Fuel gauge stopped responding, leading to running out of fuel while moving. This is a common failure on many bike models from BMW from 2005-2013. I have had this happen 4 times so far, and each time the fuel level measuring strip in the fuel tank was replaced. This repair is costly, and has proven it is at best a temporary solution. This is an unsafe condition since loss of engine power from running out of fuel can be quite dangerous on a motorcycle.
BMW R 1200 R fuel gauge problems
29 of the 57 owner complaints about the BMW R 1200 R describe wrong fuel gauge reading, most of them for the 2013 model year.
- owner complaints
- 29
- worst model year
- 2013
- typical mileage
- 3,953
Is there a fix? There are 3 recalls for this area of the car. See below
By model year
Often reported together
What owners say
The fuel strip located inside the tank which sends an electronic signal to the dash gauge indicating the amount of fuel available until the low fuel warning light comes on malfunctions and eventually fails. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. On three separate occasions (two on 55 mph + roads with two + lanes of traffic and once on a local 35 mph one lane road) I was driving and the fuel level indicated a sufficient amount to travel to my destination when the tank abruptly ran dry with no warning and I had to coast to the side of the road stranded and had to call for roadside assistance. The problem occurred within two to three years of the vehicle being in service. The factory warranty covers 3 years/3600 miles. To the best of my knowledge, the problem first occurred in 2011 or 2012. I am not sure if the first occurrence was covered under the original manufacturers factory warranty but I would not pay out of pocket cost to have the fuel strip replaced. After many complaints and incidences from other owners the manufacturer notified owners by mail that the fuel strip warranty was extended to 12 years from original date of sale. By extending the warranty terms I would hope that the manufacturer planned to give its engineers time to come up with a permanent fix for this ongoing problem, but chose to only keep replacing the defective part with another sure to fail part continuing in a cycle of frustration and endangering rider safety. My vehicle is now in the 13th year of service and is no longer covered by the extended warranty. I voiced my concerns to the BMW Customer Service representatives and they acknowledge the warranty has now expired with no permanent fix or resolve to the original problem. This malfunction has been well documented at BMW motorcycle dealers both in the US and worldwide. My concerns have fallen on deaf ears. Check the service records at any BMW motorcycle dealer and you will find many replaced fuel strips under the warranty.
Riding on the highway (left lane) at 65 MPH the fuel gauge showed slightly less than 1/4 tank, the computer showed 50+ miles of gas left. The engine quit and I had to slowly drift across 3 lanes of traffic to get to the shoulder. The tank was empty.
Fuel gauge stopped responding, leading to running out of fuel while moving. This is a common failure on many bike models from bmw from 2005-2013. I have had this happen 5 times so far, and each time the fuel level measuring strip in the fuel tank was replaced. This is an unsafe condition since loss of engine power from running out of fuel can be quite dangerous on a motorcycle. The date listed below is the first instance of when it happened.
My fuel gauge failed due to the failure of the fuel level sending "strip" - this is common on many bmw motorcycle models from 2004-2014. As a result of the failure I ran out of fuel on a busy highway. This created a dangerous situation.
The fuel gauge showed low level and the reserve visual alarm stayed on while there was plenty of fuel in the tank. Reported to dealer, official bmw dealer broward motorsport of palm beach, their report claimed they have fixed the issue, the motorcycle had 1166 miles at time of service. Today, at 1540 miles the same issue occurred again, there is plenty of fuel in the tank but the gauge show the lowest bar only and the visual alarm light stays on at all times. I will now have to take the motorcycle to the dealership to install the 3rd fuel gauge in 1500 miles. It's a 17,500 $, 2013 new motorcycle, still under warranty, but I would like to know what will happen once the warranty will be expired, by reading online forums it seems like this is a very common and repetitive issue with apparently no solution apart from keep on replacing while it will keep on repeating. Please inform if there is any solution. Thanks
Low fuel light illuminated and reported 42 miles to empty on the instrument cluster. Approximately 7 miles later the motorcycle lost power while on the roadway. Fuel gauge still showed one bar and 42 miles to go at the time power was lost. Bmw apparently knows all about this problem but has not fixed the defective fuel strip design to prevent future occurrences.
