Faulty switches - water ingress

swissrob said:
never use wd40 on switchgear that has rubber protective caps - it wil destroy the rubber resulting in the faults described above
Click to expand...


Been using WD40 on mine for 5 years and they still work (kiss of death I know:blast)
 
Anyone know a supplier for RTV liquid silicone rubber? It would be easy to make new rubber seals from such material.
 
oil

hi all
just read this thread ,whaaaaaa i have used oil and wd40 together,drop of oil then a quick squirt of wd ,whaaaa , yes the oil rots rubber, so out came the muc off for ten minutes and then the hose ,fingers crossed eh ....
how about silicone oil , that does not rot rubber ????????....:augie
after using jap bikes daily though 6 winters never had a problem with oil and wd ever , but then again the switchgear seizes on them if you don't use something to keep the water ingress out ... .did use ac 50 on my old 1150 adv and the starter stuck on ,i thought it was the sticky ac 50 ,did use wd and never had a problem with it again . with the rotting of the rubber seals it could be the sun on the switchgear as well ,heat and cold .once they are rotted though water gets in with the salt and thats it ,seize up and then stick ,i suppose with wd constantly in there it disperses the moisture and keeps things oiled up ,AS WHAT PUKMEISTER & COOKIE SAID. what a dilemma .kiss of death on mine too now:eek what do you all think ????
 
pistonbrokescooby said:
...........
how about silicone oil , that does not rot rubber ????????....:augie.............
Click to expand...


Quote from Dow Corning DC4 dielectric grease specification.

"Dimethyl silicone compounds should
not be applied to O rings or other
components made of silicone rubber
because they will destroy the silicone
rubber"

So if your particular oil fits the above AND...... IF(????) the switch boots are made of silicone rubber then DONT use it (I removed all the boots before applying the grease)

I guess the only safe thing to do is to NOT use anything on the switches other than clean water - Although I am sure that BMW would say don't get water in the switches! DOH!

The question is - why did the boots fail in the first place?
 
What about ACF 50 Corrosion Block Grease :nenau

Corrosion Block Grease is designed to provide maximum protection under severe conditions. Its formulation provides both high and low temperature performance, increasing the service life of critical components.
Corrosion Block Grease strongly resists water wash out and provides superior protection against rust and corrosion. Corrosion Block Grease outperforms lithium and most synthetic greases and meets or exceeds requirements for NLGI Service Classification GC-LB (automotive wheel bearing and chassis lubricants), which is based on ASTM D4950 performance requirements.

BENEFITS
Protects heavily loaded equipment, and extends bearing life
Resists running, bleeding and softening at high temperatures
Suitable for extended periods of operation at elevated temperatures, and sealed for life applications
Use in electrical applications that require grease
Workplace safe and environmentally friendly
Won't soften, breakdown, or wash out in wet applications
Suitable for use in centralized lubrication systems and low temperature environments
Easy conversion with no cross contamination concerns
Easy to identify, high visibility

FEATURES
Excellent extreme pressure (EP) properties
Excellent thermal stability
Outstanding oxidative stability
Non conductive / dielectric
Contains no heavy metals or environmentally objectionable materials
Superior corrosion protection and salt water resistance
Outstanding low temperature mobility
Compatible with most grease types
Distinctive Aqua colour

APPLICATIONS
All purpose chassis lube, parts lubricant, bearing grease, battery terminals, gear regulators & tracks, linkages, hinges and locks, hubs, axles, springs, wiring harnesses, CV joints and much more...
Click to expand...

Sounds like it maybe OK.
 
You would think that BMW would do a recall as its now a well known fact the swich gear is a potential death trap.
 
what Honda should one buy though? What would be equivalent to a tall and torquey GS12?

Varadero? Forget it! Too old, too heavy, too ugly

CB1000? Too boring and ugly

Perhaps a naked CB1300? Thats a nice one, but too naked for serious touring...
 
