2007 BMW R1200 GS Fuel/propulsion System Problems

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 BMW R1200 GS MOTORCYCLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FUEL STRIP FRACTURED AND HAD TO BE REPLACED MORE THAN THREE TIMES BY MORTON'S BMW MOTORCYCLES (540-891-9844, LOCATED AT 5099A JEFFERSON DAVIS HIGHWAY, FREDERICKSBURG, VIRGINIA 22408). THE DEALER STATED THAT THEY WOULD REPLACE THE FUEL STRIP PER SERVICE INFORMATION BULLETIN: 1600214(17) REGARDING THE FUEL STRIP BMW EXTENDED WARRANTY CAMPAIGN. THE MOTORCYCLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 13V617000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE) AND TWO TSBS WERE ISSUED BY THE MANUFACTURER FOR THE FUEL SYSTEM. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED. THE VIN AND FAILURE MILEAGE WERE NOT AVAILABLE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 BMW R1200 GS MOTORCYCLE. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS AT A STOP SIGN, THERE WAS AN ODOR OF FUEL AROUND THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT LOOKED DOWN AND NOTICED FUEL ON HIS LEG, WHICH DRIPPED DOWN THE LEFT SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THERE WAS A CROCK FLANGE ON THE FUEL PUMP THAT NEEDED TO BE REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 8,000.

Mileage: 8,000

FUEL PRESSURE CONTROL MODULE FAILED WITHOUT WARNING LEAVING ME STRANDED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROADWAY.

Mileage: 44,738

THE FUEL PUMP FLANGE ON THE HIGH-PRESSURE SIDE IS CRACKING AND LEAKING FUEL DUE TO A POOR DESIGN. PIPE-THREAD DESIGN IS CONTRIBUTING TO RADIAL CRACKS IN THE FLANGE CAUSING FUEL LEAKS. MACHINE THREADS WITH AN O-RING WOULD HAVE BEEN THE PROPER DESIGN. BMW HAS ADDRESSED THE PROBLEM IN LATER MODELS BY REINFORCING THE FLANGE WITH A METAL RING. THIS PROBLEM SHOULD BE ADDRESSED BY BMW. IT IS A POOR DESIGN UNDOUBTEDLY DRIVEN BY "VALUE ENGINEERING" CONCERNS RATHER THAN DEPENDABILITY OF A CRITICAL SYSTEM. *TR

Mileage: 14,005

FUEL STARTED LEAKING ON HOT EXHAUST WHILE RIDING ON THE FREEWAY. FURTHER INSPECTION REVEALED FUEL LEAKING FROM THE FUEL PUMP AREA. GAS APPEARS TO LEAK CONTINUOUSLY AND SPRAYS ON PANTS LEG. *TR

Mileage: 19,250

FUEL PUMP FLANGE ON TOP OF PUMP CRACKED AND GAS SPRAYED OUT AND RAN DOWN ON TO THE HOT EXHAUST PIPE. *TR

Mileage: 15,125

THE FUEL PUMP OUTLET QUICK CONNECTOR CRACKED, CAUSING GASOLINE TO LEAK OUT AND SPILL ALL OVER THE MOTORCYCLE CREATING A FIRE HAZARD AND POTENTIAL BRAKE FAILURE. ALSO THE GASOLINE SOAKED MY PANTS LEG CREATING ANOTHER FIRE HAZARD AND SKIN RASH. *TR

Mileage: 22,715

THE FUEL PUMP CASING/FLANGE IS CRACKED AND IS LEAKING FUEL. I THINK IT HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR A WHILE LONGER BUT I PREVIOUSLY DISCOUNTED THE GAS SMELL. *TR

