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TECHNICAL MOTOBRICK WRENCHING In Remembrance of Inge K. => The Motobrick Workshop => Topic started by: subforry on February 26, 2019, 04:50:48 PM
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Hi,
I have been reading up on ABS but thought I would post this question. When I first start the bike in the morning the ABS lights flash alternately like a Railroad crossing. If I ride a few blocks, shut down, and restart it's all fine. No RR flashing. I have been keeping the bike on a battery tender, thus it should be fully charged. The first start does take some cranking, where as the second start is mostly instantaneous.
From what I have read this is caused by voltage drop. Yes/No? And would a better battery fix the problem?
Thanks
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How old is your battery? Do the lights continue flashing after you move the bike?
The only fault I have had with the ABS on my bikes has been from a weak battery dropping the voltage too low when starting, causing the low voltage fault. Charging the battery and resetting the fault corrects it.
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I have been keeping the bike on a battery tender, thus it should be fully charged.
Not necessarily. A tender won't fully charge a weak battery but will slow a weak battery from degrading. Running with the alternator might give the battery a boost but a worn battery might not be able to hold that boost.
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Hi,
I have been reading up on ABS but thought I would post this question. When I first start the bike in the morning the ABS lights flash alternately like a Railroad crossing. If I ride a few blocks, shut down, and restart it's all fine. No RR flashing. I have been keeping the bike on a battery tender, thus it should be fully charged. The first start does take some cranking, where as the second start is mostly instantaneous.
From what I have read this is caused by voltage drop. Yes/No? And would a better battery fix the problem?
Thanks
Yes.....Most Auto parts stores will check your battery for free. And a weak/worn battery may show it has the proper voltage, start your bike just fine, but screw up your ABS. (As Laitch and Gryph have alluded to.)It did mine. But that being said, it can be other things as well. I would first have your battery checked.
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A real load check is required to assess the health of your battery.
If it is weak you also run the risk of damaging the starter relay.
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Come to think of it, my bike started doing exactly what you said at the end of the season last year. At the first start up in the morning, the ABS would flash alternately. I would drive it a couple miles, shut it down and restart it. Then ABS would behave properly.
When I first bought the bike it had a weak battery. The bike ran fine, but my ABS was forever in alternate flashing mode. I had the battery tested, and I think their was a bad cell or something. I replaced the battery. Then the ABS warning lights were functioning as they should. The battery is now 4 or 5 years old. Being the frugal(cheap SOB) I am, I wasn't going to get a new battery at the end of the riding season and have it sit all Winter. I am adding that to my list o parts for my K. Thanks for the reminder. I am betting myself, at the price of a new battery, that will take care of the ABS. I am also lazy! So for $140 or so, it is an easy fix!(as long as it works)
:bmwspinn
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Just following up with some tips. First these are great for adding connectors to the dash switch wires
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B07D9HRDT6/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1 (https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B07D9HRDT6/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1)
I had to fix my ABS switch wires before I could clear the ABS codes. The Odyssey PC680 fixed the flashing, even when I have to crank a bit because it is cold and/or not run in awhile. I got the battery from Battery Mart, there was a 10% off coupon plus free 4 pack of AA batteries. You can stack coupons.
Bondo 280 bumper glue did a fantastic job of gluing the dash pad mount (the L brackets) to the dash pad.
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B0046VN8JO/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 (https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B0046VN8JO/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1)
I used this same glue to patch some holes in the dash pad.
Thanks for all the help. Its really nice to have the ABS working and be able to remove the dash pad. Tightening the head bearings was easy with the dash pad out of the way.