Pukmeister said:
Why can't they go back to making a rugged quality product with durable switchgear?

They did once upon a time, so how hard can it be?
Click to expand...

Do you remember the little toggle chain on the throttle?BMW's have always had a few iffy bits in my memory
 
Is this 'not out of the ordinary thing' ?

The front and rear right hand indicators were not working so I had SLM have a look on Monday - switch stuff needed cleaning apparently. Today indicators are coming on by themselves - sometimes the left, sometimes the right and sometimes together. To get home tonight I guess I take a bulb out.
 
Last edited:
Engineer said:
My particular fault was that the left hand indicator would stay on and refuse to cancel
Click to expand...

I had this happen on my '05, 50 miles after I first picked it up from Park Lane.

When I posted on here about it, though, I of course received mucho abuse for daring to put it down as a serious fault. Apparently the right reaction should have been to have removed the indicator bulbs, after, of course, realising that this was likely to be necessary on a brand new bike, and therefore having augmented the BMW tool kit with the necessary tools to allow me to take them out.

It was this reaction that started me believing that at least some of the supposedly bombproof reputation that BMWs had was down to a significant subset of owners who just refuse to accept that any failure is worthy of note.

It reminds me of the knight in Monty Python, saying "It's just a scratch" as his limbs are hacked away.
 
theop said:
what Honda should one buy though? What would be equivalent to a tall and torquey GS12?
Click to expand...

I'd buy a Honda like a shot if they made a bike like the GS, but with Honda build quality. They don't, though, which is why, instead, I spent 11,000 on the BMW, which, of course, at six months old now has rust inside the back axle, despite living in a well ventilated garage.

I am not sure why the Japanese are not doing as they did in the seventies, and offering rip-offs of successful European bikes, but with greater attention to longevity and reliability.
 
NorthernBoy said:
I had this happen on my '05, 50 miles after I first picked it up from Park Lane.

When I posted on here about it, though, I of course received mucho abuse for daring to put it down as a serious fault. Apparently the right reaction should have been to have removed the indicator bulbs, after, of course, realising that this was likely to be necessary on a brand new bike, and therefore having augmented the BMW tool kit with the necessary tools to allow me to take them out.

It was this reaction that started me believing that at least some of the supposedly bombproof reputation that BMWs had was down to a significant subset of owners who just refuse to accept that any failure is worthy of note.

It reminds me of the knight in Monty Python, saying "It's just a scratch" as his limbs are hacked away.
Click to expand...

Faults are faults and should be reported - that way we all learn and BMW have the information necessary to make improvements. Pretending everything is fine when it isn't helps no one except the delusional.

An indicator that refuses to cancel is potentially dangerous - not hard to remove the bulb/s and revert to hand signals if one has the tools handy BUT that is no reason to pretend that there is not a problem.

I tracked down the manufacturer of the switch elements - I believe that it is now C&K (C&K bought them from ITT).

The the catalogue shows the LED version type K12 as used in the hazard light button - but the other type (also K12?) does not appear to be in the catalogue. There is a waterproof version that is similar and looks like a much better design - did they replace the old one because it was a bit dodgy? Does the new (replacement) BMW switchgear use this new button? I'd love to dismantle an 08 or 09 or replacement switch set up to see what they now use.
 
Engineer said:
An indicator that refuses to cancel is potentially dangerous - not hard to remove the bulb/s and revert to hand signals if one has the tools handy BUT that is no reason to pretend that there is not a problem.
Click to expand...

Yep, that was the point that I made. Mine was actually indicating on its own, and only occasionally responding to a cancel, so I'd be riding in a spirited fashion along a road, see a car waiting to pull out of a side-road, then notice the bike starting to indicate left, necessitating a pretty rapid stop before I rode into the side of the car that I'd just told I was turning off.
 
Nippy Normans supply Touratech, Wunderlich, Desert Fox and many other makes of accessories.
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