Motorcycle engine stopped running on highway off ramp. Engine would crank, but not restart. Fuel gauge on electronic readout showed 78 miles until refill. No warning lights were flashing. Put fuel in the tank, started right up. In-tank fuel sensor is faulty.
Tl* the contact owns a 2007 bmw 1200rt motorcycle. The contact stated that the fuel gauge would constantly display erroneous fuel readings. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed with a fractured fuel pump which needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacture was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 2,000 and the current mileage was 28,000. Kmj
I had been on the road for about 30 minutes and had been in heavy stop and go traffic for about 10 minutes. My fuel gauge went from half tank to empty with the "low fuel" warning light flashing between. This happened between glances at the instrument cluster. Since it was a 90 degree day and in stop and go traffic I was watching the engine temperature gauge closely. The engine temperature gauge is part of the same cluster as the fuel gauge so I know the change from a half tank of fuel to no fuel was almost if not instantaneous. It is the result of a bad fuel sensor in the fuel tank that is a known issue with this type of strip sensor. With hundreds of these sensors going bad inside the fuel tank how long will it be before one has a serious fault and blows up the fuel tank sitting between the motorcycle riders legs. Never say never.
Related recalls
Fuel system, gasoline: delivery: fuel pump
- What is wrong
- BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2011-2014 S 1000 RR/R/ HP4, R 1200 GS/GS Adventure/R/RT, K 1300 S, K 1600 GT/GTL/GTL Exclusive and 2014 R nine T motorcycles. The fuel pump, and auxiliary fuel pump in certain models, may crack and leak fuel during vehicle operation.
- Risk
- A fuel leak, in the presence of an ignition source, may result in a fire.
- Remedy
- BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel pump, free of charge. The recall began March 17, 2021. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1‑800‑525‑7417.
Recall number 21V060000 · Recall details
Fuel system, gasoline: delivery: fuel pump
- What is wrong
- BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2009-2011 K1300 (S, GT), 2010-2011 S1000 RR, 2005-2011 R1200 (GS, GS Adventure, R, RT, S, ST), 2006-2010 HP2 (Enduro, Megamoto, Sport), 2005-2008 K1200 (R, R Sport, S, GT), and 2012 K1600 (GT, GTL) motorcycles that were repaired under recall 13V‑617 with the support ring remedy and where the fuel pump was not replaced at a later date. This recall involves the fuel pump, and also the auxiliary fuel pump as applicable. The affected motorcycles have a fuel pump flange that may crack, possibly resulting in a fuel leak while the engine is running.
- Risk
- A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source can increase the risk of a fire.
- Remedy
- BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel pump(s) with an improved version, free of charge. The recall began January 18, 2021. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1‑800‑525‑7417.
Recall number 20V471000 · Recall details
Fuel system, gasoline: delivery: fuel pump
- What is wrong
- BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2005-2011 model year R-model motorcycles, model year 2005-2012 K-model motorcycles, model year 2010-2011 S 1000 model motorcycles, and model year 2006-2010 HP2 motorcycles. In the affected motorcycles, the fuel pump flange (and the auxiliary fuel pump flange if equipped) could develop cracks and leak fuel.
- Risk
- A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source may result in a fire.
- Remedy
- BMW will notify owners, and dealers will either reinforce the fuel pump flange or replace the pump, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on April 16, 2014. Owners may contact BMW customer relations at 1‑800‑525‑7417 or email BMW at [email protected].
Recall number 13V617000 · Recall details
Questions about the BMW R 1200 R fuel gauge
Which BMW R 1200 R years have wrong fuel gauge reading problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2013 (6 complaints), 2007 (5 complaints) and 2008 (5 complaints).
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