ABS Failing to Engage

[The Heff]

Hi all.

I have a 98 GS1100 with ABS. It was working fine until recently when it was parked outside over night in torrential rain in Scotland. Next morning it failed to engage and hasn't worked since. The ABS lights are on constantly and I have thought about the 'tape over the lights solution' but would really prefer to sort the problem.

Having checked through this forum, most of the problems seem to be battery related. New 20amp/hr battery was purchased and fitted and went for a run today but the problem still exists????

Also just before going to Scotland, I replaced the rear brake pads, could the rear sensor have become faulty by removing the rear caliper ??

Any comments or possible solutions welcome

Thanks in advance

Heff

 

[John Armstrong]

http://www.ukgser.com/forums/showthread.php?t=222836&highlight=reset

 

[The Heff]

ABS

Used the re-set procedure as described.....

SORTED

Thanks

Heff

 

[The Heff]

ABS again

Hi all.

Used the re-set procedure and it worked temporarily.

After switching off the ignition and restarting I have to go through the re-set again to get the ABS to engage when moving off

Its obviously not practical to re-set the ABS each and every time the GS is started.

As mentioned earlier, I have fitted a brand new fully charged battery.

Any suggestions as to what could be the problem welcome

Thanks

Heff

 

[richie]

Hi all.

Used the re-set procedure and it worked temporarily.

After switching off the ignition and restarting I have to go through the re-set again to get the ABS to engage when moving off

Its obviously not practical to re-set the ABS each and every time the GS is started.

As mentioned earlier, I have fitted a brand new fully charged battery.

Any suggestions as to what could be the problem welcome

Thanks

Heff

sorry it is an obvious one, but , is the battery a good un

 

[Steptoe]

When you turn the ignition on have all electrical items switched off, don't press the starter button straightaway wait 3 or 4 seconds and allow the abs unbit time to check itself.

If you press the starter button too soon you can interupt the abs checking system as it's monitering the battery condition, and it'll be getting a reading of less than 10 volts if the starter is operating and will shut down the abs.

Of course you could also have a starter motor that's drawing too much current ????

Instead of resetting the abs each time just ride off and the next time you stop it's usually adequate enough to turn off the ignition and start the bike again and with everything warm and tickety boo the abs will then usually work as normal.

Works on my 1100 and 1150 bikes

 

[robc]

I've had the same problem on my 1150 for almost a year.

I've fitted a new battery;
I've fitted a different starter;
I've made sure the ABS button is not pressed when the ignition is turned on;
I've made sure all electrical bits are turned off when the ignition is turned on;
I've made sure I leave the the ignition on for many seconds (sometimes over a minute whilst putting on gloves) before pressing the starter.

Results are random. Sometimes the ABS lights go off and sometimes they flash. Very annoying.
For example,
ABS lights off when starting the bike in the morning. ABS lights still off after refuelling 45 miles into my journey. Stopped the bike after a further 110 miles because the Blackwall Tunnel was bunged up. Started the bike after 15 minutes and the ABS lights blinked at me.
Started the bike at home time and the ABS lights blinked at me for the whole 160 miles home in the dark which was very irritating.

More fettling required.

I'm going to go back to the original starter now I've refurbished it. I'm going to fit new spark plugs just in case they are inhibiting the starting a tiny bit. The K&N air filter needs a clean so that's another job for the weekend.
I'm going to get the battery load tested in case I got a duff one. It was new from Motoworks maybe 6 months ago.

I'll get to the bottom of it eventually.

Regards

RobC

 

[The Heff]

Battery?

Just thinking out loud re Richie's post #5 above

Does anyone know of any tests I can do to the battery or the bike to test if all is in order just in case the new battery could be faulty?


Thanks
Heff

 

[robc]

My local spanner guy says he has a battery load tester. I think it can draw a load from the battery and show a voltage reading. Or something like that.

Before that you can test the voltages with the engine off and on with a multimeter.
Engine off should be around 12.4v
Engine on should be around 14.4v

That's what mine is yet the ABS still doesn't always activate. The alternate blinking lights on my 02 1150 GS say this is due to a low voltage coming from the battery.

Regards

Rob C

 

[Wrigsby1]

Also many ABS II bikes have a winter/summer problem. As its colder in winter the battery takes time to wake up as per Steptoes advice earlier especially if you ride reasonably short rides.

I generally have no probs in the summer or during longer journeys but nearly always have probs when starting in the morning in winter so leading to the "short ride" on/off plan. I have sorted the slow rolling neutral off/on so I don't have to bother putting my feet down

It has always been an issue with ABS II bikes and doesn't effect the brakes, only the ABS operation.

+ I always give new batteries a bit of a charge to limit this happening from new.

 

[wessie]

I have a temperamental ABS on my 10 year old 1150GS. Interrogating the ABS controller for the fault code with a GS911 gives "plunger fault".

My ABS generally works fine all summer and then begins to stall as the weather gets colder. It's not voltage related as I've connected a car battery in parallel to the bike.

I suspect as the ambient temperature lowers my brake fluid becomes more viscous and the plunger solenoid in the ABS is too weak to overcome the extra inertia.

So, get a fault code read-out which should lead you to the root cause. I'm sure someone over in NI has a GS911 or similar that could read the code for you.

 

[Dave78]

I get the same issue on my R1100RS (guessing it is basically the same system).

I understand that (like Steptoe has said) the ABS does a self check when you first turn the ignition on. I found that by leaving it I had a better chance of starting the engine without the ABS light blinking at me.

That said now we are in the coldness of winter even this doesn't work for me anymore..

There seems to be a wiring mod for the R1100 so that power is only sent to the ABS module once the engine is running. see here I have not done this but thinking about it (that or I'll get a GS first ) That said I am wary of playing around with the ABS.

Note: If you do this mod you do so at your own risk

 

[The Heff]

Thanks Mototech

Just an update with regards to my ongoing ABS issue

Got round to taking the bike over to Brian at Mototech, Ballinderry, who completed a computer check on the bike which established that the rear ABS sensor had failed.

Bike now sorted and all is well in the brake department.

If you read this Brian, thanks again for the speedy repair

Heff