Oh S#*T!!

[tiginbna]

Just came back from a long day, 750 miles TN to NY, and after side standing the 1100gs for a day saw a frightening sight. A pinkish oil (tranny fluid?) had collected on the rear rim. I washed it off and it has not seemed to come back yet. But if anyone has any ideas I sure will listen. Rear seal gone? I had the tranny rebuilt (new clutch, splinelube, new seal etc) not more than 4,500 hundred miles ago, but it was alomost a year ago, its been a bad year for riding mileage wise.

Thanks

Brent

[GregFeeler]

Just came back from a long day, 750 miles TN to NY, and after side standing the 1100gs for a day saw a frightening sight. A pinkish oil (tranny fluid?) had collected on the rear rim. I washed it off and it has not seemed to come back yet. But if anyone has any ideas I sure will listen. Rear seal gone? I had the tranny rebuilt (new clutch, splinelube, new seal etc) not more than 4,500 hundred miles ago, but it was alomost a year ago, its been a bad year for riding mileage wise.

Thanks

Brent

Pinkish? That wouldn't be any gear lub I know of. What was the consistancy of this fluid? Was it sticky or slick? Any places on the bottom of the bike that look wet?

[tiginbna]

The very bottom of the drive shaft, under the drive housing? I touched there with my fingers and it was damp with the same fluid. (Maybe brakes???)
Thanks for the help

Brent

[JKERSH1]

I had a similar experience last year on my 1100GS that was brake fluid from a loose brake line at the caliper.

[FredRydr]

The very bottom of the drive shaft, under the drive housing? I touched there with my fingers and it was damp with the same fluid. (Maybe brakes???)What does it smell like?

What does it taste like?

Fred

P.S. Just kidding about tasting it.

[soffiler]

I recall reading somewhere that BMW was now using a semi-synth, possibly in response to the rear-drive failure issues (but they won't admit that, will they?) and if I recall correctly, the new fluid is reddish/pinkish. So a fairly recent dealer service that includes rear-drive fluid change might very well point to that as your source. Somebody else mentioned brake fluid... I've NEVER seen pinkish colored brake fluid.

[username]

can you take a photo of it?

[lkchris]

Used BMW #10 grease once for spline lube.

At one highway stop, had a stream of red liquid pouring from rear drive.

[GregFeeler]

Used BMW #10 grease once for spline lube.

At one highway stop, had a stream of red liquid pouring from rear drive.


That is the worst stuff!

[Mr. Frank]

Check the rubber boot on the swing arm. The fluid might be coming from there.

[cjack]

BMW's new synth 75W90 is red/pink.

[j-budimlya]

I would work your way "uphill" with some clean white paper towels....until you find the source...

I sounds like gear lube, from either the rear diff.. or the transmission.....

I have not seen any redish drake fluid for these bikes....but it may exist...I'd check the rear brake reservoir to see if its red, if not, you can forget the brakes...

[soffiler]

BMW's new synth 75W90 is red/pink.

Thanks for confirming that, Jack. That was my understanding, but I haven't actually seen it in person and I wasn't quite trusting the memory of something I read someplace.

[rado360]

I would find out real quick if it is the rear drive big seal,I just worked on a bike that the owner said he parked and the next thing he saw was oil dripping on wheel,the cage that holds the balls in the big ball bearing in the final drive had started comming apart and ripped the spring right out of the seal,we fixed it before anything real bad happened,so take off your wheel and brake disc if you need to and take a better look to see if that final drive seal is leaking.

Tim

[WETDOG]

I had the exact same thing happen to my 99 S...I switched to Redline gearlube (pink in color)in the rear end and trans...the lube must've been a little to viscous(thicker) and it blew out my breather at anything over 80+ mph....scary looking I must admit. Switch back to BMW gl5 80-90 juice and I bet the problem goes away. Great in the trans though...109K mi....

[BubbaZanetti]

I would find out real quick if it is the rear drive big seal,I just worked on a bike that the owner said he parked and the next thing he saw was oil dripping on wheel,the cage that holds the balls in the big ball bearing in the final drive had started comming apart and ripped the spring right out of the seal,we fixed it before anything real bad happened,so take off your wheel and brake disc if you need to and take a better look to see if that final drive seal is leaking.


yep, that's what i would say, you can choose to remove the seal with or without taking the final drive cover off. i'd take the cover off though and check things out while you have the tire off, it isn't too difficult a job.

[dlearl476]

I would find out real quick if it is the rear drive big seal,I just worked on a bike that the owner said he parked and the next thing he saw was oil dripping on wheel,the cage that holds the balls in the big ball bearing in the final drive had started comming apart and ripped the spring right out of the seal,we fixed it before anything real bad happened,so take off your wheel and brake disc if you need to and take a better look to see if that final drive seal is leaking.

