1300GT 2010- starting problem

The Slow Granger

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Love the bike and this has been the first problem; Short ride, park up (in the sun) one hour later nothing from the starter. No warnings or fault lights up just the starter not doing anything at all - no clicks no blips, no ticks. RAC turns up and I say... 'of course it will start now you are here...' and it does. He says it was the orange jacket but hoping for some pinpointing and possible patterns I might expect to experience! The bike was from this parish and has the hot start wiring mod. Could this need replacing :nenau, might it be a solenoid somewhere :nenau, do I need to wear orange hi viz?
 
nice link - thank. Would this sort of intermittent fault register on diagnostics anyone (never done anything of this sort - just wondering if a dealer would find the problem through a plug in)… anyone?
 
I would guess the starter and relay would be "dumb" and not show on the diagnostics.
 
... I am, including when necessary condoms... your profile pic reminded me of that and I just needed to share our mutual similarities ....:dabone
 
Thanks - never used diagnostics, just a screwdriver on the casing in my day. When a relay 'goes' what actually happens to it?

The contacts latch in a position that is either on or off. In your case it is off.

Systems used on other stuff like trains I'm working on the output can be monitored and displayed as an input or output by led or digitally. That add complexity that is not needed on a bike. You can measure the input and output if you have a multimeter or simple 12v light circuit that you can put on the pins of the relay to a good earth to indicate continuity (multimeter) or voltage (light circuit, ignition on).

An example of monitoring relays and contractors digitally. C- NES for car 1 should be closed.

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Love the bike and this has been the first problem; Short ride, park up (in the sun) one hour later nothing from the starter. No warnings or fault lights up just the starter not doing anything at all - no clicks no blips, no ticks. RAC turns up and I say... 'of course it will start now you are here...' and it does. He says it was the orange jacket but hoping for some pinpointing and possible patterns I might expect to experience! The bike was from this parish and has the hot start wiring mod. Could this need replacing :nenau, might it be a solenoid somewhere :nenau, do I need to wear orange hi viz?

This is a well known issue. and BMW offered a free fix ending 2015 (I think).

The fix was a heavier cable from battery to the starter relay and to the starter, and a new starter relay.

You may still get the parts, but BMW will no longer offer a free fix. Guess they think that since the production stopped in 2010, the ones that did have a problem would show up within 5 years.

I had it done to my 2009 GT in 2014, and it really made a difference.
 
Thanks Knutk - the bike is immaculate and was bought from here - no quibbles at all. The mod has already been fitted - hence my unease. Re-started like there was no problem at all, so a relay sticking is probably the cause, I am still not clear if a BMW diagnostic check would pick up such an intermittent fault (I know this is only the first occasion) if it was not happening at the actual time of the signal test? As I recall it is a Y/N gate type process? Is there a way of pinpointing where the source problem is?
 
Might it be a bad earth? I'm sure I've seen a couple of threads here in recent (ish) months where peeps have had intermittent starting/electrical issues and the earth seemed to be the issue (can you ever be 100% sure how such a fault was cured - after the event?) .

My folks also had earth issues with the engine (not leisure) battery on their motorhome while touring Ireland last month. Several trips to/visits from autoelectricians and some parts fitted (query some/all weren't required?) before autoelectrician number 3 or 4 identified the earth strap as being loose, the tightening up of which seems to have solved it.
 
Intermittent faults are the hardest ones to pinpoint.

There has been suggested a ground-problem. Typically, a bad ground lead will be identified by the display going dark as the voltage will drop when you hit the starter.

I could also be the starter switch on the handlebar. A well known issue on these bikes, and also a problem that seemed to pop up in hot conditions.
The tricky part about finding this kind of problems is that there will not be a fault code. I am not sure if the system will throw a fault code if the system register a start attempt and the engine does not respond. But surely, if the starter switch is the culprit, the system never knows that the button has been pushed, and hence no fault code will be registered.

Web-troubleshooting is indeed an inaccurate sport.
But since the cable mod. has been performed, my 2c is for your handlebar starter switch.
 
... wise words thanks all. I saw the hot weather/starter switch itself and hot weather probably so I think that is the starting point (or not as the case may be - boom-boom ) - no other indications at all. Parking in the shade for the time being!
 
update

Sorted! It was the switch. More searching identified that the original RH switch was made with a pcb embedded on the plastic collar (see pic the old one on the bottom the new one on the top). The new variant has a wired mod so flexing of the plastic expansion won't affect it. New switch from Bahnstormer (thanks guys) (but at BMW prices £136 for a switch!), and presto - fixed and starting hot and cold as normal. One website forum had this down as a recall (may have been USA) but apparently not here, or not listed on the Bahnstormer system - any ideas how I could double check independently?
 

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A bit late but....my 1300GT had the same last year. Had to bump start it to get home. Bike turned on, checks etc but nothing when trying the starter. I had to stop and refuel too, but luckily found a petrol station that sloped!

Like yours it was the switch. I’d seen loads of threads where people got replacement switches out of warranty but not me. I have Extended Warranty so it cost me £100 excess.

I love the bike but the product quality is not what BMW once had. Rear wheel bearing at 10k, paint flaking on FD, this switch and recently an oil leak (luckily just an oil tank fitting £65 all in).

I pay for Extended Warranty to avoid the £10K extra a new bike that wouldn’t be any better would cost. Now I’m old insurance is silly cheap so £1 a day for EW keeps me worry-free.

It does p*ss me off that BMW didn’t think the rear wheel bearing failure at 10k warranted any contribution, and then they rubbed salt in the wound by saying I was lucky that I had EW!

A
 
Just noticed this thread - never in the K section these days.

Glad you've got it sorted Steve - the RH switch was still the original. The problem with hot sun on the switch was well known and as you have noticed, the switches (L & R) were at one time all replaced free - in the USA!
I remember reading that covering the RH switch with a cold wet cloth for a few minutes would restore the starting function in hot weather?

Glad it wasn't the starter relay - because it's a bit of a pig to get to! It's a slightly higher amps rating than the original and came as part of the "hot start" wiring upgrade kit.


Cheers........................Grizzly:beerjug:
 
.... Still a cracking bike Grizzly!! Not in a rush to move to the 16 either...

Thanks for the clarification on recall - I shall carry round a chilled beer from now on for this very reason :beer:
 
I had the lhs switchgear replaced on mine a few years back as the cruise control stopped working.

Iirc it was on customer complaint only.

On an earlier goodwill campaign they'd replace both switches regardless, but by the time i got mine done they would only do the one complained about.

A google check would probably tell you more about this.

Glad it's sorted anyway.
 


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