ABS Repair, Soon

[Spenser]

Hi,
Planning out the diagnosis and repair of my ABS II (2000 R1100s)
Have to book time in my own workshop and cant leave a dismantled bike lying around!
Couple of questions if I may;

I have not yet installed the wire necessary to ground out and reset the ABS, but as it stands I usually get the alternating flash. Occasionally I get both lamps continuously on or both off.

Grounding out on terminal#2 on the diagnostic port gives me seven voltage drops which I understand to be "ABS control unit"
Given the lamp behavior might I conclude an electronic failure rather than a mechanical?

The shop is 40' long. Is it possible to push the bike with the ignition on but engine not running and have the ABS perform its mechanical self test? (ker-clunk) there by leaving the tank and plastic off. Is some input from the motronic that says the engine is actually running necessary?

Is it possible to test an ABS unit in the above fashion with no fluid or brake line connection i.e. test another unit without filling and bleeding?

Perhaps one of you has tried some of this?

I might well be in the market for a used working ABS unit, if anyone has one for sale?

[sgoodwin]

I have one I removed from my '99 along with all the steel brake lines. It worked when I removed everything. Let me know if you need or want it

[s-thing]

Be careful not to give yourself brain damage. I chased a bad ABS unit for a couple of years and finally swapped it out for a used one. Bottom line: there are several simple fixes so give it a shot. Unfortunately, if the "simple" fixes don't do the job, things get complicated very quickly.

These links should keep you busy:
ABS2 fault code readout - ADVrider
ABS faults
http://advwisdom.hogranch.com/Wisdom/BMW%20ABS%20II%20D&A.pdf

Good Luck!
-Jim

[Spenser]

sgoodwin, I PMed you.
s-thing, I would agree with you. If the fault is not apparent or easily diagnosed then I'm all for swapping in another part. I'm certainly no electrical engineer. Thanks for the links.

[sgoodwin]

Replied to your pm.

[D Man]

A weak battery will cause ABS problems.

[bykemike]

S-thing, thanks for the links, they are very helpful.

[tom964]

Spenser - you may be aware of this and well past it, but since it appears you just bought this bike recently and this is your first post on this issue, I'd thought I'd ask - are you sure the problem is not the battery?

If the battery is not putting out the right power on these bikes the ABS self-test will fail, even if the battery is strong enough so that the bike starts fine. I had the problem when I first bought my bike. The lights would flash alternately before starting and then not go off after starting (I might remember wrong, but I think they went to solid on after starting). Occasionally, they would go off on the start as they are supposed to, but less and less so over a few weeks. Fixed it with a new Odyssey battery.

[s-thing]

Also on the check 1st list...in addition to a weak battery, a burnt brake light bulb will also trigger an ABS fault. (check both filaments...)

-Jim

[Spenser]

Tom964, you are right, I haven't had the bike long. When I first rode it and the bike had been sitting prior to me, battery was probably low and I did experience the low voltage ABS failure. I was aware of this potential problem and I would let the engine run a few minuets, shut down and restart a warm engine and the ABS would self test successfully. The think present fault is beyond this.

s-thing, the brake light is working. Is the brake light failure a "fault" in both ABS II and i ABS?

I"m buying an ABS unit from a board member to have on hand when I get the chance to work on the bike.

In my first post I mentioned the warning lights being both on or both off and was wondering on the significance of this?

Thanks for the replies,

[lht]

Did you jump out the sidestand switch ? If mine does not set right when I put up the stand,
the two abs lights will start flashing back and forth till I shut the key off and swing the stand again.