[tanque@bmw]

I have a 2009 with the ABS warning light on. Slammed on the brakes and the ABS is definately not kicking in. The 911GS says that the ABS pump is defective. I looked up the pump on the BMW website and it's over $2K. Could it just be an electrical problem. I'm about 4 hours away from the nearest "stealer" although I plan on getting there in the next couple of weeks. Is it just one pump for front and rear brakes? Any one else have any experience in the dept.

 

[Southpaw]

I have a 2009 with the ABS warning light on. Slammed on the brakes and the ABS is definately not kicking in. The 911GS says that the ABS pump is defective. I looked up the pump on the BMW website and it's over $2K. Could it just be an electrical problem. I'm about 4 hours away from the nearest "stealer" although I plan on getting there in the next couple of weeks. Is it just one pump for front and rear brakes? Any one else have any experience in the dept.

I had that experience on my '05. Took it down to Fort Lauderdale BMW dealer and was told it was a $3000 + repair and was very common. The problem was onset by the bike sitting for 4 years after the original owner returned from a long trip. The rear brake reservoir was just about empty which I did not find for 3 months after purchasing and riding. I filled it and expected the problem to be solved but it just became intermittent then steady. Rear brake only was affected. Front was fine. Took the bike back to dealer for a brake bleed and it worked for about 20 miles. After researching and "discovering" this was a common occurrence and an expensive fix. I decided to live with the condition. I never found a leak or drip. Eventually after riding for a few weeks the problem became less frequent and finally disappeared. My conclusion was "air bubble in line. The "brain" of the bike constantly measures line pressure and when it finds a discrepancy it throws a warning. 2 years alter and no problems. There are some threads on here dedicated to brake bleeding and will walk you through the procedure. IMO this can be a DIY process. Some folks/dealers see this as a revenue generator. I would not throw in the towel and go for the $3000 fix yet. They will tell you that the brake system needs flushing and bleeding 1 or 2 a year.

BTW mine has 1 pump for the system. Don't know if there is a difference between my "05 and your "09.

I now refer to the problem as my $3000.00 air bubble.

PS. There is a manually activated switch on the rear brake lever. It sets the brake on/off signal for the brain. Make sure that is working and not hung up or not making.

 

[chaostrophy]

2009 does not have servo brakes (which are great, as long as they are working...). So, the problem will not be that bad. There may be places that will rebuild your abs if that is needed, cheaper than BMW, search a bit.

Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

 

[JetSpeed]

Bleed the entire brake system out real well using Low Viscosity DOT 4 brake fluid.
Pentosin makes it and it can be found at Autozone.
Sometimes it's something as simple as this that get's the ABS back online, I always start at the least expensive and easiest option(s) and go from there before accepting the worst.
If you do end up needing a new pump Circuit Solutions aka: Module Masters charges about $250 and does nice work.

https://modulemaster.com/rebuilds/shop/brakes/abs-modules/abs-ate-abs4/

 

[Southpaw]

Bleed the entire brake system out real well using Low Viscosity DOT 4 brake fluid.
Pentosin makes it and it can be found at Autozone.
Sometimes it's something as simple as this that get's the ABS back online, I always start at the least expensive and easiest option(s) and go from there before accepting the worst.
If you do end up needing a new pump Circuit Solutions aka: Module Masters charges about $250 and does nice work.

https://modulemaster.com/rebuilds/shop/brakes/abs-modules/abs-ate-abs4/

2 years ago when I checked them out they were still in the development and testing stage and were contemplating a $750.00 fee. This is good news. Looks as if they aren't including the '05/06.

 

[marc]

The ABS Pump defective problem is not unknown on '07 and later bikes. As noted above, ModuleMaster can do the repair for $250. Or you can do the job yourself. There are several "how to" videos on youtube. Look for "r1200gs abs repair".

Short description of the issue: ABS motor brushes are not making contact.

I'd probably spend the $250 and let ModuleMaster do the job.

 

[ZED]

Hello folks - hopefully this discussion thread is not too old. I bought a 2007 R1200 GS Adventure last September with around 20,000 miles. Dealer said they rebuilt the abs pump and did some work on the system. The ABS worked as it should until I did a lot of riding and now the ABS failure light is illuminated all the time. I disconnected the battery lead and reconnected it and the abs starting working. I even tried it out last weekend in the rain. After riding about 10 miles, I am now back to ABS Failure being on all the time. Dealer wants to start with new sensors on the wheels. Any guidance her from everyone? I like the bike so far but do not like money pits.

 

[PerazziMx14]

Where are you located? I like money pits and am looking for a 4th R1200GS.

Start with comprehensively flushing/bleeding the brakes. If you don't have a GS911 tool its a good investment. Hook it up and see what faults/codes come up and see if you can clear them. Take the bike for a ride and see if you made any headway. If not time to call Module Master or sell me the bike for cheap.

 

[Rapala50]

I doubt its a sensor, the ABS units on these bike are known to act up and probably needs to be pulled and rebuilt again. Not uncommon with this unit. Place called ModuleMasters does them. Not that hard to do yourself, there are YouTube out there that are a good source to start. I've done it myself on my 09 RT ( same ABS unit )

Module Master - Module Rebuilds done right.

Module rebuilds for darn near everything: ABS Modules, Climate Control Modules, Instrument Clusters, Power Accessories, Powertrain modules and more.

modulemaster.com

 

[Krons]

I just pulled my ABS pump off my 07 GSA and sent off to ModuleMasters this January, it fixed mine. Have to pull the tank to get at it. You should see if the dealer used Modulemasters as they have 5 yr warranty on their work.

