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First Time- ABS Light Flashing

Posted: Fri May 17, 2019 8:05 pm
by bill lumberg
Today, I was around 30 minutes into my hour commute home, and I looked down to find my ABS light flashing. Immediately recognizing the potential comedy factor associated with a brake issue in stop and go traffic, I checked the pedal and lever to ensure they were free, and then tested both front and rear brakes to ensure proper function. Both functioned normally. The ABS light continued flashing for around a minute, went out, and never came back on. Any thoughts on why it flashed in the first place?

Re: First Time- ABS Light Flashing

Posted: Fri May 17, 2019 8:35 pm
by wheatonFJR
bill lumberg wrote: Fri May 17, 2019 8:05 pm Today, I was around 30 minutes into my hour commute home, and I looked down to find my ABS light flashing. Immediately recognizing the potential comedy factor associated with a brake issue in stop and go traffic, I checked the pedal and lever to ensure they were free, and then tested both front and rear brakes to ensure proper function. Both functioned normally. The ABS light continued flashing for around a minute, went out, and never came back on. Any thoughts on why it flashed in the first place?
Change a tire recently?

Re: First Time- ABS Light Flashing

Posted: Fri May 17, 2019 9:30 pm
by Redfish
We had this issue with Pop's '14. We are pretty sure it was the rear brake pedal either hanging up slightly or else him unknowingly putting a little bit of pressure on it.

Re: First Time- ABS Light Flashing

Posted: Fri May 17, 2019 10:42 pm
by raYzerman
Most likely brake switch issue... pedal or lever.. if pedal ok, spray some contact cleaner on the lever switch.... the only other potential is aluminum corrosion (from the aluminum adapter housings) getting on the wheel sensors and bridging... remove sensor, clean, silicone grease, reinstall.

Re: First Time- ABS Light Flashing

Posted: Sat May 18, 2019 4:17 am
by bill lumberg
No recent changes. No emergency braking. Pedal pivot and switch lubed recently. May be some debris. I’m going to clean and lube again and keep an eye on it.

Re: First Time- ABS Light Flashing

Posted: Sat May 18, 2019 9:18 am
by ZX 11
Did you hook it up to an OBD2 scanner to see if you have a code in history?

Re: First Time- ABS Light Flashing

Posted: Sat May 18, 2019 10:01 am
by silverback
Mine will flash if the back wheel turns wile the front doesn't. I.E. putting the bike on the center stand while in neutral with the engine idling to check for post oil change leaks. As soon as you ride it for a bit, the light goes away.

Maybe you slipped a wheel a bit. Did your TCS flash (if you have one?)

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Re: First Time- ABS Light Flashing

Posted: Sat May 18, 2019 2:28 pm
by bill lumberg
Watched it do it on and off all day. Normal braking. No pedal sticking or riding of the pedal. Cruise works normally, so it’s unlikely to be a switch. Going to see if I can see anything wrong with the wheel sensors or anything around the pedal/switch. I suppose unscrewing the sensors, wiping them off, and reinstalling them isn’t going to cause further problems. Unusual hassle for a bike with less than 16K.

While entirely possible, I’m not sure it’s a debris issue. May be a warranty problem. We will see. Didn’t keep me from thrashing it today.

Re: First Time- ABS Light Flashing

Posted: Sun May 19, 2019 6:25 am
by bill lumberg
Is there any trick to removing and reinstalling the sensors at the wheel? Clean them with a dry cloth?

Re: First Time- ABS Light Flashing

Posted: Sun May 19, 2019 7:43 am
by raYzerman
Dry cloth ok, toothbrush if you see white corrosion, same with the hole it goes into.. lightly coat hole and sensor plastic sleeve, reinstall.

Re: First Time- ABS Light Flashing

Posted: Sun May 19, 2019 9:21 am
by bill lumberg
Sensors were pristine. Spotless. Mating surface of assembly needed cleaning and a little grease before reinstall. Don’t think this will do it, but only a ride will tell.

