Driveshaft vent service campaign - good workmanship by Bahnstormer Alton or not?

Sporall

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I've talked a little about this elsewhere today and having just been in the garage to have a better look at what's been done I believe I've found something that's not quite right and so I'm asking for confirmation here.
Obviously the boot has been removed to get access, or at least it should have been. Somebody here has already speculated that perhaps they don't open them up. I've found each end of the boot to be dirty and there's no sign of any Staburag (I think this is the grease to use) having been used to seal it up.
I took these photo's just now, could somebody please confirm my understanding of this.

QqoPM1L.jpg


TEKTdXg.jpg


Thanks.
 
Looks dry as a hangman's eye to me.

Doesn't look like it's been removed, the area cleaned, or any greasing been going on...there's not even any of the oily, greasy handprints that always get left on. :D
 
According to the dealer I spoke to, they do not strip the shaft to do the work. They take the rear wheel off and fit a disc which is then spun and measurements are taken, if the bike fails this test, then a new shat would be fitted. If it passes, then the drain/vent is fitted without stripping anything down or any greasing of the shaft.
 
No NBU 30 Stuburags been used on that, you can’t miss it, it’s white and very sticky! Here’s mine for comparison, just before installation
 

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casbar said:
According to the dealer I spoke to, they do not strip the shaft to do the work. They take the rear wheel off and fit a disc which is then spun and measurements are taken, if the bike fails this test, then a new shat would be fitted. If it passes, then the drain/vent is fitted without stripping anything down or any greasing of the shaft.
Click to expand...

I'm quite hacked off about it as I asked if the splines etc would be cleaned and greased and the service agent said oh yes, it's part of the job. I was happy to pay for it to be done and it seems likely it hasn't been. They clearly don't want the additional work, paid for or otherwise.
 
I’m my honest opinion, this is still a potential serious concern.

The chance of swarf entering the driveshaft housing right at the end of drilling (ie breakthrough) may be small but is very well possible. The potential consequences of that are catastrophic. We all know this.

If we’re being told that the driveshaft assembly isn’t stripped if the ‘vibration’ test has passed, then I honestly wouldn’t permit this unless the driveshaft assembly is inspected internally to remove debris, inspect/lubricate final drive splines as necessary, clean up the moisture boot and finally reseal with the staburag water-dispersant grease.

I paid £52 extra on my first year service a couple of months ago to specifically have the final drive inspected/cleaned/lubricated as required for peace of mind. I’m requesting this to be carried out gratis whenever this TA will be carried out on mine. I had the 8 page document in my hand (all written in German but nonetheless) which was a surprise to every technician in the workshop (big motorrad dealer based in Essex) seeing as they didn’t even have the reference number for the TA.

This ‘technical action’ is still cutting corners which is extremely disappointing especially seeing as BMW realised they fudged up the (historically) design massively and needed to take retrospective action.
 
Having the splines greased is good, but that isn't the end that fails. Its the universal joint and inspection doesn't seem to be able to spot issues. The shaft that broke recently on a RTp had been inspected a month before and deemed ok. But still failed at the UJ.
 
Sporall said:
I'm quite hacked off about it as I asked if the splines etc would be cleaned and greased and the service agent said oh yes, it's part of the job. I was happy to pay for it to be done and it seems likely it hasn't been. They clearly don't want the additional work, paid for or otherwise.
Click to expand...

Ask to see the worksheet of what was given to the technician. They'll only do what's on there, and if it's only the basic request and coverage they can claim back from BMW for doing the work that's all they'll do.

If it was missed off, request it gets booked back in and the additional work is carried out with only the attached labour charged for as it was requested at the time of initial work taking place.
 
I thought the Modification (rectification) was the fitting of the Valve. I dont think the final drive needs inspecting - although that would be the sensible thing to do.....
 
Just had my driveshaft replaced because of this campaign. As my bike is a high mileage bike (over 60000km) they just swapped the shaft out and fitted the valve. Didn't test it on the jig. The new shafts are painted black to prevent corrosion I presume. Mine was rust free and had no significant wear, but I regularly use moly grease on it. Can't really notice any difference when riding and when bmw pay my dealer for the work I can get my old one back as a spare.
 
GB. said:
Just had my driveshaft replaced because of this campaign. As my bike is a high mileage bike (over 60000km) they just swapped the shaft out and fitted the valve. Didn't test it on the jig. The new shafts are painted black to prevent corrosion I presume. Mine was rust free and had no significant wear, but I regularly use moly grease on it. Can't really notice any difference when riding and when bmw pay my dealer for the work I can get my old one back as a spare.
Click to expand...

Do you know above how many kms they replace the shafts?
 
DJ123 said:
Ask to see the worksheet of what was given to the technician. They'll only do what's on there, and if it's only the basic request and coverage they can claim back from BMW for doing the work that's all they'll do.

If it was missed off, request it gets booked back in and the additional work is carried out with only the attached labour charged for as it was requested at the time of initial work taking place.
Click to expand...

