Help with brake bleeding on the pressure modulator.

jensen · 01:24 AM

Hi everyone! I am a happy owner of a '04 replika with ABS.

I have been enjoying this great ride and I thought hey...time to change the brake fluid. I purchased and installed the speedbleeder for all the calipers. Reading the 1999 BMW manual on page 00.31, it states to bleed from the pressure modulator first. The picture on the manual shows 2 bleed screws, VR front & HR rear. But when I popped up the gas tank, I saw something different. Pls see picture. There are 6 screws with a V & R.

Well....I am stuck. What do I do? Anybody have experience with this? Do I need more speedbleeders? What to do? I really appreciate any help!

Thanks for all the input.

Jensen

jensen · 12-10-2005, 02:03 AM

I found it! After hours of searching on the net. A Dana Hager & Charles Gilman wrote a technical article on how to do this. Got to give them a thumbs up and excellent credit for writing this up.

Some of you guys might find it useful! Thanks Dana Hager & Charles Gilman!

http://users.rcn.com/dehager/

RoundelRider · 12-10-2005, 05:21 PM

UGGH!!!!!!!!! Im glad I dont have all that crap on my bike!!!!

pvr · 12-10-2005, 09:18 PM

hi jensen,
let us know how it goes. i was under the impression that this was one of those "best left to the dealer" jobs. one of the main drawbacks of the integral abs is the cost of the required yearly flush. it would be great to be able to do that at home.
pete

Steve Carlton · 12-10-2005, 10:04 PM

Isn't it every 2 years on the modulator?

pvr · 12-10-2005, 10:26 PM

yeah, i think it's wheel circuits every year, and the control circuit (or modulator) every 2 years. but i'm assuming that even the wheel circuits would be more involved due to the power assist servos. anyone have experience with that?

jensen · 01:24 AM

Hey all. I did it! It was really not that difficult but you got to get the right tools.

Ok..follow Dana Hager & Charles Gilman's instructions exactly. I had only moved the gas tank towards the rear about 2 feet and used a piece of wood (about 10 inches tall) to keep it steady on top of the battery. Don't use a regular funnel cuz it will leak. I plan to make the filling adapter they recommend for the next bleeding. Also when bleeding the modulator thru the 6 bleed screws use a good 7mm wrench. I almost had given up cuz they were so tight. Besides that...it was all a breeze. I now appreciate my bike more.

I knew that it's once a year for the cylinders but didn't know it was 2 years for the modulator. Anyway....mine is an 04 (manf in late 03) with only 3,800 miles. The fluid from the cylinders & modulators were really dark-almost black. So I am happy I did it.

Wooo....feels good to be finished!

Ohhh....One important thing. Don't bleed an EVO ABS as you would with a non ABS. To bleed the front/rear brakes you must fill new fluid from the "V" & "R" on the modulator. And to bleed the modulator from the 6 bleed screws, you have to fill new fluid from the right handlebar brake reservoir & from the right rear reservoir. So no matter what you have to take off the skin & move the tank. I might want to put speedbleeders on the 6 bleed screws as well...might be 6mm. Sorry didn't measure it....but all these speedbleeders will adds up in lots of $$$ for this bike.

Tommorrow I am going to ride!

See ya @ the mountains.

foobeemer · 12-11-2005, 05:43 AM

I 've bled the system with and without servo assist. With the servos on you can drain that press mod res in about 2 seconds, so you gotta be careful oir you'll be pulling in air. The fluid that was in the worse shape on my bike was the fluid at the ends of the caliper runs. It gets golden brown when laden with moisture. I wrapped electrical tape around a mini funnel unitil I made a seal when I did my res. No patience to make one of those adapters like the article said--lol.