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Help! ABS fault after changing rear shock.


Lyter

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I got everything back together after changing the rear shock on my 04 RT. Got on to go for a test ride and BOOM! ABS fault. ABS light keeps flashing. I get servo sound from the front brake, none from the rear.

 

Two weeks ago I removed the rear shock to send off to Works. I carefully removed the rear brake caliper, gingerly sliding a chop stick between the pads as I slid the caliper off the rotor (I figured the chop stick would keep the pads from closing, which it did, and make putting the caliper back on easier, which it did - slid right onto the rotor). I had the caliper hanging from the frame with a big cable tie. It hung there until today, when I put the new shock in, rear wheel on, caliper on, sensor in, yada, yada, yada.

 

I never figured this "innocent" routine would create an ABS fault for crying out loud. confused.gif Lastly, I never turned on the ignition between removal of old shock and final installation of the new one.

 

Any suggestions? Thanks in advance.

 

Jack

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Stan Walker

It hung there until today, when I put the new shock in, rear wheel on, caliper on, sensor in, yada, yada, yada.

 

I find it interesting that you pulled the sensor. Did you remember to put the shims back? Also did you undo the connector at the other end of the cable?

 

Stan

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eek.gif I guess everyone else with integrated ABS approaches theirs as they would a bottle of nitro...... No takers, no helpers, eh?

 

OK. Then it's off to the dealer.....

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First, I may be redundant, did you try a Motronic reset (pull fuse 5?).

 

Second, make sure the sensor was reinstalled correctly.

 

Last, suggest you check the sensor ring on the wheel and see if you somehow damaged it during wheel removal/install.

 

my .02...Good luck clap.gif

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eek.gif I guess everyone else with integrated ABS approaches theirs as they would a bottle of nitro...... No takers, no helpers, eh?

 

OK. Then it's off to the dealer.....

Hey, we charge extra for same-day! wink.gif

 

If you're getting no servo noise with rear pedal operation, check the pedal switch. (You should be able to hear the click of the microswitch, on and off, with the engine off.) If the switch is permanently on, it will be on at ABS startup, which will interrupt the self-test and flag a fault.

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  • 3 weeks later...

This is an update for everyone. I know how interested you all are when the subject deals with integral ABS on our high-tech German machines. Yes, when your warning light stays on and that ABS light flashes in your face - even after you start moving - it's one of those, "yeah, I'm screwed". Without that proprietary super-secret piece of hardware that resides at your BMW Motorrad dealer (that's if your dealer hasn't gone the way of the snail darter, i.e., if you can find one) that allows one to read your bike’s error codes, what do you do? What do you do? Buy a Harley or a Honda? Not yet.

 

Well, I took my ABS problem to my dealer - BMW of Manhattan - I'll name names here because soon you'll be able to count BMW Motorrad dealers on one hand, and the smart readers residing in my locale will figure out who my dealer could be by looking at my info. I taped over the flashing warning lights and down the road I went. It was hot that day. Felt like 140 radiating off the slab. Felt good, actually.

 

Anyway, I arrived inside the dealer’s service bay, parked, shut off the bike, and stripped off all of my riding gear. I then announced myself to the service manager, and after refreshing his memory as to why I and my bike had arrived, he grabbed his service forms and clipboard and sauntered over to my RT. He switched on the ignition and, “gollllleee Gomer”, the ABS successfully performed its self test (warning light went out and the ABS flashed at 1 per second). Damn, I said to the service manager. I need you to “lay on hands” to my bike more often. It was akin to a salmon returning up stream to spawn. Regardless, on his recommendation, I left the bike for his guys to check out.

 

Three days later I went back to Manhattan to pick up my beloved RT. They had cleared all the errors; test rode the bike; and declared everything was a-ok. I suited up and then turned on the ignition and, “Damn!” The ABS again failed to make it through its initial self test. The warning light stayed on and the ABS kept flashing at 4 per second. At least it happened on the dealer’s home field. They were a bit confused, but when things settled down they would check her out again.

 

To make this a shorter story, their proprietary reading of the tea leaves told them that the servo pump(s) was throwing the errors. It would have to be replaced. Now I was confused. How could a servo pump go south when the bike was just sitting in my garage for two weeks doing nothing but being attached to a battery tender? It had worked fine before its waiting-for-new-shocks hibernation. Now it doesn’t? I was told by the service manager that during his tenure he had replaced about a hundred integral ABS servo pumps.

 

Bikeless, as I wait for my servo to be replaced, I have time to meditate over my predicament. Is BMW’s integral ABS reliable? What if this happens out of warrantee? Oh, by the way….. My RT is a 04 with only 15,000 miles of life. She’s still a baby child! With my confidence somewhat shaken, and with the specter of stripped splines in my future (which, if you read this board, seems and sounds inevitable), I don’t feel as good as I used to anymore. If these things can just “go”, that doesn’t fill one with warm fuzzy feelings.

 

What do I do? In two more years my daughter graduates from High-Price U and I’ll get my Wing or my Ultra Classic. In the meantime, I’ll ride my beloved RT and think nothing but positive thoughts in her presence, and rub her till she shines.

 

In conclusion, I do love my RT. I probably won’t ever sell her, even when I do get my big retirement touring machine. I’m above average mechanically and I’m not afraid to do anything or service anything on her EXCEPT the integral ABS - Manhattan will always do my brake services. I’m a big proponent of ABS. The RT stops on a dime. You can grab a handful of front brake without the fear and worry of a lock-up and/or slide. With ABS I do not fear riding in the rain, or when the warm-up of Spring here in the Northeast still leaves you with navigating over the sand left on the roads from a snowy Winter. And, I have no issues or problems with BMW of Manhattan. They are a good bunch of eggs, and they are BUSY, so be patient.

 

Hopefully, the technology will be as reliable on bikes (and as prevalent) as they are on four wheels. We’ll see how things grow in a couple of years.

 

Adios Amigos wave.gif

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I was told by the service manager that during his tenure he had replaced about a hundred integral ABS servo pumps.

I find that figure ... umm ... surprising.

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Ahhh, that's B.S., unless they see tens of thousands of bikes every 2 years. OR, he's been around for tens of thousands of years. Ok, I guess it's possible, but my dealer has only replaced probably 10-13 in 5 years ( just chatting about it the other day )

 

hundreds? He's trying to sound cool, informed, experienced whatever frown.gif

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Oh yes, I didn't offer any condolences to you, I just tried to miff the dealer in my above post.

 

Have confidence in the RT. Nothings perfect, everything's fallable. Servo pump failure numbers are rather low, and unforunately your bikes number was "called". To attain and almost guarantee flawless operation in the future, be sure to perform the brake fluid flushes ( Wheel circuit and Full Circuit ). Wheel circuit flushes should be done once a year while the full circuit every two years. If your RT has stainless Steel lines (Stahliflex- from the factory), you are able to do the wheel circuit every two years and the full ciruit every 4. Clean fluid will aid in preventing any gummy bears in the abs modulator

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