Abs Problem

[ROLAND]

Abs Lights Will Not Stop Flashing On My 2000 R1150 Gs,w/ 15k Miles.
Dealer Says Abs Pump Needs Replaced,which Is Rare,expensive {$1600.00},and Out Of Warranty ! Anyone Have Or Heard Of This Type Problem Before ? Pump Cannot Be Serviced Or Exchanged,only Replaced. Bike Is Well Maintained And Serviced At Dealer,not Ridden Off-road. One Shop Said It Could Also Be Ecu That Is At Fault.
Seems Like A "no Way Out" At This Point ! Any Advice Appreciated.

[j-budimlya]

It's a bit complicated, but you could shop for a "take off" from crashed MC..

A front end crash is unlikely to damage the unit.....

But you need to be prepared to replace it and flush the system to get operational......

I would expect it to cost no more than $250-300....

Just a thought...

[NYRIDER]

Do they flash at the same time... or do they alternate?
I am continually annoyed because my ABS lights alternately blink when I first start up my bike.
But my bike is a 97 R1100R. After riding for 5 minutes, I must shut the bike completely off and then wait a few seconds and start again, where upon hitting the speed necessary to fire up the ABS (i think 2 mph) All systems are functioning,

Dealer can run diagnostic on it, to check for faults stored in memory.
They tell me that it is because my battery is not maintaining the necessary minimum level of current that the system requires. Also I have been told - After turning on the ignition, wait 5 seconds before starting the bike.
I would change the battery if it gave me any other problems... but the fact is it is the first bike I ever had that starts under its own power, even on days where the temp is around 40F.

Hope info is helpful!

[kbasa]

Do they flash at the same time... or do they alternate?
I am continually annoyed because my ABS lights alternately blink when I first start up my bike.
But my bike is a 97 R1100R. After riding for 5 minutes, I must shut the bike completely off and then wait a few seconds and start again, where upon hitting the speed necessary to fire up the ABS (i think 2 mph) All systems are functioning,

Dealer can run diagnostic on it, to check for faults stored in memory.
They tell me that it is because my battery is not maintaining the necessary minimum level of current that the system requires. Also I have been told - After turning on the ignition, wait 5 seconds before starting the bike.
I would change the battery if it gave me any other problems... but the fact is it is the first bike I ever had that starts under its own power, even on days where the temp is around 40F.

Hope info is helpful!

Your dealer's right. The only times I've had issues with flashing alternating lights on our RS have been when a new battery was headed my way.

[bikerfish1100]

Also I have been told - After turning on the ignition, wait 5 seconds before starting the bike.
that means that after you turn the key to "on", you wait until the fuel pump stops humming (priming the system) before hitting the starter. and yes, you have to do that if you want the ABS to run as it should.
ditto on teh battery call. if you don't ride the bike real often (shame on you!), hook it up to a Battery Tender, or similar super low-output charger, to keep it up to snuff.

[jdcoffman]

I let my 16 yr old :stick son take my r1100rs around the local airport parking lot but failed to successfully inform my son this bike much faster than Honda 350 after his third lap he lost control hopped off the bike and it crashed in the grass. A little damage to rear turn signal and brake light. I replaced brake light and turn signal but my abs continue to flash constantly. Someday if I have to take bike to dealer I might have them check this out but for now I use a strip of electrical tape and out of site out of mind. I just drive knowing that I no longer have abs just standard brakes.

[bmwmick]

I let my 16 yr old :stick son take my r1100rs around the local airport parking lot but failed to successfully inform my son this bike much faster than Honda 350 after his third lap he lost control hopped off the bike and it crashed in the grass. A little damage to rear turn signal and brake light. I replaced brake light and turn signal but my abs continue to flash constantly. Someday if I have to take bike to dealer I might have them check this out but for now I use a strip of electrical tape and out of site out of mind. I just drive knowing that I no longer have abs just standard brakes.

John,
All you probably need is a reset. I would read the codes first and then attempt the reset mentioned here http://www.largiader.com/abs/absfault.html and many other places on the web. IBMWR.org being one of the others.

Mick
:type

[soldemall]

My 11GS came with non functioning ABS. I simply removed the bulbs until I can find some real data to begin diagnosis. PO had a dealer check it out. Dealer charged a half hour diagnostic time, but they didn't diagnose anything. They simply stuck in a relay which didn't fix it, so declared the pump/ecu to be bad.
First step is the reset. Then check the sensor gaps. Then, and this is what I've not yet found, is find what the signal should be from the sensor to the ecu. If that is good, then check output from ecu to the relay; then the relay itself along with related wiring.
Anyone have a shop manual with that info?

