2004 R1150R Fuel Leak Unique Situation?

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2004 R1150R Fuel Leak Unique Situation?

Post by shahrkster »

I have found several posts on this topic but mine seems to be unique in nature. My motorcycle has been sitting for a few - say 4 to 6- weeks. The other day when the weather was nice and I wanted to take it out, I fired it up and let it idle for a bit. I smelled fuel and there seemed to be a leak on the right side of the bike and there was a drop every so often. It was dripping onto where the right leg of the center stand is. I researched this forum and saw this was a common problem. So a couple of days later I removed the side fairing and oil coolers to expose the fuel lines as best as I could and here it comes - NO LEAKS. I have ridden the bike about 30 or so miles over a couple of days and no leaks. Can someone help me understand this problem before I get too concerned and start tearing the bike open?
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Re: 2004 R1150R Fuel Leak Unique Situation?

Post by riceburner »

How old is the bike and how long have you had it? What work have you done to it?
Could be that the fuel disconnect seals had dried up slightly.
Could also be that the fuel disconnects are cracked and close up with heat expansion
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Re: 2004 R1150R Fuel Leak Unique Situation?

Post by jwagreen »

It sounds like the overfill vent for the fuel tank line. Or the fuel canister vent line. They both vent to the right side of the bike. If the tank was full of fuel and heat expansion of the fuel vapors vent out of the fuel tank.
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Re: 2004 R1150R Fuel Leak Unique Situation?

Post by shahrkster »

riceburner wrote:How old is the bike and how long have you had it? What work have you done to it?
Could be that the fuel disconnect seals had dried up slightly.
Could also be that the fuel disconnects are cracked and close up with heat expansion

It’s a 2004. About 29K miles with not repair history. Not in ideal condition but runs pretty well.
I did start it up before taking the oil coolers off and there was no leak. Hasn’t been leaking since the first time it happened.
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Re: 2004 R1150R Fuel Leak Unique Situation?

Post by shahrkster »

jwagreen wrote:It sounds like the overfill vent for the fuel tank line. Or the fuel canister vent line. They both vent to the right side of the bike. If the tank was full of fuel and heat expansion of the fuel vapors vent out of the fuel tank.
So why would this happen only when the bike started? I would assume that this would happen while it is standing? It only happened while the bike was running and would stop after it was shut.
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Re: 2004 R1150R Fuel Leak Unique Situation?

Post by swamper »

Just sounds like a loose fitting somewhere. I had a hose clamp loosen up on the quick connect and it leaked on and off but eventually got to where we found it.
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Re: 2004 R1150R Fuel Leak Unique Situation?

Post by AZBMWRIDER »

A fuel leak on the right side, is usually a fuel tank over flow from the fuel tank, expansion of the fuel due to temperature increase .
A common occurance for me, with temps at 114 F this time of year .
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Re: 2004 R1150R Fuel Leak Unique Situation?

Post by towerworker »

A fuel leak on the right side is very often a leaking quick disconnect. The oem BMW QD's were little more than junk and stranded many riders (myself included). If they are original you'd be wise to replace them with these:

https://www.beemerboneyard.com/cpcqkdiscon.html
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Re: 2004 R1150R Fuel Leak Unique Situation?

Post by Sunbeemer »

Since it was dripping onto the center stand, that leads me to believe it could have been coming from the tank discharge tubes located behind the right footpeg. (There are two, one from the filler neck recess and one from inside the tank). If gas were leaking from the quick-disconnects I think it would have been dripping more forward.

However, I had a fuel hose from a quick-disconnect delaminate where it was fitted to the plastic tube by the airbox that initially only leaked when the engine was cold, but after a while leaked more often, which is how I finally found it. This was the subject of a recall some years ago. If this is the case with yours, open up or snip the crimped-on (Oeticker) clamp and carefully remove the hose from the plastic tube without crimping or putting too much stress on the tube (Minimize twisting). You can make a shallow slit along it's length (being careful not to slice into the tube) and pry it off gently with a small screw driver. There's a metal insert inside the tube that keeps the tube rigid enough to clamp the hose against; reinstall it if it comes out with the hose. Heat the end of the hose (in hot water) to soften it and slide it onto the tube (a little silicone grease on the tube could help) while holding the tube firmly close to the hose so it does not buckle or fold (push it straight on with minimal twisting). If the tube gets crimped you should replace it, which is a PITA.

