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K-hints
(for classic K bikes: K1, K75, K100, K1100)
©
Copyright, 2012, R. Fleischer
k-hints.htm
K section item 2
1. Many a K bike owner has had fits with the side-stand
switch. Particularly on the 16 valve models. That switch is in the circuit for the fuel pump
relay coil, and if
the switch is not
electrically closed, the fuel pump will not operate.
Those of us with sidecar rigs simply remove the switch and bypass
it. You can
BYPASS the
switch rather easily.
On a K11, the side-stand switch is S9093 on BMW
schematics. It is, surprisingly, NOT found on the frame diagram,
but on the
engine circuit
diagram, as Seitenstützenschalter. BMW makes the switch
with its wire and plug as one removable assembly. That plug fits
into its mating plug,
found on the RIGHT side of the frame not far from
the computer and battery, and it has a green-yellow wire and a green-red
wire.
Cut the plug,
join those two wires neatly, use shrink tubing over
them. Keep in mind that if you bypass the switch, you
eliminated a potential safety item.
2. The K bike incorporates some
fancy electronics, besides
the ABS computer, instrument pod, Motronic computer. One such
fancy electronics item
is the bulb
(lamp)
monitoring relay, A9010. BMW calls it lampencontrollgeraet.
This unit includes timers, I.C. chip(1 on early versions; 2 on later versions), lots of parts,
including
3
reed
relays
on the earliest version
( both versions look the same and have the
SAME part number on the outside of the case, on the
top, the ones I
have seen all had a cast-in-number
61.13-1-459-003). It is a complicated device, made much more complicated by how it
works, and interfaces, with the ABS
computer;
even the Motronic Computer. The purpose of the A9010 device is to properly illuminate a
delta symbol dash lamp during ABS self-checks,
rear running
and brake lamp checks,
etc. Application of BOTH brakes (simultaneously or
one after the other) turns the lamp off after the self-checks (which,
obviously, also indicates
that both rear and front
brakes were used
after starting). Also used for an indication that the rider
failed to manually turn off the turn signals before just so many
feet of
travel, or time, etc...see the owner's manuals. Thus,
automatic shut-off of turn signals can be obtained.
This relay can fail by having shorted lamps
or someone improperly
playing with the rear brake lamp or run lamps....ETC.
There IS a fuse, but it is 15A (it is 2nd from top fuse) rated.
If a rear RUNNING or BRAKE lamp burns
out,
the center
delta symbol instrument pod lamp is supposed to light up to tell you that.
There is a separate ABS lamp in the instrument pod, and the
circuitry of the
two lamps
interact; and, you have a ABS cancel (bypass) switch
that is in the circuitry. That lamp/ABS/switch is such that
a true fault will cause the lamp to re-illuminate regularly,
even
after using that cancel switch (to remind you to fix the ABS
brakes, or whatever is wrong).
Those with enough extra lamp loads may well have problems
with this bulb monitoring unit. It is also a COSTLY item.
The simple bypass method is to remove the
plug-in unit, and
jumper the gray-red and the gray-green to the gray-yellow.
Also jumper the green-black to the gray-black.
For the REED relay unit: You can modify the
unit, and then plug it back in. You ypass ONE of the internal
reed relays (or, flat
metal resistance units on later models), and
then the dash lamp will work properly-enough, but you won't get
monitoring function on the RUNNING lamp(s). If you do this modification, the delta symbol
lamp will
lluminate upon the ignition being turned ON, but will
be extinguished after use of
BOTH front brake and rear brake....one
before the other in either order, or, together.
The modification
here is
for the described REED relay unit...and
you can do this with the battery still connected:
a. Lift tank or remove, for access to relay box, remove
box cover.
b. Relay in question is against the middle of left side
of relay box.
c. Unscrew the single screw holding the relay unit to
the box. You can now unplug the relay.
d. At the base of the relay, along first one short
side, then the other, pry with a sharp small thin screwdriver or other tool,
until the base of the
relay with its connection prongs is released from the
black cover. Be careful not to stick the tool in too far.
