07 GS Bad Pinging or Rattle on Acceleration

Anyone have any problems with very loud pinging or rattle when accelerating from 3500 rpm on a 07 GS? Doesn't do it until 3500 rpm and it doesn't matter which gear.

The bike has had the "up-date" for 07 GS pinging as per the service bulletin done at 1000km service. Didn't help at all. Just had the 10,000 km service done and it is still there. The bike runs fine, but the ping or rattle is loud, think shaking a tin can full of rocks kind of loud.

Has anyone had this problem and found a cure?

Hey MANXMAN,

Are you sure it's a pinging and a rattle?
My 08 has a strange rattle around that RPM in any gear and it does no sound like pinging. It sounds like a plastic rubbing on metal or vibrating, is that what your sound like?

Just ride it back to Southwest and tell them to fix it right!!
See your 1150 ADV is in the showroom at SW, maybe you should keep it.

Let us know what happens,
Rick

At 3,500 rpm, my take, is that unless you were at max GVW, on a 45% grade and air temp was 120 F....the engine should not have any pre-ignition [rattle]...oxygen sensors? Timing? How many bars showed on temp scale?

Do you use ethanol fuel mix? What is octane rating of fuel used?

Ps...Sicily? My wife's family is from the island...we visited there last Fall.

Does your bike have the BMW traction control?

If you so you need to take it in have the knock sensor re-calibrated. You dealer should have a TSB on this. (Technical Service Bulletin)

I am also experiencing a pinging sound in 5th and 6th mostly when I am accelerating whether under camping load or not. I have been trying to convince myself it is our over priced and under quality gas we are forced to put into these bikes. I am seeing more of this problem and now I wonder if there may be a bike issue. I notice it mainly happens when I am going full throttle to accelerate quickly, though if I ease on the throttle it seems to not happen. I don't know... I do know this 07 GSA I have now is not as responsive as my old 06 GS. I realize it is heavier though these monsters haul ass no matter what kind of load. The 06 was quicker.

I don't believe there was any traction control until '08? But I could be wrong.....what TSB on knock sensor?

The 4,200 "boxer vibration" characteristic of the motor doesn't not feel or sound like a 'rattle'...what you describe sounds like pure pre-ignition which can eat pistons...get the bike back to your dealer for a check on engine control mapping...odd that it happens at 3,500 rpm unless there is a flat spot in the timining/advance causing it...or oxygen sensor is mis-queing at that point and leans it out too much for the load..

My '07 GSA has only rattled at abusive load and low rpms when hot...never above 2,000 rpms...

... check the inner mounts on your hand guards. My GS had a loud scary buzzy sound at about the rpm you describe. It sure sounded like it was coming from the engine!

It took a long time, but I figured out the inner handguard mounts were twisted, allowing the left guard to contact the clutch hydraulic line. Try "twanging" the top edge of each guard with your finger. If you hear a familiar bad sound you've found the issue.

ASC was introduced on the 2007 GS http://www.r1200gs.info/misc/specs/

The TSB is a software update to recalibrate the knock sensor retard the ignition at lower RPM allowing the engine to run smoother for late 2007 and 2008's. There are many threads here about it. When I read the TSB at the dealer I thought it said that only bikes with ASC were involved but I could have gotten it wrong.

Here is the previous discussion of the TSB
http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=353888

For Manxman and Lottahops.

If there is carbon buildup in the cylinders it often causes pinging (detonation). With 10,000km it isn't too likely, but possible nonetheless. If you guys drive like grandma and don't use Tier 1 gasoline with anti-deposit additives carbon buildup can happen pretty quickly. If the bike uses a bit of oil it makes the potential that much worse.

I would put a bottle of Techron in a full tank and give it the 'ol Italian tuneup.
Blow some of that junk out.

While it is entirely possible the service bulletin repair will fix you issue, performing the above won't hurt anything.

Hey thanks...I never knew that ASC was offered on my '07 GSA..would not have wanted it in any event..but just never knew..more education!

