brake failure

[manxmann]

hi guys, anyone help with a brake problem? turn ignition on and brake light is on and brake failure lights up on the clocks.. i was out on a run yesterday when this started so i headed home and the problem cured itself. turn off the ignition and leave it a while and problem is back again. sprayed loads of wd40 on rear brake light switch, made sure front brake lever isnt cought on hand guard and checked rear light bulb. anyone know anything else i could try or is it time to buy an africa twin that just runs for ever with no problems. bike is a 06 r1200gsa. cheers gents for any help you might be able to throw my way

 

[mechcanico lee]

Are these the bikes with the strange servo assit brakes ,not convensional hydraulic system am sure they have issues.
Am sure sum tech bod will be along soon to help

 

[chad]

hi guys, anyone help with a brake problem? turn ignition on and brake light is on and brake failure lights up on the clocks.. i was out on a run yesterday when this started so i headed home and the problem cured itself. turn off the ignition and leave it a while and problem is back again. sprayed loads of wd40 on rear brake light switch, made sure front brake lever isnt cought on hand guard and checked rear light bulb. anyone know anything else i could try or is it time to buy an africa twin that just runs for ever with no problems. bike is a 06 r1200gsa. cheers gents for any help you might be able to throw my way

i hope it isnt ...But this can be a sign that the final drive is going ,,first thing is to check the rear wheel for play,
,the other thing could be down to a weak battery. have you had any issue's with that ?

 

[elmandarino]

This may be a problem I, and quite a few others, have been caught out by. Check that the handguards are not fouling the brake levers. I know it sounds obvious but worth checking.

 

[Ibex]

Electric brake probs

I had similar problem with my 06 GSA - turned out to be a duff front brake light switch. I lost all servo assistance which means not much brakes at all remaining. I trailered the bike to Alan Jefferies who diagnosed the fault and fitted the new switch. I changed to an 09 bike a few weeks later.

From what I discovered its only a matter of time before something very expensive fails on the electric brake system, which is one reason BMW dont fit them any more. I'm very pleased to be back with more traditional brakes!

 

[haydw]

I hope not- I am the new owner of Ibex's 06 GSA!!! Bought it back in August. Had no problems at all since........

Heard of a few people that have had problems with the switch- the fact the brake light is on will be the giveaway. If you start the bike with the brakes on (ie on a hill) then the servo assistance is turned off. It only resets and enables when the brake is released and you are moving, If the bike has constantly got the brake light on this would indicate to the brains to keep it disabled. If the light does not go out then it will keep the servo off until it does go out.

 

[CaptainSlow]

hi guys, anyone help with a brake problem? turn ignition on and brake light is on and brake failure lights up on the clocks.. i was out on a run yesterday when this started so i headed home and the problem cured itself. turn off the ignition and leave it a while and problem is back again. sprayed loads of wd40 on rear brake light switch, made sure front brake lever isnt cought on hand guard and checked rear light bulb. anyone know anything else i could try or is it time to buy an africa twin that just runs for ever with no problems. bike is a 06 r1200gsa. cheers gents for any help you might be able to throw my way

On the latest GS if the "brake failure" light comes on it can mean an ABS fault. IMHO it would be best to get a BMW dealer to look at it due to the complexityof the braking system. I know that will cost though but how much are your brakes worth?

 

[mechcanico lee]

A have never thought that the servo assist brakes was a good design ,would you lose your brakes if you had a power failure lets say going down a long hill ?

no wonder they went back to hydraulic system, even if you lose abs you still have conventional brakes .

Hope its not a big issue manxmann

 

[Myke Rocks]

WD40

WD40?
I always have a can in garage, but::::

What is it really good for?

Starting a diesel which is reluctant to do so without destroying it by resorting to easystart.

If you have something sandblasted, spray it with WD40 afterwards, and, as long is it is not left out in the rain, it will not rust. I had 2 fuel tanks sandblasted and sprayed 6 years ago, they are still hanging in my unheated garage, rust free.(Silicone free, so does not destroy new paint job later)

If sprayed on the underside of a new lawnmower, it keeps grass from sticking to it. Just reapply before each useage.

Otherwise: pretty little.
When used as a release agent, ignorance usually works in the end, but WD 40 has precious little to do with it.
On HT leads, delays the purchase of new leads for a week or so, but you still have to buy them!
As a lubricant: It certainly is not! Oil always works better.
Around switches---- Why? cannot think of what it is supposed to do. It is either a conductor or an insulator (See HT leads) If an insulator, it will reduce the current carring potential of the contact. Cannot see how it could be classed as a conductor.
If a lubricant is needed, see earlier point.

Maybe a large part of it's use is desperation, Just try soemthing!