NOTE how the printed circuit
board fits into
the case in ONE direction only; there are ridges molded into the
case. You will want to replace it properly!
e. With the innards exposed, notice the THREE
yellow-wrapped reed relay units probably marked CLARE CUP S 10008. The one you will
work on is near
the long end of the printed circuit board that is furthest away from the
connection prongs.
f. Using a sharp Xacto knife, very carefully, using
very little pressure, scrape away the black insulating plastic material on the
reed switch CENTER
at both ends. You are not concerned with the relatively
larger diameter wire from the relay unit that is NOT in the center.
Clean carefully, and
then solder a short jumper wire from one end to the
other. You can do this adding of a short jumper below the PC board
more neatly, if you
want to, with no such scraping and difficult soldering then
needed.
g. Reassemble the relay into its black box.
AGAIN: Note
that the printed board fits PROPERLY, only one way into the box (is a slot for
it). Install the relay.
h. Test the functions with the key switch
ON. You
should have a rear running light. The rear brake light
should light up if the front brake lever is
pulled.
The Dash warning lamp should still be illuminated. When you
then touch the rear pedal, the dash lamp should go out.
I have NOT YET modified a later relay, of the type with three metal strips
inside and no reed relays. Those strips seem to be resistors, not copper
pieces with tin plating, and I think one can be replaced with a simple piece of
copper wire...have NOT tried this!
In the majority of the instances of a
failure of this bulb monitoring relay box, the problem with it
are poor solder joints at the reed
relay on the soldering
side of the printed circuit board. The connection
prongs (stiff wires) of the reed relays are made of a metal that
is
NOT easy-to-solder tinned copper. The metal is
quite difficult to
solder to; I have seen many a factory soldering job that is poor
here, and the joint(s) fail. The
various lamps draw enough
current that the solder connection overheats and fails.
This is especially so if you have extra lamps. I use a
10x eye loupe to look at the solder joints. If the joint is
poorly soldered, cracked, broken, or
questionable, re-solder it.
Here is how
to do it: First, use a soldering iron with a decent
mass of tip and be sure it is heated fully. Clean off the old solder, using rosin and
soldering wick. Use an Xacto knife or other
sharp blade. All-around the relay's connection wires at the
circuit board (soldering side) do a LOT
of light scratching on the relay
prongs, enough to abrade them thoroughly. You can use some
other type of tool if you wish.
Once the prongs are
cleaned and shiny from this operation (do
this even if they look clean and shiny without abrading!), then
re-solder them. Use plenty
of rosin core
60/40 solder. Don't use hardware store type
of acid-core solder unless you just can not get the prongs to
solder well. When you are
soldering, clean with Q-tips and denatured alcohol, and inspect
with the 10X eye loupe again. The solder joint must be
100%. If the soldering pad that
the prongs fit into (pc coppery material) is not fairly large in
size, you can lightly scratch away the conformal paint coating, and
make the soldering area a bit
larger, which spread the heat from the current flow better.
NOTE: If you have it available, plumbers 50-50
solder, used with rosin as the flux, will make
for a joint that will hold up to heat a bit better....but might
not solder as well as acid-core solder.
3. Inspect the clutch lever behind the
transmission. Road water and grime tends to get into the pivot/pin
area and
cause wear. Consider removing the
lever and drilling,
grooving, and tapping, for
a grease zerk in the flat area, and cross drilling to the bore. BMW offers
a FORWARD extension piece that bolts to
existing holes, etc., on the
rear fender, to help prevent garbage from collecting on the clutch
operating shaft/lever. I think that the shaft lever should
really
be
modified to be greasable with a Zerk,
but the forward extension
is a nice thing to have. The Rear
Mudguard Extension fits K1, K100RS 4 Valve, K1100LT, etc.
There is a BMW Service Information (SI)
on it, #46 046 94 (2650)
dated November 1994. The parts you need are:
Mudguard 46-63-2-307-459; 2 each oval head screws M5 x 12 #
46-63-2-308-633
(these come with special washers); and 2 each nut
holder M5
which is number 65-13-1-372-033. You do NOT have to
remove the rear mud guard when installing
these things, contrary
to the SI. You will find
your fender is likely already pre-drilled for the extension.
Originally this thing could be done by the dealer under warranty.
