ABS Query

[carrera2]

APologies if this is an age old question...

'02 1150GS with ABS.

Normally both lights flash at the same time until about 3mph is reached and then they go out. As I was riding yesterday - they suddenly started alternating flashing and this is continuing after turning off and on again. It's still like it today.

Brakes are working OK but it's sadly ironic that the ABS isn't working on the one day I'm half expecting ice on the way home!

Is this a dealer job or a quick fix I can do?

Many thanks

 

[RayS]

Have you checked your brake fluid levels in the reservoirs? Check the gaps between the ABS wheel sensors & the ABS rings on the wheels.
Then do a reset of the ABS
Ray

 

[Packer]

Use the search function, masses of detail available.

A simple thing to check is that the sensor rings on the wheels aren't clogged up with accumulated road crap.

 

[carrera2]

Thanks chaps I'll have a look at the weekend first. cheers.

 

[Steptoe]

it sounds like your battery isn't 100%. Are the lights flashing in unison when you first turn the ignition on, and then alternate once you've pressed the starter ?

Have you tried riding a short distance, turning the ignition off and starting the bike again.

When starting make sure all the electrics are turned off, lights, heated grips etc.
Turn the igntion on, then wait 5 seconds for the abs to check itself before pressing the starter button.

It's nothing to do with brakefluid levels, thats not an abs check on your model.

 

[carrera2]

it sounds like your battery isn't 100%. Are the lights flashing in unison when you first turn the ignition on, and then alternate once you've pressed the starter ?

Have you tried riding a short distance, turning the ignition off and starting the bike again.

When starting make sure all the electrics are turned off, lights, heated grips etc.
Turn the igntion on, then wait 5 seconds for the abs to check itself before pressing the starter button.

It's nothing to do with brakefluid levels, thats not an abs check on your model.

You've described my normal morning procedure to a tee there. However it's changed now so that the ABS lights are no longer flashing in unison - they're alternately flashing now. Both when the ignition is turned on and after I've pulled away.

I stopped the engine half a dozen times on the run in this morning to restart to see if it cleared and it didn't.

I don't know whether this will help but it started when I was pulling away in 2nd (by accident) - the engine was labouring and juddered a little and the ABS lights started flashing and have continued to since.

 

[Steptoe]

Easiest quickest and cheapest thing to do is try resetting the abs.

Earth the Brown and blue wire in the round mulit pin diagnostic plug (located on top of your airbox) to earth -and use the battery earth, not a frame earth.
Turn the igintion on and press the abs button, hold down for 10 seconds, then turn the igniton off.
Turn the ignition back on you should have the abs lights flashing in unison.

Depending on how long they've been flashing out of sync you may need to try the resetting procedure a couple of times.

 

[carrera2]

Easiest quickest and cheapest thing to do is try resetting the abs.

Earth the Brown and blue wire in the round mulit pin diagnostic plug (located on top of your airbox) to earth -and use the battery earth, not a frame earth.
Turn the igintion on and press the abs button, hold down for 10 seconds, then turn the igniton off.
Turn the ignition back on you should have the abs lights flashing in unison.

Depending on how long they've been flashing out of sync you may need to try the resetting procedure a couple of times.

Thanks a million Steptoe - I'll try it at the weekend.

To clarify - am I earthing them while I turn the ignition on or just breifly beforehand?

 

[carrera2]

Sorry Steptoe - I edited it to ask a question so you probably didn't see it.

 

[nikos]

Mine did this on Saturday and I thought it was due to battery low voltage (the clock reset but the engine started) - it was -4C!*

However even with the battery back to a moderate charge I have the alternating abs lights so could the cold weather be affecting something else?

I had all this nausea last year during the cold weather and replaced the battery...


*you might ask why I was venturing out.

 

[Kenny]

Whilst sliding about in the snow on the M62 yesterday..it took three stops and re-starts to get the ABS working properly.....maybe just a (really) cold weather problem.

 

[DutchBryn]

Oh go on then, Nikos. Why were you venturing out?

Made me cold just reading about it

 

[carrera2]

I didn't get a chance to get to do Steptoe's ABS reset at the weekend but left the bike on charge all weekend instead and it didn't solve the ABS problem when I left this morning. It was a little slippery though on the roads so may abandon the bike till after Xmas now. I'll update this as and when i do the reset so others can see if it worked.

 

[G.C.]

I didn't get a chance to get to do Steptoe's ABS reset at the weekend but left the bike on charge all weekend instead and it didn't solve the ABS problem.

It’s a re-set.
The ABS will stay like that until you do it and start with a full charge.

 

[nikos]

Oh go on then, Nikos. Why were you venturing out?

Made me cold just reading about it

..bike booked into a BMW "workshop" for paralever bearing change - the extended warranty may have paid for itself already? However they should not have given me the bike back with blinking ABS lights!!

 

[carrera2]

Easiest quickest and cheapest thing to do is try resetting the abs.

Earth the Brown and blue wire in the round mulit pin diagnostic plug (located on top of your airbox) to earth -and use the battery earth, not a frame earth.
Turn the igintion on and press the abs button, hold down for 10 seconds, then turn the igniton off.
Turn the ignition back on you should have the abs lights flashing in unison.

Depending on how long they've been flashing out of sync you may need to try the resetting procedure a couple of times.

Many thanks for this Steptoe - didn't work the first time and then I needed a new battery but I've just fulled this procedure a couple of times and it's all fixed now. Top man.

 

[FLASH]

Love you guys!

Had a front tyre changed yesterday on my trusty 1100GS. Riding to the garage everything was working fine but when I left the ABS lights were flashing and no reassuring "Clunk-Clonk"
Got home and took the front wheel off and refitted. No change. Resigned myself to a trip to BMW and a ££££££ repair bill

Then I thought I'd check the forum out. There you were, good as gold. Ran the check and bingo! all works perfectly.
It's the first time this has happened and I've had the bike from new to the current 70+K miles. I've had the "low battery/start it again up the road" issue repeatedly but this was the first time I've had to reset. never even knew I could.
Make sure the wire is earthed properly! (the first time I reset it obviously wasn't)

Thanks a lot guys!!

 

[frog338]

is the battery earth the negative terminal?

 

[MattW]

is the battery earth the negative terminal?

.

Yep.

 

[aquaboy]

The abs does a diagnostic when you turn the ignition on
until you are moving and you get the reassuring double chirp.
Part of that test is a supply voltage check, trouble is on a cold morning
the battery is working hard cranking the engine so the abs control says
oh dear not enough volts so doesn't arm.

A new battery sorts the problem for a while but it will soon return.

I've carried out a mod. (on both my 1100's) whereby the abs doesn't get the instruction to power up until the engine is running.

2 of the wires In the abs module plug are feed wires one carrying the power
to the unit and the other the control signal from the ignition switch saying
switch on basically. This is the wire you cut. you could just put an off/on switch in it, ie start engine, switch on abs after your charging light has gone
out. I've carried out a mod whereby the switching is done by a relay mounted in the fuse box which is controlled from the "D" post on the
alternator. So when I start my engine the relay doesn't tell the abs module
anything is happening until the ignition (charging) light has gone out.
The abs module then carries out its checks with full voltage available so arms every time the minute you pull away even on the coldest mornings.

Please note this was not my idea