BMW Diagnostics???

pyro8285 · 07-14-2010, 04:09 PM

Does anybody who lives near dallas, houston, or anywhere in east tx (I live in Nacogdoches) have a bmw diagnostic tool I could borrow? I just need to see where my k1200s is having its problems. My abs unit is failing for the second time and the dealer is going to charge a fortune to look at it. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

**kurt** · 07-14-2010, 04:38 PM

Tourmeister has mine in Huntsville. Maybe you arrange something with him.

**Tourmeister** · 07-14-2010, 04:52 PM

I'll be around this weekend if you can wait until say Saturday?

I still have to download the latest software for it, but that is no biggie.

My question is this, once you get the fault code, what next? This tool can reset the fault code, but that does not fix the problem.

Hairsmith · 07-14-2010, 09:04 PM

Most BMW ABS faults are from low voltage. Many times there is enough voltage in the battery to start the bike but the drain of the starter lowers the voltage to the point the ABS does not set.
I have lots of BMW tools but my bikes are all old hence no 911 Gizmo.

pyro8285 · 07-14-2010, 10:45 PM

Saturday would be great. Whats next? I want to figure out why it sometimes works, especially after installing a new battery.

**Tourmeister** · 07-15-2010, 12:36 AM

I guess what I mean when I ask "What next?" is, once you have the code, what do you do with it? Is there some manual somewhere that says, "for this code, do this to fix it?"

Hairsmith · 07-15-2010, 08:32 AM

Unless the 911 gizmo points at a specific part to replace the next point is probably to bleed the brake system. If there is air or some other containment in the system the ABS will fault.
With the Power brakes (wizzers) it is more difficult to do but not impossible.
Jeff, a member here in town, and I did the brakes on his 2004 RT. Having the special funnel is almost mandatory.
I will see if I can get him over here to post a link to a service how to he found that is step by step.

One other thing I just thought of that you might also want to check is the distance between the ABS ring and the censer, if that gets out of whack the ABS will not set either. I have that measurement but its for my GS and its the older ABS system so I am sure its not the same. BMW just does not leave any thing alone any more.

If you can come on up to Kilgore tonight there is usually a large contingent of East Texas BMW riders cussing and discussing the engineers of the mother land.

**Jeff488** · 07-15-2010, 03:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tourmeister

I guess what I mean when I ask "What next?" is, once you have the code, what do you do with it? Is there some manual somewhere that says, "for this code, do this to fix it?"

Surely the 911 thingie comes with a way to tell what the fault codes mean and what component is faulting???

pyro8285 · 07-15-2010, 03:33 PM

Tonight I will be flushing the brakes, changing the oil, and checking the wheel speed sensors, electrical switches, and. What is the ABS ring and censer? and where would I find it?

**james.cain** · 07-15-2010, 07:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hairsmith

Unless the 911 gizmo points at a specific part to replace the next point is probably to bleed the brake system. If there is air or some other containment in the system the ABS will fault.
With the Power brakes (wizzers) it is more difficult to do but not impossible.
Jeff, a member here in town, and I did the brakes on his 2004 RT. Having the special funnel is almost mandatory.
I will see if I can get him over here to post a link to a service how to he found that is step by step.

One other thing I just thought of that you might also want to check is the distance between the ABS ring and the censer, if that gets out of whack the ABS will not set either. I have that measurement but its for my GS and its the older ABS system so I am sure its not the same. BMW just does not leave any thing alone any more.

If you can come on up to Kilgore tonight there is usually a large contingent of East Texas BMW riders cussing and discussing the engineers of the mother land.

I have the funnel set up to fit my '05 GS if needed.

**wbrisett** · 07-15-2010, 09:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeff488

Surely the 911 thingie comes with a way to tell what the fault codes mean and what component is faulting???

The GS 911 actually does a good job of telling you what they mean in plain english. However, as mentioned once you get the fault code, you next need to diagnose what to do. Knowing the bike is throwing an ABS fault only gets you so far, then you have to figure out how to fix that fault. The good news is a lot of the people on the GS911 list are MUCH smarter than I am, so if my BMWs ever start throwing codes, I'll be able, hopefully, with their help to fix it myself. At least that's the theory.

