'04 r1150r stopped running, will not start

[babyz]

I have an r1150r that stopped running last fall and I still have not been able to get it to start.
Story/info:
-14,000 miles on it, i decided to try to do the 12,000 mile service myself and purchased the kit
-adjusted the valves, changed the main plugs and air filter
-did not finish the rest of the service and put an additional 500+ miles on it, running great. and one day last Nov. it just stopped running, like it was out of gas.
-fuel pump seems to be working, when i disconnect the lines gas is pumping out
-I seems to have spark, but it appears a bit weak (local BMW shop says it should be fat blue etc..)
-battery is charged
-all fuses seem to be good
-all lights and dash lights come on as normal

in the interim I broke off one of the male quick disconnect connectors and only got around to replacing it today. installed connecter and put fresh gas in it.
nothing. not even a hint of ignition. any suggestions before i have to suck it up and bring it in? mechanic at dealer suggested "hall sensor" but bike has 14,000 miles on it, almost all highway miles. my thoughts are:
-re- check the valves
-replace bottom spark plugs
-check injectors (how do you do that?)

any suggestions and thoughts are much appreciated. thanks.

[bikermeow]

I would rule out valves.

Do you have lights on your panel? Or your headlight comes on when the ignition is on?

Does your fuel pump power?

What is the voltage on the battery? Tested the horn?

Is your kill switch on off?

Cheers

[babyz]

-all lights coming on
-starter turns over
-fuel pump is coming on (i can hear it)
-i have spark (but seems weak)

i will check kill switch, and test horn and voltage on battery

[TicTac50]

-all lights coming on
-starter turns over
-fuel pump is coming on (i can hear it)
-i have spark (but seems weak)

i will check kill switch, and test horn and voltage on battery

How about checking the side stand...

[AirForceDirt]

-fuel pump is coming on (i can hear it)

How about checking the side stand...

The fuel pump doesn't come on if the sidestand is down (if the bike is in gear).

If the sidestand switch is stuck, he wouldn't be able to make anything respond..no starter turning over, no fuel pump, nothing. The lights would come on, but that's it.

[AndyRR]

If the sidestand switch is stuck, he wouldn't be able to make anything respond..no starter turning over, no fuel pump, nothing. The lights would come on, but that's it.

The starter will definately turn over with the sidestand down. I do this all the time after I gas up.

I just walked out and listened for when the fuel pump turns on.
Bike in gear, sidestand down.
Key on. Wait a few seconds for ABS to shut up (if you have it)
When you flip the sidestand up, you will hear the fuel pump turning on - it only runs for about 1-2 seconds.

Seems like a decent, quick check of the sidestand switch.

The "weak" spark might be subjective. It is not as well grounded with you holding it against the engine as it would be when it's in place.

[rdsmith3]

Did you dislodge a throttle cable when you did the service? (Did your service include synchronizing the throttle bodies?)

[babyz]

ok. it fired up but running really rough and one cylinder keeps cutting out. Fresh gas. it keeps dying. ??? had a lot of steam coming out (it sat all winter and hasn't run in 6 months)
-valves?
-plugs?
-hall sensor? (as suggested by local BMW mechanic)

really want to find out myself what's wrong before deciding to bring it in.

what y'all think?
bz

[R1150Rclean]

ok. it fired up but running really rough and one cylinder keeps cutting out. Fresh gas. it keeps dying. ??? had a lot of steam coming out (it sat all winter and hasn't run in 6 months)
-valves?
-plugs?
-hall sensor? (as suggested by local BMW mechanic)

really want to find out myself what's wrong before deciding to bring it in.

what y'all think?
bz

Pull the injector out of bad cylinder and see is fuel is coming out of it in normal spray pattern. Check throttle body cables to make sure they are seated, reset idle screws to make sure they are close (1 1/4 turns out) and then syn TBs.

Steam = water in fuel, water may be sitting at bottom of tank, throw in some dry gas-a whole bottle maybe.

