[vonBlitz]

Just ensure the mechanic has the ability to Read & Program the ECU plus has access to the required software updates, once he`s read the ECU request a print out of original software and the
updated ECU . The Houston mechanic invited me into the shop to watch the process.

My local BMW shop (BMW of Detroit) had no problem finding a 2018 software update existed but hadn't been applied to my 2012 K13S. He installed it and for a few hundred miles I thought it was the solution. But then the stalling started happening again.

 

[JDaniel]

Just ensure the mechanic has the ability to Read & Program the ECU plus has access to the required software updates, once he`s read the ECU request a print out of original software and the
updated ECU . The Houston mechanic invited me into the shop to watch the process.

Lucky you in finding the mechanic. My dealer here in Ottawa is the only licensed BMW shop around. I'm gonna have to search for someone like you found, Houston's a bit far... Thanks again Ridgeback90

 

[farter]

Budd's Motorad, Oakville, Ontario; i've had good service from them, they have several mechanics and a good reputation.

 

[Ridgeback90]

My local BMW shop (BMW of Detroit) had no problem finding a 2018 software update existed but hadn't been applied to my 2012 K13S. He installed it and for a few hundred miles I thought it was the solution. But then the stalling started happening again.

Here is some information below that I used unsuccessfully to leverage BMW USA head office to fix this issue , being a Canadian bike and that K1300R was not sold in USA I was referred to Canada BMW . If you do a search of this forum for "Motorcycle Recall - BMW" there is more info , plus check on NHTSA site there maybe more info to force BMW to do something and really push the "safety" angle . Keep in mind your bike is coming up to the 10 year mark BMW will tell you that policy states no bikes over 10 years of age .
Below is a cut and paste of NSTA site

NHTSA Campaign ID: 09V471000 Component: Engine and Engine Cooling Manufacturer: BMW of North America, LLC Recall Date: 12/04/2009

Potential Number of Units Affected: 2019 Manufactured:

Defect Summary: BMW is recalling certain model year 2009 and 2010 K1300S and K1300GT motorcycles manufactured between September 11, 2008 and November 19, 2009. Poor fuel quality may lead to small deposits within the throttle bodies. During engine operation in a low RPM range, typically near idle speed (when coming to a stop) air flow could be sufficiently restricted and engine stalling could occur. Consequence Summary: Engine stalling could result in a vehicle crash. Corrective Summary: BMW will notify owners and repair the motorcycles free of charge. The safety recall is expected to begin during January 2010. Owners may contact BMW at 1-201-307-4000.

Good luck

 

[vonBlitz]

Thanks.

"Engine stalling could result in a vehicle crash" is very much true.

I was extremely lucky not to have been killed or injured during one particular incident, and was certainly at risk on many occasions.

 

[botus]

My local BMW shop (BMW of Detroit) had no problem finding a 2018 software update existed but hadn't been applied to my 2012 K13S. He installed it and for a few hundred miles I thought it was the solution. But then the stalling started happening again.

the electronics on these bikes is out of the ark and too stupid to know you are playing - and I think I have a workaround for you

My 2007 R1200 GS is doing something silly and what you describe is somewhat similar - Note the K1300 and R1200 range run MUCH the same software, wiring and electronic modules (in fact the engine ECU is the same, and its also used on some of their cars!)

its probably a bit of time driven junk software that makes it deliberately run badly - then you pay for diagnostics / updates - and whilst waiting ride the illegally modified latest bike - and the thing is such a transformation you dump yours and buy the new bike - Its called German marketing. For the doubters I don't care the facts speak for themself - Note Mercedes have recalls as we speak, to reflash their cars to remove TWO deliberate fake make the engine light come on bugs they built in - they were caught with their pants down, whilst the EU were hunting for and found the emission fiddles they'd put in there!