Mileage: 49,985

THE PLASTIC FUEL PUMP FLANGE (PLATE THAT SEALS THE TOP OF THE FUEL TANK AND IS THE CONNECTIONS FOR THE FUEL PUMP) HAS DEVELOPED CRACKS IN THE "BOSS" FITTING FOR THE QUICK DISCONNECT HOSE FITTINGS. AFTER APPLYING A FIX FOR THIS, I'VE NOTICED WHAT APPEARS TO BE A HAIRLINE CRACK IN THE PLASTIC PLATE ITSELF, JUST BELOW THE METAL SCREW CAP RING. GAS WEEPS FROM THIS CRACK FAST ENOUGH TO FILL THE RECESS OF THE FUEL PUMP LID AND BEGINS DRIPPING DOWN THE INBOARD SIDE OF THE GAS TANK ONTO THE CYLINDER HEAD AND EXHAUST. FAILURE OF THE PARTS OF THE FUEL SYSTEM RESULTING IN LEAKS SHOULD BE ADDRESSED AS BOTH A POTENTIAL FIRE ISSUE, AS WELL AS A VERY SPECIFIC FUEL SPILLAGE/ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUE. *TR

Mileage: 44,485

NOTICED THE SMELL OF GASOLINE WHILE RIDING. TOOK THE MOTORCYCLE THE BMW DEALERSHIP THE NEXT DAY AND THEY FOUND CRACKING IN THE TOP FLANGE OF THE FUEL PUMP ASSEMBLY. THE MOTORCYCLE ONLY HAS 12000 MILES ON IT. AFTER SEARCHING THE INTERNET I FOUND THIS PROBLEM IS NOT UNCOMMON ON THIS MODEL. I BELIEVE THIS COULD BE A FIRE HAZARD WHICH COULD RESULT IN SEVERE INJURY OR DAMAGE. *TR

Mileage: 12,000

FUEL GAUGE/FUEL STRIP STOPPED WORKING PROPERLY. IT STARTED SHOWING A FULL TANK EVEN WHEN THE TANK WAS ALMOST EMPTY. SOMETIMES WILL SHOW AN EMPTY TANK WITH THE "LOW FUEL LIGHT" LIGHTING UP RANDOMLY, SOMETIMES EVEN WITH THE TANK FULL. THE FUEL GAUGE IS UNRELIABLE AND A CONSTANT DISTRACTION WHILE RIDING, A FAIRLY POSSIBLE HAZARDOUS ISSUE. THE FUEL GAUGE CANNOT BE DISCONNECTED, IT WILL MESS UP WITH THE ON BOARD COMPUTER. MULTIPLE BMW R1200GS OWNERS REPORTED VERBALLY AND IN WRITING THE SAME ISSUE WITH THE FUEL GAUGE FAILING EVEN IF REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY. THE BMW DEALERS AND CORPORATE REPRESENTATIVES ARE NOT COVERING THE FAULTY PART AFTER THE WARRANTY EXPIRES. PLEASE ADVISE. *TR

Mileage: 14,000

AS I WAS RIDING THE FUEL GAUGE WENT FROM SHOWING FULL TO SHOWING EMPTY IN LESS THAN 10 MILES. THE FUEL GAUGE CONTINUED TO SHOW THAT THE GAS TANK WAS EMPTY EVEN AFTER SUBSEQUENT FILL UPS. BMW REFUSED TO FIX THE FAULTY GAUGE OR FUEL STRIP AS MY BIKE WAS 38 MONTHS OLD EVEN THOUGH THIS IS A KNOW PROBLEM WITH BMW MOTORCYCLES. THIS PROBLEM I FEEL IS A SAFETY HAZARD AS IT MAY CAUSE THE BIKE TO RUN OUT OF GAS WITHOUT ANY WARNING. *TR

