleaned them up and reinstalled to the same position they were removed and riding in this am seemed much better, but then I went out for lunch ride and it's now running worse to the point where I have to blip the throttle a couple of times to get rpm up on take off or it will stall. Been rather hot here in NEOhio recently and sure that's not it. Once its running at speed, it has plenty of power with zero hesitation, just idles poorly and getting worse at times. Feels like its not getting fuel.......... Any thoughts would be appreciated

 

Eyeing Jim

 

Probably not your fuel filter as that effects higher speeds & passing well before it could ever effect the idle.

 

My guess (with the limited info you have furnished) is either your lower spark plug, or plugs, are fouled, or you have an upper stick coil acting up, or your o2 sensor is sending some strange info back to the Motronic (that can happen if the o2 sensor pig tail harness is routed too close or along the R/H lower spark plug wire). So make sure that the lower spark plugs are not fouled & verify the o2 sensor pig tail has been re-routed away form the R/H lower spark plug wire.

 

When you cleaned the BBS screw tips did you also clean out the small air passages under them? As a rule when the screw tips get all gunked up then the air passages under them also get pretty well gunked up. To clean them-- just remove the BBS screws, then remove the hoses (or rubber caps) from the bottom of the throttle bodies, then put some drain hoses on those throttle body lower fittings (to divert the gunk & cleaning fluid away from the motorcycle lower frame area), then spray some o2 sensor & catalytic converter safe carburetor cleaner into the BBS screw holes.

 

You might want to read this thread as it is on an 04 with a somewhat similar problem (was fouled lower spark plugs as the main problem).

 

http://bmwsporttouring.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=1015096#Post1015096

 

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So finally got around to working on this. 02 sensor is routed on its own and not close to lower plug wire. I removed all the plugs and they looked fine. I did pull the upper stick coils and tried to see if resistance was off or open and didn't find anything. So then pulled the BBS's and found the seats were really bad and did spray and Qtip them clean thinking this was it. Fired it up and ran it for 20 mins with no issues so the seats had to be it----WRONG, coming into work this morning and when I exited the highway, rough idle is back. Same as before, sitting there it will be rough, smooth out and stumble and smooth out........... So I guess 2 new stick coils are in my future? Thanks for the input all. BTW, what is the "normal" engine oil usage per 1,000 miles?

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So finally got around to working on this. 02 sensor is routed on its own and not close to lower plug wire. I removed all the plugs and they looked fine. I did pull the upper stick coils and tried to see if resistance was off or open and didn't find anything. So then pulled the BBS's and found the seats were really bad and did spray and Qtip them clean thinking this was it. Fired it up and ran it for 20 mins with no issues so the seats had to be it----WRONG, coming into work this morning and when I exited the highway, rough idle is back. Same as before, sitting there it will be rough, smooth out and stumble and smooth out........... So I guess 2 new stick coils are in my future? Thanks for the input all. BTW, what is the "normal" engine oil usage per 1,000 miles?

 

Morning Jim

 

It is about impossible to get any usable resistance measurements on the BMW stick coils as the secondary doesn't return directly to the primary. Even if you could the usual failure mode is arcing internally to the RFI shield & that wouldn't show in a resistance measurement.

 

Before totally condemning the stick coils you might try riding with the o2 sensor disconnected just to eliminate that as the poor idle cause.

 

As for NORMAL oil usage, there is no normal-- desired is none, but that seldom happens. Oil usage depends on number of cold starts, riding style (or lack there of), RPM's run at, type & viscosity of oil used, how it is checked, how engine was originally broken in, lots of variables. If you can go an entire oil change period without adding any oil then you have a good one.

 

Biggest mistake most new 1100/1150 BMW boxer riders make is being too anal on oil checking. Like adding 3 or 4 ounces every time they see it slightly low.

 

A good rule of thumb on the 1100/1150 boxer is to not add any oil until seeing it significantly it low for 3 consecutive readings. If oil is added every time it looks a little low it will probably end up overfilled.

 

BMW boxer engine is good at hiding oil at times so they can look low one time but check OK the next time.

 

 

 

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Didn't splurge and opt for both stick coils, but did replace the right one and that was it, problem solved. And thanks on checking the oil level. I was checking often and found it was down twice in a row and thought what the heck and added--now its over.

 

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Yes, stick coils are often the culprit causing bad running, provided the throttle cable ferrules are correctly re-seated after fiddling with the injectors, etc.

 

I established the cause of my bad running 2 months ago as an iffy coil by imposing on the tecnico to surreptitiously swap out my suspect item ( a continuous rusty line down the length of it ) for one from a new-ish R1200GS-A that happened to be in the garage awaiting service. Cheaper than buying new on spec.

 

Eventually I invested 220 snoojits in 2 new Beru coils with the stainless tubes to better resist condensation-caused corrosion. Bike sings now.

 

Incidentally, why are most non-affiliate bike workshops all bunged up with dozens of bikes awaiting service ?

 

I counted no less than sixty-five various bikes in residence the other day, ranging from four of those awful ATV four-wheelers, to a dismantled late-model 6-cyl Wing that to my knowledge has been tucked away in a remote corner for the past twelve-month, plus a PC-800 classic minus Tupperware, a beautifully-cared-for K75RT, two R1200R bikes and many others, including several battered kiddie-type 50cc scramblers that were minus wheels, pistons, gearboxes, etc. When challenged, and asked why he didn't charge monthly parking fees for this mountain of bikes, José just laughed. More fool him, I say...

Edited by Alan Sykes
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