For external fuel hoses, use 5/16" (8X13mm) Goodyear SAE J36R9 spec hose (for high pressure fuel lines) and fuel injection hose clamps. (FYI, fuel hose used inside the tank should be 5/16" SAE J3610 spec).

Good luck and let us know what you find?
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Re: 2004 R1150R Fuel Leak Unique Situation?

Post by Buckster »

towerworker wrote:A fuel leak on the right side is very often a leaking quick disconnect. The oem BMW QD's were little more than junk and stranded many riders (myself included). If they are original you'd be wise to replace them.
I agree. Even if you find that the leak is coming from somewhere else....these should be replaced if they are the original plastic ones. I believe that BMW did a recall so your dealer would know more. I remember them asking me if this was done by them, but I had already swapped mine out.
Good luck sorting this out....if not, let your dealer diagnose and fix.
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Re: 2004 R1150R Fuel Leak Unique Situation?

Post by shahrkster »

Buckster wrote:
towerworker wrote:A fuel leak on the right side is very often a leaking quick disconnect. The oem BMW QD's were little more than junk and stranded many riders (myself included). If they are original you'd be wise to replace them.
I agree. Even if you find that the leak is coming from somewhere else....these should be replaced if they are the original plastic ones. I believe that BMW did a recall so your dealer would know more. I remember them asking me if this was done by them, but I had already swapped mine out.
Good luck sorting this out....if not, let your dealer diagnose and fix.
I looked up my VIN. This doesn’t come up under the open safety recalls. Next time I open the bike up I will look into whether these were changed. I will also call the local dealership to see what they have to say.
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Re: 2004 R1150R Fuel Leak Unique Situation?

Post by shahrkster »

towerworker wrote:A fuel leak on the right side is very often a leaking quick disconnect. The oem BMW QD's were little more than junk and stranded many riders (myself included). If they are original you'd be wise to replace them with these:

https://www.beemerboneyard.com/cpcqkdiscon.html
Thanks for the detail and the link. I looked into those. I’m thinking about getting these done but I want to see what the dealer has to say about the recall and potential he a free replacement :D I’m thinking about getting these done but I want to see what the dealer has to say about the recall and potential he a free replacement :D :mrgreen:

Will take the motorcycle for a ride and see what happens. Looks like you’re not too far down the street from Winchester.Let’s catch up one of these days and get your thoughts on my bike. You seem to you have a lot of wisdom on these things.
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Re: 2004 R1150R Fuel Leak Unique Situation?

Post by towerworker »

Hey I'd love to!....Not sure about the wisdom thing though....

I don't know what BMW has now for replacements. When they broke on my first R (an '03) they replaced them with the same things that broke. They stayed intact till '07 when I totaled the bike. I put them on my '04 quickly after I bought it. They are pretty much indestructible.
I lube the O rings each time prior to reconnecting after I've removed the tank.
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Re: 2004 R1150R Fuel Leak Unique Situation?

Post by MB5 »

towerworker wrote:A fuel leak on the right side is very often a leaking quick disconnect. The oem BMW QD's were little more than junk and stranded many riders (myself included). If they are original you'd be wise to replace them with these:

https://www.beemerboneyard.com/cpcqkdiscon.html
I haven't had a problem with leaks, but are those any better at excluding air during re-mating than the OEM's? I just had to replace my battery, and the bike ran like crap for the first five miles, surging and sputtering until whatever air bubble got introduced to the fuel line had been forced past the injectors.
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Re: 2004 R1150R Fuel Leak Unique Situation?

Post by towerworker »

I couldn’t count the number of times I’ve had my tank off
since replacing them. I don’t remember ever having an issue. I’m always sure to re-lube the QD’s prior to re-connecting.
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Re: 2004 R1150R Fuel Leak Unique Situation?

