Worrying

[Quicksilver]

Started the GS up yesterday the brake failure light came on as usual, After moving off it stayed on for about 30 seconds instead of the usual 3 or 4. Thought there may be a problem with the servo as it needed extra pressure on the brake levers to get the the thing stopped, checked the fluid levels 'OK'. Is my servo about to pack up. Anyone had a problem like this.

Trev

 

[jlabro]

i believe you shouldn't worry...
almost everybody sometimes get these error that go away by themselfs

 

[CONWISE]

Most probably you pressed either front or rear brake lever/pedal during the onboard computer self -diagnostic. You are not supposed to press any of them. If not check your front brake lever if in contact with the handguards.

 

[Cullen]

i believe you shouldn't worry...
almost everybody sometimes get these error that go away by themselfs

Not if you don't have servo assist or ABS; then you just have fantastic brakes that ALWAYS work.

 

[Emoto]

Most probably you pressed either front or rear brake lever/pedal during the onboard computer self -diagnostic. You are not supposed to press any of them. If not check your front brake lever if in contact with the handguards.

I've never had one of these errors in 26,000+ miles. My vote is that the left handguard rotated a bit and had slight pressure on the brake lever during the initialization checks. They move pretty easily; someone could have bumped your bike when parked, etc.

 

[Quicksilver]

Thanks for that EMOTO it had been parked in a car park so someone may have been messing about with the brake lever.

Trev

 

[GSmonkey]

I've spoken to my local service guys and they say the biggest reported problem re. 'ABS failure' is handguard against brake lever. It can happen by the guard rotating and is not immediately obvious.

 

[Fanum]

But it would still be rotated and thus the light wouldn't have gone off after 30 secs, surely??

(Unless QS had moved it back and not realised.)

It may be one of the most common causes, but it doesn't sound like the cause here IMO....more likely that he did just squueze the lever while picking it up or balancing himself as he started the bike...easily done without knowing.

 

[Paul Wakefield]

left handguard rotated

Right?

But it would still be rotated and thus the light wouldn't have gone off after 30 secs, surely??

Bill,

It can give intermittent faults as I found after my handguard was clobbered by a fast moving but not very agile partridge. I thought it had just hit the mirror but it also moved the handgaurd just enough to touch the brake lever and the red light would come on every so often. Took me a while to find the problem.

Paul

 

[Howard Millichap]

Most probably you pressed either front or rear brake lever/pedal during the onboard computer self -diagnostic. You are not supposed to press any of them.

How the hell are you supposed to start up on a steep hill?

 

[Howard Millichap]

My vote is that the left handguard rotated a bit and had slight pressure on the brake lever during the initialization checks. .

Didn't realise BMW had changed the brake to the left handlebar now. Or does the GS12 come with two brake systems ready for the inevitable servo failure?

 

[Andy Davies]

How the hell are you supposed to start up on a steep hill?

Just switch the ignition on, let it perform the system checks and then start it. RTFM!

 

[MikeP]

How the hell are you supposed to start up on a steep hill?

I'm always amused when this sort of question appears in relation to the 'Servo self-diagnosis wait'.

It really is so simple that I'm sure the question is raised only to have a pop at the whole servo issue.

For Howard's benefit.............

Switch on ignition (put on gloves or whatever else takes the four seconds for the diagnosis to complete), you can then haul on the brakes as much as you like before you start the engine!

 

[NeilF]

Or, if your GS is over 3 years old, it could well be the battery is dying.

Does it exhibit the problem restarting after a long run?

Cheers,

Neil.

 

[NeilF]

Or, if your GS is over 3 years old, it could well be the battery is on the way out.

Does it exhibit the problem restarting after a long run?

Cheers,

Neil.

 

[Quicksilver]

No its only 3 months old

Trev

 

[GSmonkey]

Just switch the ignition on, let it perform the system checks and then start it. RTFM!

...you actually put it in gear (or more correctly LEAVE it in gear, you're on a hill remember ) then igition on, then when all the fancy lights have stopped p*ssing around, you hold the brake, out of gear, then start. Easy really.....but more complicated than normal I'll grant.

 

[Mr K]

Started the GS up yesterday the brake failure light came on as usual, After moving off it stayed on for about 30 seconds instead of the usual 3 or 4. Thought there may be a problem with the servo as it needed extra pressure on the brake levers to get the the thing stopped, checked the fluid levels 'OK'. Is my servo about to pack up. Anyone had a problem like this.

Trev

I had a brake failure message that went away, but returned 50 miles later. The servo/ABS pump had failed.
I rode to the dealer using residual braking.