Tim

I'm gonna shut up. My advice was gonna be just the opposite. I have no experience with the newer bikes, but I was just about to post that once I filled my /5 just before a ride and when I got back a bit was leaking and I feared the worst. I washed it off and it never came back. I assumed I'd just overfilled it a bit and the drops I saw had blown out the vent.

[cjack]

I'm gonna shut up. My advice was gonna be just the opposite. I have no experience with the newer bikes, but I was just about to post that once I filled my /5 just before a ride and when I got back a bit was leaking and I feared the worst. I washed it off and it never came back. I assumed I'd just overfilled it a bit and the drops I saw had blown out the vent.

Those were the days when it seemed nothing ever broke. I used to get the oil all over the housing out the vent sometimes when it was cold. I guess the oil got up against the vent and pushed out when the drive heated up. Now days, you probably have to check things a bit closer...especially since there are different loads on the single swing arm bearing, etc.

[rado360]

I'm gonna shut up. My advice was gonna be just the opposite. I have no experience with the newer bikes, but I was just about to post that once I filled my /5 just before a ride and when I got back a bit was leaking and I feared the worst. I washed it off and it never came back. I assumed I'd just overfilled it a bit and the drops I saw had blown out the vent.
I don't think you should shut up because we need some one more positive than me, I'm always expecting the worst, but lot's of times I'm right.But even if it is the seal and bearing it's not that bad. :)

[username]

i rapidly washed my bike a while back, and then didnt do the world's best job of drying it. i put it in the garage, and then went to bed. the next morning i came out and there was a sorta greasy spot underneath it near the center stand. i just turned and walked back into the house saying, "oh no, oh no, oh no." (i was not cheering for speed skaters.) i went back out and wiped it all up, and looked the bike over. hmmm, no clue. i let the bike sit for another day. no more dripping. then i decided to *think* a little and came to the conclusion that i had some dirty water dripping with road gunk on it, and it just made a tiny little puddle. >1,000 miles later, and no more drips. i'm gonna wash it again, and see what happens.

another fun one was when i went out and found some strange liquid on my rear tire. i was sure the final drive was hosed. that turned out to be cat pee. i NEVER thought i'd be happy to find out that a cat peed on my tire!

[boofer]

i'm dying to know how you determined it was cat pee :cat

[username]

i'm dying to know how you determined it was cat pee :cat

odor had me at 99% certainty, then i shined an ultraviolet light on it, and when it lit up, i knew i was right.

friggin cats. i love em, but not when they whiz on my bike.

i'm pretty sure this is the perp:

http://www.leetonium.com/etymotic/etymotic_28.jpg

[33603]

Two years ago while on a trip out West I had the same problem with pink redish fluid coming out the overflow/breather on final drive unit. This happen after hot hi-speed travel for some distance. I just cleaned up the overflow on wheel and tire and it seem to go away. I think the dealer had overfilled the rear drive. I had RedLine gear lube in rear drive and it has this same color when drained. Check fluids to see if overfilled. ct

[CTHalk]

ANYone who has experience with cats knows that smell...
I bought a nice stock 1968 Triumph once that had sat in the back of a garage for a year or two. The aluminum on the side of the bike facing outward was really oxidized and corroded. Oddly, the side against the wall was really clean and nice. When I got the bike started a day later, I knew what had happened after it warmed up. The cat spray smell was horrific. After several thorough washings, lots of simichrome paste polishing the cases, and more cleaning, the darned bike still would stink like cats. It was ok when moving, but stopping at a light on a hot day was....unpleasant. I sold the bike. Damned cats. When my cats finally pass away...no more cats for me. I like cats, don't get me wrong. I just can't stand the smells they make. Dogs are more fun. H.

[tiginbna]

So... I took the wheel off, nothing seems to be broken, sheared, ruptured etc, but looks just fine. Nothing seems to be coming from the brake lines either. It is most def coming from some transmission based thing. I took of the vent/filler cap, the rubber cap on the top of the final drive plate and peering down into the tranny I can see the pinkish oil, or at least drops of it. So back to the experts.
Any help

BC

[tiginbna]

Is the filler cap the bottom allan screw or the top rubber cap on the final drive cylinder. If the oil fill is supposed to be to the bottom of the threads of the bottom port, then I have really llost very little oil out of the final, if it is the top, then, well you get the idea.
Also if I take of the inside plate of the final drive will all the oil come careening out all over the ground, or is there another resevior that holds it in place seperate of the inside plate?

Sorry to sound dumb, but still learning.

BC