Myke

 

[manxmann]

cheers guys, going to take the bike to Hursts BMW and let them have a look.
Will post the outcome but will keep my fingers crossed its something simple

 

[ktmmark]

The are not complicated,like anything it's fear of the unknown.What is going on in the car industry make's the 1200 gs look like a horse and cart.
I work full time just doing electrical fault finding and i work in a small town on all makes.
You are better off just turning the key and not knowing what's happening ,because if you did you would be amazed it ever started

 

[chad]

cheers guys, going to take the bike to Hursts BMW and let them have a look.
Will post the outcome but will keep my fingers crossed its something simple

fingers crossed

 

[Blackal]

I hope not- I am the new owner of Ibex's 06 GSA!!! Bought it back in August. Had no problems at all since........

Heard of a few people that have had problems with the switch- the fact the brake light is on will be the giveaway. If you start the bike with the brakes on (ie on a hill) then the servo assistance is turned off. It only resets and enables when the brake is released and you are moving, If the bike has constantly got the brake light on this would indicate to the brains to keep it disabled. If the light does not go out then it will keep the servo off until it does go out.

That sounds to me - like a good diagnosis.

Get hold of a multimeter and find out if either of the brake activation switches are permenantly closed.

Al

 

[Kremmen]

A have never thought that the servo assist brakes was a good design ,would you lose your brakes if you had a power failure lets say going down a long hill ?

no wonder they went back to hydraulic system, even if you lose abs you still have conventional brakes .

Hope its not a big issue manxmann

I have an 09 GS with ABS... Do i take it that mine will have non servo assisted brakes??

Regards

 

[Magwych]

You seem to most bases covered, but do not forget to check the brake light itself. Given the weather conditions we have all had recently it is possible you have got a bit of corrosion on the contacts to the bulb, or to the bulb housing. If the CANBUS detects problems with the brake light bulbs it will throw a brake circuit warning. If it thinks the bulb is gone, it does some funky 'puter stuff and uses the tail light filament as the stop light, so do take the lens off to check which filaments are working whilst someone else ( or a rubber band) applies the brake.

On the older servo bikes a blown bulb has been known to disable the servo to only leave "residual" braking ...

 

[mechcanico lee]

I have an 09 GS with ABS... Do i take it that mine will have non servo assisted brakes??

Regards

Yours has conventional brakes Kremmen with abs, bmw went back to this system from the earlier servo assist ones............am not bloody surprised either!! why have an electric system running your brakes ,its not as though if they failed there wouldnt be catastrophic consequences
electrickery for some stuff but not brakes i thinks.

 

[manxmann]

ok gents, i took the bike upto Charles Hurst BMW this morning. Mechanic took bike into the work shop for two hours and brought it back out saying he didnt know what was wrong with it. the brake light is stuck on permanently but he says the front brake switch is working fine, the back brake switch isnt showing up faulty but the cant test it because it is always on. they can only test a switch if it turns off. so two hours later i have to ride the bike 50+ miles back home in shity weather still not knowing what is wrong with my poor baby. BMW are going to order a new brake switch to see if that fixes the problem. so after buying what i thought was a good quality bike, if it brakes the dealers have to just keep swapping parts till they find out what is wrong with it. they told me if its not the switch it is the control unit and if its not that it must be the ABS module. i thought you pluged these things into a laptop and it told you what was broke. somebody please HELP cus BMW dont seem to be able to

 

[chad]

ok gents, i took the bike upto Charles Hurst BMW this morning. Mechanic took bike into the work shop for two hours and brought it back out saying he didnt know what was wrong with it. the brake light is stuck on permanently but he says the front brake switch is working fine, the back brake switch isnt showing up faulty but the cant test it because it is always on. they can only test a switch if it turns off. so two hours later i have to ride the bike 50+ miles back home in shity weather still not knowing what is wrong with my poor baby. BMW are going to order a new brake switch to see if that fixes the problem. so after buying what i thought was a good quality bike, if it brakes the dealers have to just keep swapping parts till they find out what is wrong with it. they told me if its not the switch it is the control unit and if its not that it must be the ABS module. i thought you pluged these things into a laptop and it told you what was broke. somebody please HELP cus BMW dont seem to be able to

feck me the ole ,,,computer says no !!,, that freakin chessnut again.

couldnt he take the bloody switch off and look at it ,, or even better take one off of one of the many bikes they had in stock

 

[manxmann]

i asked if they couldput a multi meter across it and i was told the switches didnt work like that. i then asked if they could not pull a switch of one of the second hand bikes in the show room. shock horror too much time and labour but if they had a new switch they could test it. give me a good big brick wall so i can smack my head on it

 

[John Armstrong]

Does the brake switch come with wires to a connector? If so, chop one of the wires from the rear brake switch = brake switch now off. If the fault goes away, replace the switch and the chopped cable, if not, inline splice it