After the vehicle adaptions have been reset - the bike short term goes in to a special mode where its runs correctly and then starts the process of finding its feet and setting up its long term adaptions - this is the EXACT behaviour I'm getting on my GS and matches what you describe above. But then it goes to utter shit after 200 miles

That long bit I posted earlier about how the bikes CAT sensors work with the engine management and AF-XiEDs came from a guy helping me with my R1200 issue. In the last year I have reset my adaptions 4 times, and it ran the best it ever did - then went to utter shit like clockwork. There are no known faults, just BMW's software. BMW even had a PuMA case on my bike and gave it the all clear

PuMA is a worldwide BMW database of all reported problems and special factory technical support offering their appropriate fixes. The acronym means Problem and Measures management Aftersales or in German: Problem und Mebnahmenmanagement Aftersales

So how do you resolve - this is super easy (but only sensible if you don't use in a significant range of temps and altitude variations) - reset the adaptions - ride the bike with super unleaded and do four 40 mile trips, riding sensibly the first time and on the third and fourth having warmed carefully for at least 10 miles rag it to death through all its operating conditions - then disconnect the CAT sensor and leave it off for ever more.

the bike will remain running perfectly and far better than when you bought it

the tech guys at work are all like why not just build your own ECU, its all out there, electronics since this shit was developed in 2006 can do it all better faster for peanuts

 

[vonBlitz]

I have no difficulty imagining intentional software defects. But if BMW thinks it will encourage me to buy a new model, they should think again. This experience has convinced me to never again buy a new BMW motorcycle.

But if I can solve this I just might buy a low mileage K1300S if I come across one at a good price. The bike suits me extremely well and I've sorted out everything else ( BMW K1300S: Raves, Rants and Remediation ).

So how do you resolve - this is super easy (but only sensible if you don't use in a significant range of temps and altitude variations)

Aye, there's the rub.

When the itch hits in spring (or even midwinter) I'll ride in subfreezing temps if the roads are dry (and free of salt crust) in Michigan; but my mom's house is in Phoenix so riding at temps > 100F isn't unusual. My house and hers are both at ~1,000 feet elevation, but a common day trip for me is between mom's house and my stepmom's place in Colorado (8,200 ft), with 10,857 ft Wolf Creek Pass in between. As often as possible I spend weeks at a time running up and down Rocky Mountain passes where a 3,000 ft elevation change over 20 road miles is not unusual and the temperature swings accordingly.

 

[botus]

umm, that's a nuisance

it also allows me to introduce a massive flaw with the Powercomander method - using either the PC3 or PC5 - as soon as you disconnect the CAT sensor all those extra bits on BM maps are switched out forever more. And thus why the AF-XIEDs are so interesting - and MIGHT also fix BMs stupidity

On my car it says it has low temp and normal temp adaptions - and that's of interest - because my R1200GS got an update in 2018 (that had actually been released 10 months after its build in June 2007, but never applied to my bike). It had 3 main fixes - two of which I wanted and the third I presumed would be sensible - but its NOT - that last fix was for cold start enrichment - but ever since it went on the bike I've had cold running issues with it way too rich - whereas previously it had always behaved the same regardless of temperature

Now any time below 12C (54F) its like its a different bike of rich as hell bogging nastiness

When I finally understood the need to discard some messed up 30k miles worth of adaption rubbish suiting a map that wasn't on the bike anymore (from the PuMA case who had got their dealer techs lined up with how to work on BMWs !!!) - thus I had the bike back to standard and it started making adaptions suitable for the new map - and as you found, it started off great - but then seems to overstep the mark, whilst trying to reach its usual obstinate stumbling mess in line with emission regs - But then cold running conditions below 12C became awful and have been for 3 years - where once on the old map with PC3 or standard, it was acceptable.

I'm now back (having done warm weather adaptions for about 200 miles) with the CAT sensor off - and realise with the bike like this, its now normal and not getting further muddled (see the 4 occasions of reset and play I mention in post 86) so I have put the PC3 back on and found for the first time since the new map update 3 years back, the PC3 is doing whats one usually expects (AKA improve and allow adjustment of the BM mapping).

