Need a little help with an R1200RT

[HowlingMad]

Howdy,
Having some problems with my father-in-law's 2007 R1200RT. With 45k, it's no longer under warranty.

Symptoms:
-constant ABS failure light
-no speedo
-no cruise control
-brake light constantly illuminated
-possible battery drain (after 2 weeks, battery had dropped to >10 volts)

GS 911 shows the following fault codes/explanations:
41755: CAN-bus timeout to ABS control module
10220: Can-bus timeout: no communication with ABS control unit.


Here's what I've done so far:
-Front ABS sensor removed/inspected - no wear or damage
-Removed tank, inspected ABS cable - no wear or damage
-Cleared fault codes - above listed return immediately
-Battery was replaced as an attempt to solve this issue.
-Searched every combination of error codes and terms above - eyes bleeding, surprising lack of results.

Other Notes:
-ABS pump felt warm hours after bike was running
-There was no apparent incident that triggered this issue.

Thanks for any input.

[BigChris]

I can only offer some general troubleshooting advice. The CANBus faults indicate that the ABS control module is not responding to commands. I would start by checking all wires and connectors into the unit and if possible verifying that its getting a good 12 volts from the battery. If the unit is attached to the frame then check that there is no corrosion around the mounting points. You could try disconnecting the unit to see if that cures the battery drain. If none of the above helps I would suspect that the module is toast and a trip to a good mechanic might be in order.

Have you tried posting on a BMW specific site?

[dfwscotty]

Try posting it up here as well. Home of the 1100, 1150 and 1200 RTs.

http://bmwsporttouring.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php

[HowlingMad]

Thanks Gents. I should have mentioned that I've also disconnected the battery to sit for a few hours and unplugged the harness from the ABS controller.

I have not started probing the harness for fear or damaging the delicate controller.

I'll post this over on the sport touring site as well. Just hate asking for advice as a noob. Guess I should put something up in the flea market with no price, description or pictures while I'm at it.

Thanks again.

[HowlingMad]

Just a follow up, I started this thread over in BMW Sport Touring (very helpful group of guys over there, btw).

All the details are there including the conclusion which appears to be a new ABS controller/pump.


Thanks for the help.

[BigChris]

Worst fears realized I guess. I thought the ABS unit was gonzo when I read about the CANbus errors but you've got to eliminate the other possibilities first before spending that kind of money to fix it. Very glad to hear BMW picked up some of the cost for you. I've looked at a couple of BMW's (RT and a GS) over the years and this is the sort of thing that has scared me away.

[HowlingMad]

Originally Posted by BigChris

Worst fears realized I guess. I thought the ABS unit was gonzo when I read about the CANbus errors but you've got to eliminate the other possibilities first before spending that kind of money to fix it. Very glad to hear BMW picked up some of the cost for you. I've looked at a couple of BMW's (RT and a GS) over the years and this is the sort of thing that has scared me away.

If it's any comfort, I got the impression that this was incredibly rare.

He also bought the bike used from a rental shop, so those 40k miles are like 160k in dog years.

[TurboCharger]

Originally Posted by HowlingMad

If it's any comfort, I got the impression that this was incredibly rare.

He also bought the bike used from a rental shop, so those 40k miles are like 160k in dog years.

I also had an ABS failure with the exact same code 10220 Canbus timeout... and similar symptoms on my R1200GS with ABS-2.

I don't think it is that rare but my mechanic puts the failure down to lack of maintenance and servicing. Just in case it helps, here is the low-down of the experience I had.

Background:
I've got just under 70,000kms on the bike
2007 Model BMW 1200GS
ABS version II
We have ridden all terrain, not just road.
I use the GS-911 diagnostic unit connected to my WM5 HP iPaq phone.
The ABS issue occured just after another error with the wheel speed sensor (41445 I think).
* Aside, is there a full list of all fault codes somewhere??

Error reported by GS-911:
10220: Can-bus timeout: no communication with ABS control unit.

Symptoms:
Brake Failure warning light on the Dashboard.
ABS doesn't work.
No speedo.
No odometer (ie. no distance travelled is recorded at all, counter
stays at zero)

Inspections and repairs:
There are no issues with FD (yet) checked play on rear bearings.
There are no metal shards or filings in the FD oil.
The battery was dead so I have replaced the battery.
I have inspected both front and rear wheel speed sensors. The rear
looked damaged by heat and so I replaced it.
The bike runs fine apart from the Brake Failure warning light.
The Dash works fine, ie clock, fuel indicator revs and oil temp all
work fine.

The brake fluid was changed (supposedly) last year (under 20,000kms). BMW recommends every 2 years of 20,000kms. So I can't see why this should be a problem. As a result of the constant brake failure, my rear brake light didn't work when activated by either front or rear brakes. IMO This is very dangerous. All the other problems linked to the ABS failure are ok and means the bike is ridable but no brake lights are for me a critical saftey issue.

I had run out of options so started calling BMW mechanics to get their input, I finally resorted to taking it into a BMW repair shop and they diagnosed using the BMW diagnostic unit. I didn't get the exact read out but it was something along the line that the ABS pump failed and could not be re-initialised. The mechanic I told me he tried to reset/flash the ABS unit but this didn't help. The Mechanic didn't try to bleed the circuit but I think it probably was too late if the ABS had already completely failed...

Bottom line:
ABS is toast. I need a new ABS pump. This part is $1700. The Mechanic is also doing a couple of recalls on my bike at the same time. I'll let you know the pain when I get the bike back, but it's likely to be over $2000... not happy!!

On a final note, and as I've seen recommended ABS needs regular maintenance. It also needs to be used. Some suggest applying ABS on a semi-regular basis to ensure the ABS unit is exercised. Also I have
been recommended to change and bleed the entire brake fluid at least every 2 years or 20,000kms as a minimum.