Brake Bleeding Process

[Riverside]

I am currently living in Costa Rica with Maxine, my 2004 R1150R. Before leaving I had the brakes flushed. that was less than a year ago. However, I now live in the rainforest and it is very damp most of the past 6 months. The ABS warning lights started flashing on a short ride the other day and the servo was obviously not working. After stopping for a while and restarting they worked a while and then stopped again. Even with flashing lights the servo kicked in a few times on the way home, but, mostly stayed off.
Reading on the forum gave me a starting point. Charge the battery fully first, check for sticking/overheated calipers next and finally bleed the system. The bleeding is the concern. According to the Clymer manual I have the Integrated ABS system on Maxine. The manual gives a good description of bleeding the ABS II system, but, for the Integrated system it advises "Take to a dealer because of MoDiTec diagnostics." Question is: Is that my only choice or can the system be bled using the ABS II instructions. It appears that the bleeding of the servo unit under the tank is the critical matter and this should be done before bleeding the two resevoirs front and back. An article in the Oct 2016 issue of ON on brake bleeding is a detailed enough to get a reasonable wrencher through the steps and never mentions any difference between the two systems. What does anyone know about the differences in the two systems and can I ignore the advice to have the dealer do it? The nearest dealer in Costa Rica is a 4 hour run and very expensive even by BMW standards.
If all this fails to fix the problem, the servo is coming out.... and if that happens, that would be my next question.

[Bogdan]

I can't tell you anything about the defference between the two systems. i can tell you what I did and that the brakes ( and clutch ) seem to work fine. I relied on instructions from the tech section on this very site R1150R Tech Info.- under brakes, of course. Perhaps you've already been there. It's interesting that my Haynes manual doesn't cover this at all. You'll need that " special " funnel. You can make it yourself but Beemer Boneyard sells one for a bit over $30. It's nice if you have the perfect shims but you can just shove stuff in there. This job is a pain in the derriere - easier if you can attract an extra pair of hands. Bogdan

[Kirya]

There is another way. Delete that pesky ABS module out of your bike, sell that module while it still works and ride on the margin
Seriously, my 2004 R1150R had that procedure done and I'm not missing ABS at all. Brakes are still good and brake fluid change takes an hour on the side of the road now.

[EasyBee]

Here's a link to Maintenance BMW Integral ABS https://www.dropbox.com/s/8tymrxnbw68pk ... 3.pdf?dl=0
Here's a link to iABS removal and reconnecting brakelight https://www.dropbox.com/s/x3dcisxdm66ff ... l.pdf?dl=0
And the iABS ectomy movie thanks to sykospain viewtopic.php?f=2&t=35828

[towerworker]

My 2004 R1150r had iABS which stands for "integrated"ABS. I serviced my abs system for many years and was never taken to BMW. I did the full brake bleed service myself. Possibly the manual states that because BMW's computer system can tell you where any fault codes are coming from; front wheel, rear etc. If after doing a full brake system bleed and flush you still have fault lights you may want to consider removing the ABS system (unless you're willing to either buy a new pump or pay someone to do the same). As far as I know you have the iABS III system (servo system) which is what my '04 had. As of today that pump is still not rebuildable. https://modulemaster.com/rebuilds/shop/ ... -fte-abs3/

[sykospain]

Actually, Towerworker, there IS a firm in Germany that does the Full Monty with any faulty ABS module, no matter which of the different versions fitted to ABS Beemer bikes.

As a post on the leading German BMW bike forum says : "Die Modulatoren für BMW Motorräder repariert sind und auch Austaauschgeräte mit Garantie angeboten sind.... Die Reparatur verlief schnell und zu meiner vollsten Zufriedenheit."

Or as we say in English : -
"...the firm repairs all BMW ABS modulators and offers guaranteed exchange units. My repair was carried out rapidly and to my entire satisfaction."

The firm is called RH Electronics ( with a C not a K ) and this is their video showing what they do with their fancy CNC-workshop gear...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2dOdDEJYHO0

[Riverside]

Thanks All! These links and information will help me throught this process. I always get anxious doing any procedure for the first time and tend to get very OCD about it....especially working on a BMW. A friend here in Costa Rica has told me his older Kawasaki has had frozen calipers several times over the years from sitting in the rainforest humidity. I am hopeful this is the problem. The battery was charged enough to start the bike, but, below 80% charged. The manual says this could cause a fault. Tomorrow I pull the calipers and makes sure everything is free and smooth then test out the brakes again. If that is the problem I will change the fluid anyway, but, exercise her for a bit before doing that. The system was bled last year in May... in San Diego, but, humidity is high here and I have her outside under a carport. I will keep you posted on the outcome. Hoping to not have to do a servoectomy, but, will if I have to. Don't care about the power brakes... just don't want the aggravation of stripping the system.