[bmwmick]

My 11GS came with non functioning ABS. I simply removed the bulbs until I can find some real data to begin diagnosis. PO had a dealer check it out. Dealer charged a half hour diagnostic time, but they didn't diagnose anything. They simply stuck in a relay which didn't fix it, so declared the pump/ecu to be bad.
First step is the reset. Then check the sensor gaps. Then, and this is what I've not yet found, is find what the signal should be from the sensor to the ecu. If that is good, then check output from ecu to the relay; then the relay itself along with related wiring.
Anyone have a shop manual with that info?

Paul,
Have you looked at Anton's site (the one I referenced in the previous post)?
You are correct in your thinking, FIRST you need to read out the faults and determine what error you have. ABS-II is a little easier to diagnose than ABS-I since you don't have the two pressure modulators, yours is all internal to the ABS pump unit. Which relay did they replace?
There are TWO relays involved, one is integrated on the pump unit. This relay is the main power feed and is powered any time the ignition is on. This relay supplies power to the pump motor.
The other relay is the ABS TEST relay. It applies voltage to the ABS control unit test circuit and is located in the relay box under your seat.
The wheel sensors simply provide pulses to the ABS Control Unit so it knows the rotation speed of each wheel. They are compared to a known value and if either is out of spec, a fault is set. This testing doesn't happen until the wheels are rotating. If your fault is persistent BEFORE the wheels are moving, it's probably not a sensor failure(unless one of the sensors is OPEN). You 'can' test the sensors by probing the sensor cables with a good volt meter or a scope. The waveforms are simple analog signals and pulse with wheel rotation. Putting an Ohm Meter on the sensor cable you should see about 135Ohms across the sensor (disconnected of course). It is nothing more than a coil of wire around a magnetic core. The pulse wheel passing the sensor causes a very small voltage to be generated.
Let us know when you dig into it. I sent you a PM

Mick :type
Tucson
PS You can order the ABS diagrams from your dealer too. About $25 each.

[soldemall]

Thanks to Mick for the link and further info. This is going to be fun to dig into.

[lkchris]

Your toolkit should contain a max/min feeler guage.

Use it yourself to check the gap between the sensors and the teeth. You can do the front easily, rear requires unbolting the caliper and moving it aside.

You'd be surprised how often these clearances mysteriously change. It's pretty easy to obtain/add shims.

See also
http://bmwrt.com/faq/brakes.htm

[jdcoffman]

John,
All you probably need is a reset. I would read the codes first and then attempt the reset mentioned here http://www.largiader.com/abs/absfault.html and many other places on the web. IBMWR.org being one of the others.

Mick
:type
Hey thanks a lot I will look into this.

[grsteiner]

:type Roland: I had the same problem when I bought my used '98 RT. I replaced the battery with a WestCo sealed unit and the problem went away. Last year ('03) the problem began to return on first startup of the day, but did not occur when bike was warm at fuel or lunch stops. I checked with my dealer and his response was, "Friend, you need a new battery!" I told him my WestCo was only about 4 years old. He said the computer must sense at least 9.5 volts or the ABS system will not initialize--the result is the lights will flash alternately and you have no ABS. After the bike has run for a while, the battery receives some 'charge' and the problem is gone by the next shutdown and re-start. I replaced the WestCo with an Odyssey sealed battery and no more problems. None. ABS initializes every time with no 5-second wait.

[Andy VH]

I fried the ABS modulator in my 94 RS due to repeated cold weather starts. Dealer claimed it "burned in" a permanent fault. I got lucky and found a replacment ABS modulator on ebay for $250. It was an easy changeout, for me, as I have always done all my own work as a home taught mechanic. My 94 has 115,000 miles on it, my 76 RS has 65,000 miles on it.

The replacement ABS modulator came from a K1100RS, so after I installed it I took it to the dealer so the mechanic could tell it what bike it was installed in. Its been working fine since.

The list price on the ABS modulator is $1600. Salvage replacements generally are 1/2 of retail price, at $800. If you can find one at less than $800 its a deal. i got real lucky to find one on ebay with a Buy It Now price of $250. I snapped it up the minute I saw it.