I read about you reading the TSB at a dealer's on remapping the sensor...also news to me..haven't seen that TSB posted..makes sense with ethanol fuel now required in Oregon and many states...retarding timing would indeed stop pre-ignition at the expense of mileage and power...

hi,
i have a 07 1200gsa with 5000 miles on it. i took it to the dealer and asked them aout the rattle i have. the rattle is only during accelration, it starts about 5000 rpm's and ends at 6000 rpms. it seem louder, when the engine is loaded harder. when you free rev the engine in nuetral, the engine sounds absolutlly perfect!!!
they told me it is nothing and the bike is perfect. well, im not buying that answer. i bieleve it is something and it annoys the heck out of me.
ive never ripped a boxer engine apart, but i think it could be a cam chain "clangin-rattle".
ive tried putting 104 octane boost in, but that didnt help!!!!
im hopeing at the 6000 mile service something may change. although it defnetlly does not seem like its the valves........any ideas,,,,id would love to hear them,,,,,,FRANKIE

I had the same noise and sluggish performance on a recent trip. Finally, I got tired of the minivans passing me so I decided to accelerate past the "rattle" rpm, and ran it at 85-90 mph in 6th gear for a couple hours. Runs like new again. I'm guessing it was carbon deposits causing pinging.

Hi guys. I have an 07 GSA and it has the same 'rattle, but in my case I'm pretty conviced it's nothing to worry about. After my 03 GSA which was okay, I was worried by the tractor-like sound on full throttle at around 3-4000rpm when I first got the 07. But I now reckon it's loud induction noise coming from the front of the tank. That's why only on heavy throttle.

HEY TXL,
this past weekend i went to the "THUNDER IN THE VALLEY" RALLY in Johnstown Pa. before i left i filled up the tank and put in " "104 octane booster fuel injector combustion chamber cleaner"".. it was a 250 mile round trip ride. 180 miles of the trip was the "PA TURNPIKE", which i averaged between 75 mph and 85 mph. a couple of times i kicked down to 115 mph......that being said, im pretty sure i dont have any carbon deposits anywhere....

The noise im hereing is not a vavle ping or a tap or a float,,,,,but heavier sound only on accleration between 5-6000 rpms, under load. say i accelerate up to 5500 rpms and level out the throttle it goes away. they only thing i cant think it is ,,is maybe a cam chain...maybe a resonating rattle from the chain. ,,,one other thing,,,, i can only hear it when i ride with my helmet off. with my helmet on the engine sounds perfect.
id love to hear anyone elses thoughts.....frankie

wear your helmet?

I didn't think it was pinging either. It's is a high-pitched metallic sound - almost sounds like sheetmetal banging somewhere on the outside of the bike - and performance is sluggish when it happens.

Then I did a search for "pinging" in GSpot and found dozens of similar accounts.

07 gsa here and notta.
My old 1150 did it though. She was a bad oil burner from the get go and I had it re-ringed under warranty and the mech told my it was loaded with more carbon then he'd ever seen. And I don't baby my bikes so it wasn't that - I guess the oil was the culprit.
I do my own service now and when doing a valve adjustment - I noticed setting the rocker arm end play closer to the min. specs made the engine sound less rattle prone. But I don't know if that's any help with your deal. My guess is the timing or carbon.

txl,
ya thats what it sounds like, but im sure its not that valves. maybe its some kinda funky detonation. maybe its the knock sensor? question? when the knock sensor detects a knock, does it just retard the ign. timming? or does it send more fuel to richen up the mixture? why i ask is because it doesnt make sense it only happens in a narrow rpm range" 5-6000 rpms.

my dealer asked me ,if i knew what was making the noise, or where the noise is comming from, i said no.... he explained to me that bmw does not pay for diagnosis time on warranty items. again the dealer told me that my bike is fine. even though this is my 1st boxer engine, i still think something does not sound right. on the other side maybe it is fine, but i cant bieleve BMW ENGINEERS would allow an engine to do or sound like this one.

again when you free rev the engine, it sounds like well oiled sewwing machine. it only rattles under a load between 5-6000 rpms.

i knowif i could find a hot shot bmw mechanic he would be avble to tell me what it is...
frankie

Are you guys sure it is not the crash bars rattling? This is not that uncommon when one of the mount tabs break, and at certain RPMs the mouts clack together.

Jim

OP's bike is an Adventure..different bars than GS...and he was very specific about the sound on acceleration at 3,500 rpm: "The bike runs fine, but the ping or rattle is loud, think shaking a tin can full of rocks kind of loud." Normally that sound is pre-ignition...the rattle gives it away. But I could of course be absolutely wrong...