[Riverside]

So the most recent episode of the blinking brake warning light saga is this. I cleaned the calipers, pulled the slide pins and polished them with a drill and some fine sandpaper. Pistons seem to be working fine and moving in and out without trouble. The charger was on for several hours and went through the yellow charging light to flashing green to solid green. Maxine and i took a test drive from my house to a town about 55 Km distance. Brakes acted normal and light was out.Then about 45 Km into the run the lights started flashing again. Brakes worked normally for a while then went to residual braking with hard pedal and poor stopping. I stopped within 2 Km, shut off the bike, pushed the pads back into the calipers to see if any binding had occured. Pads pushed in easily. Started the engine and the light went out as I pulled out. Another few Km down the road after one or two brake applications the light came back on again, power assist worked a couple of times then back to reserve braking the rest of the way home. Tried stopping again to push pistons in,with no effect this time. Light remained on till home. When I got home I put the battery minder on the bike and it was again yellow after the long ride and took over an hour to come to full charge again. Life interupted with company etc so it was a few days later that I got the multimeter out and tested the alternator. It is putting out 14.5 volts DC with no fluctuation for RPM or power drain. Static test on the battery was full charge also, but, the bike had not been run since the last charge. Next step is to ride again to see if the light comes on and then test the battery for voltage.
I checked the battery at the terminals and using the positive output connection above the starter casing. Both reading were the same.
I am certain my next step will be to flush the brake system completely to rule out that as the problem. I don't have a filling adapter as recommended and getting the materials to make one here in Costa Rica may be a problem. Nearest dealer is 4 hours away and getting a cap to make the filler is unlikely. Not to mention JB Weld. Any other instuctions for making a filler that uses common parts or can it be done without the device? The ON article on flushing the system indicates it can be done with care. Opinions?

[Riverside]

Well, flushing the system with new fluid did not solve the problem. Front ABS work and back do not. It looks like a servoectomy is in Maxine's future. One question about that. I have seen two different options on the forum for connecting the electricals. One is to use the harness intact from the servo and remove the brake warning light and relay. The other is to remove the relay,open the sheathing and connect certain wires together and connect some to the relay. What is the best solution for the electrical repair on a servo removal?

[sykospain]

Hi Riverside,
Try this link for a no-cost method of doing an ABS-ectomy. It comes from the UK GS forum.

http://www.ukgser.com/forums/showthread ... ABS-system

Many people, inc. moi, think the brakes work on 1150 bikes more effectively and powerfully with the ABS servo, etc., discarded. But as I always say, a bike is inherently safer in panic braking if it has a modern effective ABS.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJ_UkAFW6cA

Motorworks however do sell the bits you may need after discarding the ABS for re-routing the solid brake lines front and back to bypass the pump.
The issue that causes most difference of opinion thereafter is how to restore brake lighting and speedo readings. And the golden rule is never cut any wires !

Best o' luck.
AL in s.e. Spain

[BadToTheBown]

If you're looking for a good set of stainless lines (factor silver) if you pull the ABS, I'll sell you mine.

Consider DOT 5.1 fluid (not DOT 5). It's the synthetic version of the DOT 3/4. I don't know this but suspect it might be less hydroscopic.

Good luck in whatever you decide.

[Riverside]

OK! Final report: Thanks to the helpful people on this forum, I had the information needed to properly diagnose the problem and removing the servo seemed to be the only solution. Had I convenient access to a dealership I would have gone in to have it plugged in for a diagnosis and saved a lot of time testing different theories. However, that was not the case. The servoectomy went smoothly and electrical hookup was relatively simple. I sealed the circuit board in the housing with a piece of compressed foam, some duct tape, silicone caulk and an electrical gang box cover plate. I screwed the box through the cover plate to the mounting bracket that held the servo on the bike. I routed the wire harness around the box to the side opposite the original mounting and zip tied the harness and the box to the bracket for mimimum movement.
In hooking up the front hydraluics I attached the banjo bolt from the fluid resouvoir to the union in the reverse of the way it was originally bolted. The line to the caliper bolted down to the other side of the union.This resulted in less messing around with the mounting bracket to connect the lines and anchor the bracket. Back brakes were a simple disconnect and reconnect. I checked for leaks and everything seems to be working just fine.
After reassembly I took a 120 mile ride with no problems. I can notice a difference in the brakes hooked directly vs with servo, but, not enough to concern me. The are still better than the Triump Bonneville, Duck or Sportster I use to ride. And the front brake can now be applied gradually instead of ON/OFF as it was with the servo.
Thanks everyone for the input. It got me through what sounded like a very scary process.

[sykospain]

Glad it all worked out well for you. If you were used to riding in the past with the benefit of ABS in damp weather on slippery roads, Just remember to change the chip in your brain such that you modify your braking distances, because you don't want suddenly to lose that front wheel during panic braking !