[babyz]

i'm thinking bad gas too. why?
last week i dumped all the gas out the tank into a gas can. i took that gas and put it into my /5 . rode that bike a while and wouldn't start last sunday , after checking the float bowls there was water in the gas. I dumped that gas into a jug and ....lot's of water. i bet there is water in those Fuel injectors. bike ran GREAT before it stopped running last fall. thanks for input!
bz

[babyz]

Running! water in tank for sure. still a bit wonkey at atart up and at idle. any suggestions on fuel additive to neutralize any water remaining in tank?
bz

[WorkinMan]

Seafoam to remove the water, unless it's quite alot, then drain it again and start over.
My question is...
I'm trying to figure out what a "hall sensor" is. I'm new to BMW's, but have owned ALOT of bikes and none of them has ever had anything I knew as a hall sensor.

[Sunbeemer]

Several members of the forum have in the past recommended something I think is called "HEET", but probably any "Dri-Gas" type product containing alcohol will absorb the remaining water in the tank. It may take more than one treatment (tankful) to get rid of all of it. Seafoam is great at cleaning injectors and fuel systems, but I don'tthink it's specifically formulated to get water out of gas tanks.

Hall Effect Sensors (HES) are two solid state pickups mounted on a plate behind the crankshaft pulley (for the alternator belt) that control the ignition timing by sensing a slot in the back side of the pulley. If you look carefully under that pulley you can see that the plate has three slotted holes that allow it to be rotated very slightly to advance or retard the timing (after the screws holding it are loosened). There is a shielded cable that runs from it up under the alternator where it plugs into a harness that feeds the Motronic computer timing information to fire both plugs at 180 deg crankshaft intervals in the waste spark system. There have been reported failures of the insulation of the 4 wires in this cable leading to sudden ignition failure, especially during rainstorms, which is sometimes accompanied by a wildly fluctuating tachometer (since the timimg signal is corrupted). The HES can be tested using a method published by Dana Hager. If you're interested, here it is: http://users.rcn.com/dehager/service/oi ... ensors.pdf

[babyz]

thanks everyone. feels good to be on this bike again!

[WorkinMan]

Several members of the forum have in the past recommended something I think is called "HEET", but probably any "Dri-Gas" type product containing alcohol will absorb the remaining water in the tank. It may take more than one treatment (tankful) to get rid of all of it. Seafoam is great at cleaning injectors and fuel systems, but I don'tthink it's specifically formulated to get water out of gas tanks.

Hall Effect Sensors (HES) are two solid state pickups mounted on a plate behind the crankshaft pulley (for the alternator belt) that control the ignition timing by sensing a slot in the back side of the pulley. If you look carefully under that pulley you can see that the plate has three slotted holes that allow it to be rotated very slightly to advance or retard the timing (after the screws holding it are loosened). There is a shielded cable that runs from it up under the alternator where it plugs into a harness that feeds the Motronic computer timing information to fire both plugs at 180 deg crankshaft intervals in the waste spark system. There have been reported failures of the insulation of the 4 wires in this cable leading to sudden ignition failure, especially during rainstorms, which is sometimes accompanied by a wildly fluctuating tachometer (since the timimg signal is corrupted). The HES can be tested using a method published by Dana Hager. If you're interested, here it is: http://users.rcn.com/dehager/service/oi ... ensors.pdf

I think, but am not sure, that Seaform is also a drygas. I know it claims to be a fuel stabilizer for up to two years, and I believe it's a drygas. I've been wrong before.
(I've been using it as drygas in my lawn tractor, so maybe I should check that fact before I dump it in there)

As for the HES, I'll have to do some reading up on that. Never heard of that before.

Thanks for the info.
Chris

[rdsmith3]

If it really is bad gas or water in the tank, give some serious thought to completely draining the tank and replacing the fuel filter.

[chibbert]

isoHEET works great

[towerworker]

Kinda hard to completely drain the tank. Two methods I know of.........pick up bike and turn it upside down and shake vigorously. If that is not an option then remove the tank and do the same.

Good luck!!