Re: First Time- ABS Light Flashing

Posted: Sun May 19, 2019 3:23 pm
by wheatonFJR
bill lumberg wrote: Sun May 19, 2019 9:21 am Sensors were pristine. Spotless. Mating surface of assembly needed cleaning and a little grease before reinstall. Don’t think this will do it, but only a ride will tell.
??Yeah, that's puzzling. I would have suspected sticky pedal, but you have already knocked that out??

Re: First Time- ABS Light Flashing

Posted: Sun May 19, 2019 6:53 pm
by bill lumberg
Not a lever thing. Tested. Probably an electrical thing or a problem with the wheel part.

Re: First Time- ABS Light Flashing

Posted: Mon May 20, 2019 6:47 pm
by baowow
I have the same issue. Sensors are clean, pedal is not sticking. What I've noticed is that if I use the rear brake for slow speed maneuvers the abs light will blink. Releasing the rear brake and then hitting the front brakes the abs light will stop blinking. That doesn't cure it in all situations however and it would be blinking at me as I cruise down the freeway, balls of feet on the peg far away from the pedal.

Re: First Time- ABS Light Flashing

Posted: Mon May 20, 2019 7:24 pm
by raYzerman
Interesting the blinking occurs with rear brake.... for Gen3 there are relays... I haven't dove into where they are, but may be under the seat. A gent on another forum had them replaced by dealer (but they did other stuff too), so dunno... unplug/replug to refresh connections?

Re: First Time- ABS Light Flashing

Posted: Tue May 21, 2019 8:59 am
by bill lumberg
Rode to work yesterday with no problem. Blinking started soon after I left in the afternoon and continued intermittently on the way home.

Zero blinking this morning on the ride in. I fully expect to see it reappear on the way home.

Re: RE: Re: First Time- ABS Light Flashing

Posted: Tue May 21, 2019 9:20 am
by silverback
bill lumberg wrote:Rode to work yesterday with no problem. Blinking started soon after I left in the afternoon and continued intermittently on the way home.

Zero blinking this morning on the ride in. I fully expect to see it reappear on the way home.
What was the temperature in your garage? Did you let it sit in the sun? Might be a thermal issue with a loose terminal in a connector somewhere along the way.

If you can get an ABS flash code or use a scan tool somehow, that could also least tell you front or rear wheel, or where to look in general. I think the Gen 3 will work with a generic OBDII scan tool, but non emissions stuff isn't required to be reported on the generic stream. Some manufacturers would report minimal non emissions data. Not sure about Yamaha.

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Re: First Time- ABS Light Flashing

Posted: Tue May 21, 2019 4:58 pm
by bill lumberg
Zero flashing on the way home today. Same temp/riding conditions as before. Maybe my deliberately initiating rear ABS just before I entered my driveway yesterday afternoon shook something loose.

Re: First Time- ABS Light Flashing

Posted: Thu May 23, 2019 6:36 pm
by bill lumberg
While I went a day and a half with no flashing ABS icon, it came back today. Same conditions. I found, and confirmed, that pressing the rear brake pedal all the way down stopped the flashing light. Every time, at least for a while. I have no idea what’s causing it. I suppose my next step will be to have the rear wheel removed,
Everything given a once-over for anything odd, and reassembly to see if the problem continues. If it reappears, I may have to subject the bike to the slow process of warranty diagnosis.

Re: First Time- ABS Light Flashing

Posted: Thu May 23, 2019 8:49 pm
by raYzerman
I don't think removing the rear wheel will accomplish much except to confirm the ABS adapter plate is in its proper place and the wheel sensor is clean. I'm leaning more toward the relays.. iff'n ya got warranty, I'd have them check those out (they really can't, so they'll replace them). Shouldn't be an issue, but might see if rear brake switch (at the rear pedal) has a hair trigger, which can be adjusted.