However it still unravels in cold weather - So I do wonder if, as its a bosch ECU (the same make as the car's one), maybe BM bikes have both hot and cold weather adaptions but no one ever said ? - and thus I have never had any cold weather adaption settings on the bike for the last 3 years !!! As I have only used since that BM map update in cold weather, whilst the CAT sensors have been disconnected

 

[botus]

just thinking about a different issue on a other forum and remember one post about checking the valve timing - have we been there and done that on your bike? I hope you are aware these engine like to jump a tooth so the camshafts can go out of sync? It should run, but not as well as it should... but if you then jump a second or more its likely to go bang

has yours been checked and if not there, had the retofit "jump guard" fitted anyway? sometime around 2010 they found so many destroying themselves they invented a cheap bit of plastic that knocks the chain back in place at start up / high revs - so the cam chain doesn't jump a tooth before the awful design of cam chain adjuster gets enough oil pressure to move from a position it should never have been allowed to step back to if the tensioner design had, had any basic engineering integrity ?

RealOEM.com - Part Search

 

[JDaniel]

just thinking about a different issue on a other forum and remember one post about checking the valve timing - have we been there and done that on your bike? I hope you are aware these engine like to jump a tooth so the camshafts can go out of sync? It should run, but not as well as it should... but if you then jump a second or more its likely to go bang

has yours been checked and if not there, had the retofit "jump guard" fitted anyway? sometime around 2010 they found so many destroying themselves they invented a cheap bit of plastic that knocks the chain back in place at start up / high revs - so the cam chain doesn't jump a tooth before the awful design of cam chain adjuster gets enough oil pressure to move from a position it should never have been allowed to step back to - if the tensioner design had, had any basic engineering integrity ?

RealOEM.com - Part Search

Hey botus, let me start by saying that I/we truly appreciate all of the information (and time) you're sharing with us all on this issue. I can say that the dealer tech told me they "checked valve clearances" back in October when I had the bike in for a service appt. before winter storage. Has the "jump guard" been installed, I'd like to think it has but can't be sure...something for me to check this spring for sure! I'm leaning towards purchasing the AF-XiED and dbl-checking that my software has been updated to the most current version (2018?) as Ridgeback suggested. Of course I could always fly you over to take a look at my bike this spring if nothing else works! Cheers, JDaniel

 

[botus]

"valve clearances" are what we used to call tappets (the rattley clicky noise at the top of the engine) these need the right small gap so they close fully, but not too big the cam hammers the components on opening ... whilst the clearance does indeed affect the opening and closing slightly - this is quite different to the "valve timing", this is the big one tooth at a time position of both cams hopefully operating in unison trying to stop the valves smashing themselves into the pistons, whilst allowing the fuel/air in and the burnt gases out to optimise power and torque

 

[JDCrammond]

Cheers botus and thank you for your great response as well. The information regarding the Sensor Manipulator has me quite interested. Thank you for the link and accompanying image. Like I've told the other respondents, I have the whole winter (thanks Canada!) to look into this and will be getting back at it in the spring. Your information will definitely help. The high octane gas is something that I've got to be more careful about going forward as I realized that the Costco gas I was pumping into my tank was disturbingly low even though it called itself "Premium". Thanks again, I may be contacting you in the spring for some more info. Cheers

I am also here in Canada I suggest ONLY Shell Nitro..it contaains NO ethanol and is tru premium...I have no isses with it...tried them all and this is the only one that works..plus I would never store my bike for the winter with fuel containing ethanol as it degrades any rubber it touches

 

[JDCrammond]

All very interesting information on ethanol, thanks for sharing everybody. Now I have to find out who's got the highest octane fuel without using it here in my neck of the woods. Cheers everyone.

Shell