Hi all

I'm hoping someone with more mechanical know how than me might be able to suggest what is wrong my ABS

I've just picked the strom up after shipping it from Indonesia to Malaysia - it sat in a warehouse in Indo for a week, made the trip on Mr Lim's onion boat, then sat in a warehouse in Malaysia for 3 weeks while we were in Borneo with the in laws. Picking it up today I noticed that the ABS warning light was not turning off. I've tested whether the warning light is faulty by slamming on the brakes and having the rear wheel lock up - the light is working fine and the fault is with the ABS somewhere.

Any thoughts as to what I might need to do to fix this? I have a reasonable amount of tools, but only rudimentary mechanical knowledge... if this is something that requires a higher level of skill than I have, does anyone have any thoughts about whether local mechanics can fix up ABS issues? There is a 'big bike' shop here (Planet Cycle in Penang), but I am unsure as to whether they would have ever worked with ABS on a biek before?

Many thanks in advance for any advice...

I'd suggest you carefully check over the gap on the front and rear Hall Effect sensors. They should be securely mounted over the slotted metal disks on the front and rear wheel and the gap should be uniform with no debris between the sensor and the disk. The mounting bolts are known to come loose, especially if the bike has been disassembled. Also follow the wires for both Hall Effect sensors and make sure nothing has come apart. Lastly, check the 2 fuses under the seat. Hopefully one of those will correct the issue!

thanks Roger

both f&r sensors look OK (only going by eye), and what wires I can see without taking bits off the bike are also fine, as are the fuses.

however, i've been given the contact for a shop that actually sells stroms, which happens to be in the next town on our route, and the mechanic there is supposedly pretty good. malays are wonderfully helpful - we happened to walk past the touratech outlet, which also services BMWs. the guy there didn't want to try his luck on a non-BMW, but gave us contacts for the kawasaki shop, which is larger. this shop called the suzuki guy, and sorted us with directions

fingers crossed we're sorted there

If the front wheel was removed I reckon the speedo sensor has been broken, or one of the wires leading to it.

The speedo sensor is an issue as the ABS wont turn the light off unless the bike is actually moving, it knows this from the front sensor. Make sure the actual sensor ring is installed correctly, that is, the correct way round and in the metal groove on the front fork

Cheers from Cambodia
TravellingStrom

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i'm assuming it is ok - the front wheel was last off 6000km ago, when i put new tyres on, and everything has been fine for the whole of those 6000km

Dang computers! Hope you get it sorted out quickly and easily.

Just a thought but have you tried disconnecting the battery terminals and reconnecting? If in doubt, reboot.

The sensors may look OK but may still be dirty, maybe just pull them both out, simple job, and give them a clean. Make sure the sensor rings on the wheels themselves are not blocked either?

Maybe one of the sensor rings got damaged during the transporting, a good possibility and so maybe one of the rings is out of shape, make sure they are not warped and that the gap is consistent for the full rotation.

I would also post a question on VSRI, they are the gurus for this bike and have been very helpful to me in the past. Just register and fill out all your bike details to make it easier for help to be given.

V-Strom Riders International - Index


Cheers
TS

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took it in to a shop, where they were not able to find anything wrong with the sensors. the ecu gave them 'error 35' - which is the server. unsure how this would have been the thing to go kaput?

the mechanic there didn't feel that he would be able to get a decent read on the problem without a full couple of days work - and we've got friends meeting us in thailand shortly, so we've just left it for now... although i may take it back in once we're in chaing mai

thanks for the replies in this thread

pete

Just to clarify: the ABS was working, before you stored the bike. But now after about 3-4 weeks of storage it does not work, and the warning light stays on, right? Did you try to take the battery leads off, wait for 5 minutes, and then put them back on? Checked ABS fuses? And was there any service or dismantling work whatsoever performed to the bike during that storage time, after which the problem appeared?

What is your bike´s year model (and is it EU, US or Oz spec, or some other?) Anything more on that error code the shop picked up, what error description does it fit? Very rare to have any sort of ABS malfunction on these bikes. I have a service manual for the 07-11 EU spec model, and I can try to at least have a look, if I can guess anything.

thanks, pecha.

yes on fronts in your first para, apart from work on the bike. it had no work done on it immediately before the abs went

it is an '07 model, from australia

the good folk on stromtrooper think that the error code relates to the abs motor, and suggest checking that power is going to this. i struggle to tell my arse from my elbow at times, particulary when engines are involved... any chance you could post/email me the relevant pages so that i know where to look? i'm at petejcooper[at]gmail[dot]com

There are a few bike mechanics, good ones, in Chiang Mai Go to Riders Corner and talk to Phil the owner, he can point you in the right direction.

GPS N18.79490 E98.99343

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Hi, I´ve now sent you the pages (107 pages) in PDF-format, but zipped and in two halves.. hoping your mailbox doesn´t burst!


DTC-Code 35 is ´ABS Motor malfunction´... but note, that there can be several reasons, why the ABS motor (hydraulic unit) is not functioning, including a blown fuse, the relay gone bad, or something in the wire harness. If your ABS motor is not working, it would be important to first make sure its connectors and power supply are ok.

edit.
(This is just a hunch, but since you got this problem after the bike had been on transport, and no maintenance work was performed during the time, how about somebody accidentally messing up just a little bit with the ABS sensors or their wires on either the front- or backwheel (somehow twisting them, while putting on some tie-down ropes or something) ... I really can´t explain, why that would give you the error code for ABS motor, but anyway the sensors are sensitive, being just 1-2 millimeters off from where they should be, could lead to something unexpected.. and basically the same goes, if their connector wire gets bent or something, so I would still double-check, to make absolutely certain, that the front and back sensors, or their wires, cannot be the culprit.)

thanks pecha

i had thught the same, but the malaysian shop we went to couldn't find any faults with the sensors.

Did you manage to find a solution to this.. (and if yes, then what was causing the problem)?