4. Fuel Injector and hoses problems:
A) If your injectors need
cleaning and rebuilding (yes, even the O-ring, etc.), try any of these
folks:
http://fuelinjectorconnection.com/
note the spelling. This is the correct place.
http://www.mrinjector.us/
RC Engineering
20807 Higgins Court, Torrance, CA 90501 Phone
310-320-2277 Fax 310-782-1346
Probably less than $100 for all the injectors to be cleaned, and
including shipping...and they will come back with new O-rings and
a flow report.
For other places, see my
REFERENCES.htm page....as I try to
keep that page always current with the latest information
****If you are working on the injectors of your K bike, and need the O-rings, you can get a kit of them for 4 injectors, by asking for same at a BMW car dealership, for BMW 318i.
HOSES: There are
several types of fuel injection system hoses used on the BMW K
bikes. Check with the on-line sources or your dealership,
no need for me to list
all the hose numbers for the in and out of the fuel rail, the
vacuum, etc. But, ONE HOSE IS ESPECIALLY CRITICAL!
For INSIDE the fuel tank, the hose
type is called R-10, which is only important if you are going to
NAPA or other autoparts store. From BMW, the correct hoseis
16-12-1-180-040.
B) It used to
be that this was not all that common, but is much more likely if the bike has been in
storage a long
period of time. There have been some real problems in
the
last few years, from an area you may not have thought of. The FI on
our bikes are similar
to most, and certainly similar to the ones used by GM, and
much of this information
came from Bob Cerullo of Motor, and Bill Studzinski of
the GM
fuels group (part of the Powertrain division). Years ago, gas
hoses inside the fuel tanks were being destroyed
by such as gasohol and other
additives.
That is less now, but many of our K bikes have original
hoses!...and it is UNclear if the hose material has been changed by
BMW.
In the last few
years there have been quite a few FI
problems. This is particularly so with alcohol fuels.
Around 2003-2005 or 2006, there were a LOT of car
FI problems
(and K bike
problems were also being seen...they use the car type injectors and
system). The problem was sulfate concentrations in
ethanol
fuels. Anything over 8 ppm
(and certainly if nearing 20
ppm) were causing problems. The sulfates would pass right on through the
filters!...then solidify in the injectors overnight, as the engines cooled
off.
The standards for fuels were changed, and the problem
greatly lessened, so the
problems seen around 2005 or so are mostly gone.
The new standards are max 4ppm sulfates.
That did not fix the
problems from deteriorating
hoses, and this deterioration can be such that it
actually adds liquid plasticizers to the fuel, and the injectors could
stick.
Another problem started
happening when people first started
using ethanol-laced fuels for the first time. Fuel filters were
clogging, from contaminants that USED TO STAY
IN THE TANKS. The
alcohol acted as a solvent on them. Contaminants were seen from all sorts
of container ships, distribution channels, and
so on, until the alcohol
dissolved the contaminants and minimized them. GM found that
the contaminants released when ethanol was used for the
first time were MORE of
a problem than the
sulfates in the older fuels. Because of these various
problems, GM, Honda, and Toyota and BMW
all got together and specified a new
standard for fuels with a very
specified detergent type and amounts.
The new standard was called Top Tier
Detergent Gasoline. Information
is at www.toptiergas.com
Unofficial word from manufacturer's and those who actually test
fuels, is that MOST gasoline marketers have actually REDUCED the concentration
of detergent additives
by up to 50%! This is leading to more FI
problems, deposits, and so on. At the time I am writing this, May,
2007, the
industry has not agreed to put proper amounts
of detergent in fuels,
and I cannot furnish a list of what the various marketers are ACTUALLY
doing.
What I am doing is putting Techron in my fuel every few
months, and purchasing Chevron fuels fairly
often.
Gasoline's: A
little-known fact about Classic K bikes, is that very early ones
really do need LEADED fuels. If you do NOT use leaded fuels
in these
bikes, then do keep an eye on the valve clearances more often
than usually done. BMW modified the bikes so they are
OK on UNleaded fuels.
The modifications occurred at:
K75: no information, does not apply.
K100: at serial number 0007291
K100RT: at serial number 0024999
K100RS: at serial number 081107
5. Driveshaft repairs, U-joint repairs, modifications,
etc....Hansens in Medford Oregon, or Brunos in Ontario Canada.
See the REFERENCES
page for more information.