Post by Boxer »

It has been a while since I played around with the R1150R, but I DID have leaking fuel lines by the QDs and it was leaking out onto my right toe/footpeg area, NOT back on the center stand. Without seeing it and just based on info you have posted here I would go with AZBMWRIDER from a few posts back. If it stopped and you don't see it anymore its a good sign. :-) But you have to remember when you had it apart looking for leaks there was no pressure on the line. It bears keeping an eye on it for further leaks.
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Re: 2004 R1150R Fuel Leak Unique Situation?

Post by shahrkster »

Hey all...hope you guys had a nice winter and are staying safe.

I finally took the tank off (to get to the battery that died on me) and to investigate the fuel leak. I think it might be the fuel return line leaking where it was interfacing with the tank inlet. I felt some greasy stuff on that hose alone (since the bike has been in storage) and figured it was remnant/dried oils from the fuel leak mixed in with some dirt that settled. I noticed that when I played with the hose, it would "swivel" around the connection rather easily compared to the fuel out side. I think I will be replacing both.

Trying to do this more cost effectively. Any thoughts on the fuel line options and clamps rather than paying $27-$40 from some place?

I read on one of the posts that it is a good idea to change out the fuel pump, fuel filter and tubing internal to the tank as well. Not sure if I want to do all that and spend the money or worse create another issue. I will probably change the fuel filter and the net. Thoughts on this?

Can wait to start riding this thing again.
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Re: 2004 R1150R Fuel Leak Unique Situation?

Post by towerworker »

When I changed my filter and lines inside the tank I did not buy stuff from BMW. But you DO need to use clamps that are specifically designed for high pressure fuel injection. NOT the common screw type clamps. I bought the proper squeeze type FI clamps along with a crimping tool. I'm not plugging the below links. They're just an example of the type of clamps to use. There are FI rated clamps that are designed differently but BMW used the below style for a reason. One more thing..........if you decide to replace any of the fuel lines in the tank or external be sure they're rated for fuel injection systems because of the high pressures involved. You can not use conventional old fuel line like you'd put on your mower. Also any lines replaced within the tank need to be rated for "fuel immersion." Regular lines are designed for fuel on the inside of the line (duh!) but not to be constantly immersed in fuel. All that being said don't think you have to replace the internal lines.......that's only if you find something wrong with them.

https://www.amazon.com/Dorman-800-306-P ... B001O07PU8

https://www.amazon.com/DYWISHKEY-Stainl ... 248&sr=8-4

And yeah you should change your filter. And buy a new O-ring that seals the assembly to the tank. It's about 4-5 inches in diameter. Very very important to evenly tighten and torque the 6 small nuts that hold the assembly to the tank. 10mm sticks in my mind. And did I say to carefully tighten and torque those nuts? :) :)
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Re: 2004 R1150R Fuel Leak Unique Situation?

Post by swamper »

Beemer Boneyard sells a complete kit for this.
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Re: 2004 R1150R Fuel Leak Unique Situation?

Post by shahrkster »

towerworker wrote:When I changed my filter and lines inside the tank I did not buy stuff from BMW. But you DO need to use clamps that are specifically designed for high pressure fuel injection. NOT the common screw type clamps. I bought the proper squeeze type FI clamps along with a crimping tool. I'm not plugging the below links. They're just an example of the type of clamps to use. There are FI rated clamps that are designed differently but BMW used the below style for a reason. One more thing..........if you decide to replace any of the fuel lines in the tank or external be sure they're rated for fuel injection systems because of the high pressures involved. You can not use conventional old fuel line like you'd put on your mower. Also any lines replaced within the tank need to be rated for "fuel immersion." Regular lines are designed for fuel on the inside of the line (duh!) but not to be constantly immersed in fuel. All that being said don't think you have to replace the internal lines.......that's only if you find something wrong with them.

https://www.amazon.com/Dorman-800-306-P ... B001O07PU8

https://www.amazon.com/DYWISHKEY-Stainl ... 248&sr=8-4

And yeah you should change your filter. And buy a new O-ring that seals the assembly to the tank. It's about 4-5 inches in diameter. Very very important to evenly tighten and torque the 6 small nuts that hold the assembly to the tank. 10mm sticks in my mind. And did I say to carefully tighten and torque those nuts? :) :)

Thanks...I will get these and the tool.
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