Good suggestion. I'm just in the process of writing a mail to the service manager and would like to give them the opportunity to address it. I'm also not very happy about the noise from the RHS cylinder on a cold start so I may press that point a little at the same time. Apparently they all do that but I'm sure mine was quieter when I bought the bike in December last year.
 
Sporall said:
Good suggestion. I'm just in the process of writing a mail to the service manager and would like to give them the opportunity to address it. I'm also not very happy about the noise from the RHS cylinder on a cold start so I may press that point a little at the same time. Apparently they all do that but I'm sure mine was quieter when I bought the bike in December last year.
Click to expand...

Address what? They only open it if the test fails
 
fredaroony said:
Address what? They only open it if the test fails
Click to expand...

What I'd not mentioned in original post was that I asked for the splines to cleaned/greased etc and they didn't do it. The service bod said it was 'all part of the job'.
I'd also hope that their servicing would be thorough enough to note the lack of grease and perhaps apply some regardless of my request. It's clearly not had any applied for some time despite being BMW serviced throughout so far. Perhaps I expect too much for my £290 :confused:
 
Sporall said:
What I'd not mentioned in original post was that I asked for the splines to cleaned/greased etc and they didn't do it. The service bod said it was 'all part of the job'.
I'd also hope that their servicing would be thorough enough to note the lack of grease and perhaps apply some regardless of my request. It's clearly not had any applied for some time despite being BMW serviced throughout so far. Perhaps I expect too much for my £290 :confused:
Click to expand...

Checking and greasing the splines is not a service item. But if you asked and agreed to pay extra it should have been done. But it is not a freebie item.

Found this on another site, detailing what the technical inspection includes:

Cardan check with special device
So that the cardan does not have to be opened on all 440,000 motorcycles concerned, every authorized workshop is to be given a special test device. Instead of the rear wheel, a measuring disk is mounted, and then the cardan is dragged over the rear axle while idling, that is, rotated. This stress test runs over various load changes and speeds, with sensors monitoring the forces and vibrations. If everything stays within the predefined normal range, the checked gimbal is considered "okay". If there are any abnormalities, a closer look is taken. In particular, the universal joint with its four roller bearings, but also the gearing to the rear axle drive is checked for rust and damage. Should parts then have to be replaced,


Vent hole with beak valve
In principle, a vent on the cardan tunnel is retrofitted during this service campaign. For this purpose, a small hole is drilled on the underside in the rear area, near the universal joint, using a prepared template. In order to avoid the formation of potentially harmful metal chips, the drill should be lubricated beforehand. A rubber beak valve is then inserted into this hole using a kind of piercing tool. This special valve is intended to seal the hole to the outside, but allow air and, above all, moisture to escape from the cardan tunnel. This ventilation is supported by the pumping movements during compression and rebound. If water runs out immediately after drilling, this is also a reason to inspect the cardan more closely.

45 minutes per motorcycle
A total of 45 minutes are planned for the cardan check including retrofitting the ventilation. Of course, this campaign is free of charge - at least for the customers, BMW will incur some costs.
 
So if they are drilling a hole through a powder coated/painted housing are BMW taking future responsibility for any potential corrosion of the casing caused by breaching the coating
 
casbar said:
Checking and greasing the splines is not a service item. But if you asked and agreed to pay extra it should have been done. But it is not a freebie item.

Found this on another site, detailing what the technical inspection includes:

Cardan check with special device
So that the cardan does not have to be opened on all 440,000 motorcycles concerned, every authorized workshop is to be given a special test device. Instead of the rear wheel, a measuring disk is mounted, and then the cardan is dragged over the rear axle while idling, that is, rotated. This stress test runs over various load changes and speeds, with sensors monitoring the forces and vibrations. If everything stays within the predefined normal range, the checked gimbal is considered "okay". If there are any abnormalities, a closer look is taken. In particular, the universal joint with its four roller bearings, but also the gearing to the rear axle drive is checked for rust and damage. Should parts then have to be replaced,


Vent hole with beak valve
In principle, a vent on the cardan tunnel is retrofitted during this service campaign. For this purpose, a small hole is drilled on the underside in the rear area, near the universal joint, using a prepared template. In order to avoid the formation of potentially harmful metal chips, the drill should be lubricated beforehand. A rubber beak valve is then inserted into this hole using a kind of piercing tool. This special valve is intended to seal the hole to the outside, but allow air and, above all, moisture to escape from the cardan tunnel. This ventilation is supported by the pumping movements during compression and rebound. If water runs out immediately after drilling, this is also a reason to inspect the cardan more closely.

45 minutes per motorcycle
A total of 45 minutes are planned for the cardan check including retrofitting the ventilation. Of course, this campaign is free of charge - at least for the customers, BMW will incur some costs.
Click to expand...

Thanks for providing the explanation of the process.
I'd expected to be charged for the work requested and was happy to pay.
 
Neil W said:
So if they are drilling a hole through a powder coated/painted housing are BMW taking future responsibility for any potential corrosion of the casing caused by breaching the coating
Click to expand...

The potential as you suggest to lift the powder coasting and allow moisture in there is significant. If done very carefully and finished properly post drilling, then may possibly be OK.

I would want to see an example of the work beforehand or I'd do it myself!
 
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