HINT: The rear drive input spline was 16 teeth through 1985; then became 20 teeth. Thus, the driveshafts must match too.
6. The K100 heated grips PROPER switch connections are:
switch selecting pole: switch pin 2, harness plug 3, black/green wire
black wire goes to switch 3, same as plug 2
orange wire goes to switch 1, same as plug 1
7. When disassembling the clutch, you
may or may not find markings, which are used by the factory to
space the clutch parts at 120°. Mark your parts!
When reassembling the clutch, if
the disc is not centered, the transmission will be difficult to
install. The clutch alignment tool is "nice to have"
but by no
means necessary. BEFORE
lubricating the transmission splines, assemble the clutch and tighten the
clutch bolts only enough to barely hold the clutch plate in place
against gravity. Using your
fingers around the outside edges, and your eyeballs, to get the
clutch plate centered as best you can. Slide the transmission on
and wiggle it
around until the input shaft finds the clutch plate. Rotate
the transmission input shaft if you have to a wee amount, by having the transmission
in 5th
gear, and rotating the output. Push the transmission on all of
the way and then pull it STRAIGHT back. Then tighten the six clutch bolts to
specifications. Recheck that the transmission will install.
Pull transmission and lube the transmission input shaft splines. NEVER lube the clutch disc
splines.
8. If you insist on making the clutch
tool, here is a sketch:
9. Rotate the radiator fan by hand after a Winter storage
period
10. If the bike won't go much faster than maybe ~45-60 mph or so, the
switch at the fuel injector rear section, operated by the throttle, could be
shorted or jammed....causing the fuel to be shut off above maybe 3000 rpm
11. DO NOT start a ABS-equipped K-bike with a poor or
relatively discharged battery...it can
cause the starter relay contacts to weld shut.
12. Fuel pump connector and wire through the under tank area to the inside
pump can become problems, with breaks and intermittent problems.
If the pump does not
run, check those things.
13. If the heated grips are on, especially on HIGH, and you
see the alternator lamp
is faintly illuminated, often seen at night, that is normal.
14. Don't sit and warm up the K engine for long periods on a cold day.
Due
to its enrichment sensor, it runs rich until warmed fully...so ride off
relatively
quickly....a minute or two
maximum warm-up is enough on the coldest day. Ride off gently at
first; that means no large throttle openings at very low rpm;
and also means to keep the
rpm down, no reason to go under 1800 nor over 4000 or so until
the engine has been in use a few minutes.
15. Failure to start can sometimes be traced to a shorted grip, causing a
fuse to blow; also due to the side-stand switch on 16V models.
16. Remove the final drive every year or two at the latest, and grease the
splines. I like doing that at 20K intervals. Pull the driveshaft and do the
other end too. With Paralever
models, be sure to synch the U-joints (sketch on this website)
17. Few owners ever remove the ignition module that is
mounted near the coils, clean the underside, and
recoat with a thin layer of heat sink compound...I do it!
18. The K bikes vents the fuel tank into the crankcase;
which is a good
idea; but you will likely find that modifying the system, using the plastic cup
available from BMW for the pipes at the
rear of the tank, is a good and better idea. There is a lot more on
this on the www.ibmwr.org
website.
19. A LOT of labor is involved with lubrication of the
transmission input splines. Use a good grease. My article #73 has an
extensive discussion.
20. The early K bike Y spoke wheels used 8 mm metal valve stems
36-32-1-452-748; around 1987 BMW started using rubber stems, in a 15 mm hole,
36-31-7-653-064
Rev:
05/12/2007: Add #12. Had been published by me elsewhere's, this is
an updated version, and edited for clarity.
11/08/2007: add #6
06/28/2008: Update considerably the entire article
10/25/2009: Clean up article; add item 7 clutch and tool
information
11/25/2009: Final editing; changing numbering too.
01/04/2010: clean up some unclear areas, enlarge
information on the BMU.
02/11/2011: Add inside fuel tank hose part number and
cautionary note.
02/27/2011: fix confusing URL
06/08/2011: add another injector cleaning service and
details
10/13/2011: Add 19
11/16/2011: modify #19, in favor of reader using article #73,which is now
very extensive.
04/09/2012: Add information to #4 and add 20.
© Copyright, 2012, R. Fleischer