Intermittent ABS failure

[maineiac330ci]

Hello all. New to the forum and looking for some assistance. My '04 1100S experiences intermittent ABS failure on start-up. When I turn the key, the ABS light flashes 'fast'. Much faster than the normal blink, blink, blink. If I start the bike, the light continues to flash fast and there is no resistance when I squeeze the brake lever. It may take 2-3 times to start/stop the bike to get this issue to clear.

 

I brought it into the dealer this week and they did a complete ABS diagnostic check. There were no fault codes stored and they couldn't replicate the situation or find anything wrong.

 

Have any others experienced this? It's happened perhaps a dozen times this summer, sometimes in the dry and sometimes when it was wet out.

 

Thanks!

[Tank]

yep, but only when i'm in a hurry

[ShovelStrokeEd]

I would tend to think battery in this situation.

 

You can monitor battery voltage using a fast, digital meter or an analog one. Battery voltage that drops below about 10 VDC during cranking is an indicator that the battery is going bad.

 

You might also wait a couple of seconds after turning on the key before trying to start the bike. Sometimes that helps.

[Nevets]

... and there is no resistance when I squeeze the brake lever. ...

 

A battery issue could cause this?

[T__]

Hello all. New to the forum and looking for some assistance. My '04 1100S experiences intermittent ABS failure on start-up. When I turn the key, the ABS light flashes 'fast'. Much faster than the normal blink, blink, blink. If I start the bike, the light continues to flash fast and there is no resistance when I squeeze the brake lever. It may take 2-3 times to start/stop the bike to get this issue to clear.

 

I brought it into the dealer this week and they did a complete ABS diagnostic check. There were no fault codes stored and they couldn't replicate the situation or find anything wrong.

 

Have any others experienced this? It's happened perhaps a dozen times this summer, sometimes in the dry and sometimes when it was wet out.

 

Thanks!

 

 

Mainiac, a fast flashing (4 Hz) ABS light usually indicates no power assist with ONLY residual braking function.. As a rule the later EVO braking systems aren’t very critical to battery voltage fluctuations so battery voltage wouldn’t be at the top of my list..

 

If the light were on continually I would guess it was a sensor problem but with it flashing fast it hasn’t even advanced to the drive away sensor test yet.. A solid light on could also indicate a burnt out rear light bulb..

 

With no stored codes that pretty well eliminates actual sensor or hardware failures..

 

So what does that leave? Probably a sticking brake switch (look at both brake switches to make darn sure they are not sticking in the on position).. Or an internal problem with the ABS controller.. I’m not real sure if a failed ABS relay would cause a fast flashing light without the general light also being on but probably worth a look at the ABS relay & it’s circuit also..

 

Twisty

[maineiac330ci]

Thanks Twisty1.

 

Early this spring I did install the Suburban Machinery foot peg lowering kit. It included a master cylinder linkage extender. The master cylinder does not move with the relocation of the rearset, and they the claim the brake fluid circuit is not disturbed.

 

Do you think there's any chance that if I improperly adjusted the master cylinder linkage, that my cause some of the sporadic problems I'm having - or would it happen all the time if it were not adjusted correctly?

[T__]

Thanks Twisty1.

 

Early this spring I did install the Suburban Machinery foot peg lowering kit. It included a master cylinder linkage extender. The master cylinder does not move with the relocation of the rearset, and they the claim the brake fluid circuit is not disturbed.

 

Do you think there's any chance that if I improperly adjusted the master cylinder linkage, that my cause some of the sporadic problems I'm having - or would it happen all the time if it were not adjusted correctly?

 

Mainiac, that would be a good place to start.. If you disturbed the pedal location the switch might be out of adjustment.. I don’t have the switch adjustment procedure for the S so hopefully you have a manual on the procedure.. If not hopefully someone with the S can help you out with the procedure..

 

Twisty

[Keith S]

This happened to me this summer up in the Yukon. With the help of this great board it turned out to be a rock stuck between the brake lever and the frame. It happened a couple times at frist but went away with a restart. 200 km east of Waston Lake it failed completely. 200 km and 10% brakes....FUN!!

 

Keith

[Tank]

yep, but only when i'm in a hurry

 

 

 

 

Maineiac, I wasn't trying to be flip, but yes I've had that problem, what caused it?? I really don't know.... It hasn't done it for quite awhile, the last time I remember it happening was when i changed tires And it didn't happen anuff to be concerned about...I figured a dirty contact somewhere, I change tires myself, or( sometimes Killer helps ) and i do my own service, so I don't have access to a fault reader.