Mileage: 31,400

AFTER SMELLING GASOLINE WHILE VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN MY GARAGE, I REMOVED THE OUTER BODY PARTS AND DISCOVERED THAT THE FLANGE WHERE THE HIGH PRESSURE FUEL LINE IS ATTACHED TO THE FUEL TANK HAS SEVERAL CRACKS RADIATING OUT FROM WHERE THE FITTING IS SCREWED INTO THE FLANGE. GASOLINE HAD BEEN LEAKING OUT AND ACCUMULATING ON THE FLANGE. FUEL COULD HAVE LEAKED ONTO THE EXHAUST WHILE RIDING, RESULTING IN A POSSIBLE FIRE. APPARENTLY, THIS PROBLEM IS KNOWN BY BMW, AS IT REPORTED ON SEVERAL WEBSITES. *TR

Mileage: 28,055

I HAVE DETECTED THE SMELL OF RAW GAS COMING FROM THE DRIVER'S SIDE OF MY MOTORCYCLE. I REMOVED THE SIDE COVER AND TANK SHROUD TO DISCOVER THAT THE PLASTIC FLANGE THAT CONNECTS THE FUEL PUMP TO THE FUEL LINE HAS CRACKED AND IS LEAKING A FINE MIST OF FUEL OUT INTO THE ATMOSPHERE AND AT WORST CASE ONTO THE LEFT CYLINDER OF THE MOTORCYCLE. IT SEEMS THAT THIS IS A PROBLEM PREVALENT TO THESE MOTORCYCLES AND COULD CAUSE THE VEHICLE TO BURST INTO FLAMES IF LEFT UNATTENDED. *TR

Mileage: 34,455

FAILURE FOUND DURING SCHEDULED SERVICE WORK. FAILURE OF THE FUEL PUMP HOUSING HIGH-PRESSURE FUEL QUICK DISCONNECT REINFORCEMENT FLANGE CRACKS UNDER HIGH PRESSURE.WITH RISK OF LEAKING FUEL, IS EXHAUSTED ON THE RIDERS LEFT LEG, CREATING SIGNIFICANT RISK FOR THE RIDER EVEN AFTER DISMOUNTING THE VEHICLE. CONSEQUENCES OF FAILURE THE COMBINATION OF HIGH FUEL PRESSURE AND NEGLIGENT DESIGN CREATE SUBSTANTIAL RISK FOR RIDERS OF THE IMPACTED VEHICLES. THERE ARE MULTIPLE NEGATIVE CONSEQUENCES OF THIS FAILURE.1. RIDERS BECOME FUEL SOAKED AS FUEL LEAKS ON TO THE RIDERS LEFT LEG. 2. FUEL VAPORS, HEATED BY THE EXHAUST PIPE BECOME EXTREMELY VOLATILE AND COULD LEAD TO A FIRE AND/OR EXPLOSION. 3. FUEL VAPORS RISING FROM THE FAIRING AND EXITING THE TOP OF THE FAIRING BETWEEN THE INSTRUMENT PANEL AND FUEL TANK, ARE BLOWN BY AIRFLOW INTO THE RIDERS FACE. THE CARCINOGENIC ASPECTS OF FUEL INHALATION ARE DOCUMENTED. PRELIMINARY ANALYSIS EXAMINATION OF THE FUEL PUMP ASSEMBLY SUGGESTS THAT THE HIGH-PRESSURE FUEL QUICK DISCONNECT REINFORCEMENT FLANGE WAS INADEQUATELY DESIGNED FOR THE FUEL PUMP OUTLET PRESSURES. BMW'S CHOICE OF A NON-METALLIC (COMPOSITE) PUMP HOUSING COMBINED WITH A COMPOSITE HIGH-PRESSURE DISCONNECT FITTING WAS UNWISE AND THE FAILURE MECHANISM IS OBVIOUS. HIGH PUMP PRESSURE EXPANDS THE COMPOSITE HIGH-PRESSURE FITTING CAUSING IT TO READILY LOAD THE FUEL PUMP HIGH-PRESSURE QUICK DISCONNECT FLANGE. OVER TIME, PRESSURE CYCLING CAUSES THE QUICK DISCONNECT REINFORCEMENT FLANGE TO CRACK ALLOWING FUEL TO LEAK. *TT

Mileage: 39,500