I'm in Austin, but do have the Pro version of the GS911 so if any TWT members ever need to use it, let me know.

Wayne

**Tourmeister** · 07-16-2010, 01:58 PM

Okay, so anyone that wants to meet at my place tomorrow is welcome to come by, so long as they come no earlier than noon! It has been a LONG week for me because I've been having to go to bed and get up about 4 hours earlier than normal all week. So I HAVE to sleep in Saturday, especially since Beth and the kids are gone and I will actually have some quiet!

I know it will be hot that late in the day, but...

I have Kurts 911 thingy, will download the latest version of the software, and I have basic tools. I don't have any BMW specific stuff other than valve feeler gauges and the Twinmax for syncing the throttle bodies.

Like I said, Beth and the kids will not be home all day, so I have the place to my self and it is a perfect time to work on the bikes without interruptions. If there is interest, we can grab some BBQ from the local joint for lunch/dinner.

The only potential snag is that I am still on 24/7 call for work. So if the pager goes off, I may have to duck inside for a while to crank out a job. I work at home on weekends though, so it is not like we'd have to shut everything down while I am working.

If you are interested,

1617 Woodland Ln
Huntsville, Tx. 77340
936-295-0187

**Tourmeister** · 07-16-2010, 01:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wbrisett

The GS 911 actually does a good job of telling you what they mean in plain english. However, as mentioned once you get the fault code, you next need to diagnose what to do. Knowing the bike is throwing an ABS fault only gets you so far, then you have to figure out how to fix that fault. The good news is a lot of the people on the GS911 list are MUCH smarter than I am, so if my BMWs ever start throwing codes, I'll be able, hopefully, with their help to fix it myself. At least that's the theory.

Exactly my point! I never looked, but are you saying there is a forum on the GS911 site where you can ask questions about how to handle various faults?

**kurt** · 07-16-2010, 02:05 PM

Kind of. It is a Google Group.

http://www.hexcode.co.za/products/gs...iscussionforum

revtexdave · 07-29-2010, 02:17 PM

Scotty...Sat not good, Sun better... not doing the R115R valves until I get back from DelRio... I remembered GULF Coast BmW did mine after you and I did it, so I have another 2k at least... other question though:I rode my bike a lot this weekend and have been on two 20 minute plus jaunts this week, but this AM my bike's BMW GELLED battery was at 12.4 volts and would not crank... battery is two years old, but that $140 gelled battery is supposed to be longer lasting. I have not checked my battery post since hooking up the tender connection three months ago. Does anyone think that the clock pulls that much? I do not. I had a short in the harness that GULF Coast BMW fixed, but did not think that could cause t weak spot in the gelled battery... Any clues other than $140 battery, but don't want to have issues on a Aug 100* F 700 mile ride...

revtexdave · 07-29-2010, 02:26 PM

ABS... I do not want to sound like implying to some highly tech person one is not in the know... but,
the ABS on Beemers is VERY sensitive to voltage and a bad battery is an issue and the little sensor on front near the brakes is really vulnerable for damage. Those two are starting points. You also must watch type of DOT ratings on brake fluid, kinking hoses or air contamination/cap not on tight under the seat...
I am not a tech guru, but these are issues on other equipment I had...
My R1150R only had issues when electrical was not perfect.
revtexdave

**Tourmeister** · 08-01-2010, 09:01 PM

Dave,

What were the symptoms on your ABS when it was acting up?

pyro8285,

Did you ever get your issues sorted out? If so, what was the problem and how did you fix it?

07-14-2010, 04:09 PM	#1
pyro8285 Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Nacogdoches, TX Posts: 6	BMW Diagnostics??? Does anybody who lives near dallas, houston, or anywhere in east tx (I live in Nacogdoches) have a bmw diagnostic tool I could borrow? I just need to see where my k1200s is having its problems. My abs unit is failing for the second time and the dealer is going to charge a fortune to look at it. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

07-14-2010, 04:38 PM	#2
kurt Administrator Forum Supporter Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Cedar Park, Texas Posts: 13,461	Re: BMW Diagnostics??? Tourmeister has mine in Huntsville. Maybe you arrange something with him.