As mentioned you need to get to the codes to see what is going on. GS-911 will save you the price of dealer service call....may even be a local BMW owner club member willing to loan/rent you theirs.

 

[ZED]

I just pulled my ABS pump off my 07 GSA and sent off to ModuleMasters this January, it fixed mine. Have to pull the tank to get at it. You should see if the dealer used Modulemasters as they have 5 yr warranty on their work.

As mentioned you need to get to the codes to see what is going on. GS-911 will save you the price of dealer service call....may even be a local BMW owner club member willing to loan/rent you theirs.

I bought the Gs-911 and it shows Fault Code 23968 Rear Wheel Speed Sensor: No Signal (electrical fault) before and after I installed a new rear wheel abs sensor. While I had the rear wheel off, I replaced the final drive oil, greased the splines on the drive shaft, put new white lithium grease around the boot, the transmission oil, the engine oil, and replaced a leaky o-ring under the cover of the balance shaft cover on the front of the engine. When replacing the rear wheel speed sensor, I used a new o-ring. I routed the cable the same as the original cable. The next item I check will be the brake switch on the rear. Before I started this journey and buying the GS-911, I cleared the fault by disconnecting the battery, and the abs would work as designed for a few miles. Based on what I read here, I’m thinking the problem is an air bubble in the brake lines. Since the brakes work without abs, I’ll continue riding until winter and try bleeding the brakes during inclement weather.

Also got these faults: 24052 Electrical System under-voltage (I already installed a new battery since a read that a dying battery can cause a lot of issues), 37649 CAN-bus timeout with ABS control unit and 37650 CAN-bus timeout for vehicle seed signal (ABS). I cleared all these faults before riding today and will hook up the GS-911 again tonight to see which ones are recurring.

 

[ZED]

I bought the Gs-911 and it shows Fault Code 23968 Rear Wheel Speed Sensor: No Signal (electrical fault) before and after I installed a new rear wheel abs sensor. While I had the rear wheel off, I replaced the final drive oil, greased the splines on the drive shaft, put new white lithium grease around the boot, the transmission oil, the engine oil, and replaced a leaky o-ring under the cover of the balance shaft cover on the front of the engine. When replacing the rear wheel speed sensor, I used a new o-ring. I routed the cable the same as the original cable. The next item I check will be the brake switch on the rear. Before I started this journey and buying the GS-911, I cleared the fault by disconnecting the battery, and the abs would work as designed for a few miles. Based on what I read here, I’m thinking the problem is an air bubble in the brake lines. Since the brakes work without abs, I’ll continue riding until winter and try bleeding the brakes during inclement weather.

Also got these faults: 24052 Electrical System under-voltage (I already installed a new battery since a read that a dying battery can cause a lot of issues), 37649 CAN-bus timeout with ABS control unit and 37650 CAN-bus timeout for vehicle seed signal (ABS). I cleared all these faults before riding today and will hook up the GS-911 again tonight to see which ones are recurring.

All the same codes came back including the low voltage one after clearing them and going for a long ride today. Tonight my GS-911 said it could not clear the 23968 Rear Wheel Sensor fault.

 

[Krons]

Someone posted recently for suspected rear brake bubbles to fully retract the brake piston, then use steel or a block of wood or steel to bleed while fully retracted.

This way you have a better chance removing a bubble near the piston.

 

[Abitabilo]

I have a 2013 are R1200 GS. The ABS light came on during my last road trip. When I got home I plugged in my GS911 and there was no error codes. I activated the pump using the 911 system and the pump turned on. Can the ABS pump be bad and still turn on. Or could it be a wheel sensor problem.

 

[tanque@bmw]

I originated this post and took Marc's advise and sent mine toi Modulemaster. Had a turnaround time of 4 days and was compltetly happy with their work. I thought the $300 including shipping was a steal. Sold my 2009 last year and it's still going strong.

 

[PerazziMx14]

My 07's ABS is not operating. Turns out to be the electric motor. The brushes are know for hanging up. If you rap it with the handle of a screwdriver the motor run under diagnostic then as soon as the test is over ant the motor turns off it locks again and goes into fault.

Not sure I'm even going to get Module Master to fix it. While the $250 is reasonable the shipping and $2,500 in insurance really racks up the money.

For those who want to skimp and not fully insure it the ABS unit, if the currier loses the unit sourcing a used one may or may not work as the bikes ECU may not recognize it. The best bet is having it fully insured for replacment valve so a new unit from BMW can be installed and have the dealer program it to your bike.

 

[Abitabilo]

I have a 2013 are R1200 GS. The ABS light came on during my last road trip. When I got home I plugged in my GS911 and there was no error codes. I activated the pump using the 911 system and the pump turned on. Can the ABS pump be bad and still turn on. Or could it be a wheel sensor problem. View attachment 28405

update. I was finally at my wits and with this ABS problem so I took the motorcycle down to Hap‘s Cyclery in Sarasota. I left it with them and they worked on it the next day. They hooked it up to their computer did a hard reset on the motorcycle, updated the software and turn the ABS on. There was actually nothing wrong with the ABS system it just would not turn on. Now the motorcycle is working perfect. I can’t say enough Haps BMW in Sarasota they’re honest in a great facility. I would highly recommend them.