07-14-2010, 09:04 PM	#4
Hairsmith Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Nacogdoches Posts: 2,022	Re: BMW Diagnostics??? Most BMW ABS faults are from low voltage. Many times there is enough voltage in the battery to start the bike but the drain of the starter lowers the voltage to the point the ABS does not set. I have lots of BMW tools but my bikes are all old hence no 911 Gizmo. __________________ Hairsmith 2000 R1150GS 1983 R100RS 1997 F650 "Ride Hard, Eat Hearty, Be Grateful" -Alton Brown So, the moral of the story is, if you can ride, you won't worry about how tall it is. -gotdurt "A Camera And A Bike....What More Do I Need?" - Dutchinterceptor (TIRES Dutch You need new tires before you leave!)

07-14-2010, 10:45 PM	#5
pyro8285 Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Nacogdoches, TX Posts: 6	Re: BMW Diagnostics??? Saturday would be great. Whats next? I want to figure out why it sometimes works, especially after installing a new battery.

07-15-2010, 08:32 AM	#7
Hairsmith Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Nacogdoches Posts: 2,022	Re: BMW Diagnostics??? Unless the 911 gizmo points at a specific part to replace the next point is probably to bleed the brake system. If there is air or some other containment in the system the ABS will fault. With the Power brakes (wizzers) it is more difficult to do but not impossible. Jeff, a member here in town, and I did the brakes on his 2004 RT. Having the special funnel is almost mandatory. I will see if I can get him over here to post a link to a service how to he found that is step by step. One other thing I just thought of that you might also want to check is the distance between the ABS ring and the censer, if that gets out of whack the ABS will not set either. I have that measurement but its for my GS and its the older ABS system so I am sure its not the same. BMW just does not leave any thing alone any more. If you can come on up to Kilgore tonight there is usually a large contingent of East Texas BMW riders cussing and discussing the engineers of the mother land. __________________ Hairsmith 2000 R1150GS 1983 R100RS 1997 F650 "Ride Hard, Eat Hearty, Be Grateful" -Alton Brown So, the moral of the story is, if you can ride, you won't worry about how tall it is. -gotdurt "A Camera And A Bike....What More Do I Need?" - Dutchinterceptor (TIRES Dutch You need new tires before you leave!)

07-15-2010, 03:33 PM	#9
pyro8285 Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Nacogdoches, TX Posts: 6	Re: BMW Diagnostics??? Tonight I will be flushing the brakes, changing the oil, and checking the wheel speed sensors, electrical switches, and. What is the ABS ring and censer? and where would I find it?

07-16-2010, 02:05 PM	#14
kurt Administrator Forum Supporter Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Cedar Park, Texas Posts: 13,461	Re: BMW Diagnostics??? Kind of. It is a Google Group. http://www.hexcode.co.za/products/gs...iscussionforum

07-29-2010, 02:17 PM	#15
revtexdave Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Huntsville, TX Posts: 8	Re: BMW Diagnostics??? Scotty...Sat not good, Sun better... not doing the R115R valves until I get back from DelRio... I remembered GULF Coast BmW did mine after you and I did it, so I have another 2k at least... other question though:I rode my bike a lot this weekend and have been on two 20 minute plus jaunts this week, but this AM my bike's BMW GELLED battery was at 12.4 volts and would not crank... battery is two years old, but that $140 gelled battery is supposed to be longer lasting. I have not checked my battery post since hooking up the tender connection three months ago. Does anyone think that the clock pulls that much? I do not. I had a short in the harness that GULF Coast BMW fixed, but did not think that could cause t weak spot in the gelled battery... Any clues other than $140 battery, but don't want to have issues on a Aug 100* F 700 mile ride...

07-29-2010, 02:26 PM	#16
revtexdave Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Huntsville, TX Posts: 8	Re: BMW Diagnostics??? ABS... I do not want to sound like implying to some highly tech person one is not in the know... but, the ABS on Beemers is VERY sensitive to voltage and a bad battery is an issue and the little sensor on front near the brakes is really vulnerable for damage. Those two are starting points. You also must watch type of DOT ratings on brake fluid, kinking hoses or air contamination/cap not on tight under the seat... I am not a tech guru, but these are issues on other equipment I had... My R1150R only had issues when electrical was not perfect. revtexdave

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