We have a 2014 Deluxe with ABS and the back brakes don’t work. It happened once before and the dealer flushed and replaced the brake fluid (at least for about a year). It seems like the dealer can’t fix the problem and I’m wondering if anyone else has had this issue and what you did to fix the problem. Thanks in advance.

 

I'm no expert but a rebuild on the master cylinder and rear caliper is where I'd start.

 

Define "don't work".....

What happens when you try to use the rear brake....?

I ask, because if you push the rear brake pedal, and it's as hard as a brick, won't/barely moves, and the brakes don't engage... You most likely have a frozen ABS unit.

That's not a cheap fix..

But they spilt the softail's ABS modules and use two, one for front & one for rear... On a bagger, the module contains both front & rear and costs twice as much..

 

I should have been more specific. When depressing the rear brake pedal, it goes all the way down, as if there is no fluid in the system. I have read threads where the pedal gets hard but I can’t recall any posts where the pedal goes all the way down except when someone has a problem bleeding the brakes.

 

The master cyl can bleed by the fluid with in itself.
Try bleeding to make sure the system has no air in it.
Look for any external leaks or loss off fluid.
If none a master cyl rebuild will be next.

Little to no chance it's an ABS problem

I'm in your area if ya need help get in touch with me

WP

 

Ok thanks. I will. I can do a lot of the mechanical stuff but other than change brake pads on my 06 Heritage, I have almost zero experience with brakes and internal engine stuff.

 

I checked the master cylinder reservoir and it’s full of fluid but pumping the pedal won’t build up any pressure. Is there a way to bleed the brakes without being able to get any pressure? Also, is there any way to bypass the ABS system?

 

You could try bench bleeding the master cylinder first, then connecting it to the brake lines..... That master can hold a bunch of air that takes time to get through the lines. If you can't get the master cylinder bench bled, you will know it needs to be rebuilt.

You could also get one of the vacuum bleeders. They make them both manual style and ones that run off a compressor.

Yeah, you can bypass the ABS. The easy way would be to buy a 2014 Deluxe rear brake line for a non-ABS bike. (see pic below) ABS was still an option in 2014 on softails. Then I think you would have an ABS light on the gauges all the time. I doubt a dealer would disable an ABS system, although their Digital Tech II is used to select ABS or not. An aftermarket diagnostic tool, like the TechnoResearch Centurion Pro, could also do it if you know someone with that tool..

I'm a little concerned that a dealer can't fix it...??? Is that what they actually said?

What was their diagnosis?

I can't believe they didn't offer some remedy, albeit maybe an expensive one...

 

When I took it in about an about a year and a half ago, , they flushed the system and it worked until we shut it down for winter. Due to her bad knees and my back back, none of our bikes have been ridden. I had back surgery in May and have finally recovered enough to ride. They said that if the problem occurred, they would have to replace the ABS something or another. The cost would be north of $1500 and frankly, I really don’t want to spend that much, especially since I have to replace tires on the Deluxe and my RGU. I’ll call the dealer and see if they can or will bypass the ABS, but I seriously doubt that they will.

 

I suspect at that cost, they believe the ABS unit may need to be replaced. I've never dealt with the softail version of ABS, only the Bagger version which has all four valves in the same module. I'm not sure how the Softail version of ABS behaves when one of the ABS modules goes bad..

Funny, they will sell bikes all day long that don't have ABS, but if a bike is delivered with ABS, they are loathe to remove it citing "Liability" concerns...


Try to bench bleed the master. If it bleeds well, then connect the lines and try to bleed the rest of the system.

If you cannot get the system bled, are positive you you are bleeding correctly, and have moved enough fluid through the system to remove all the air, then it could be the ABS unit.... OR... you somehow got air into the ABS unit. If that is the case, you will need a dealer, or someone with the correct tool, to activate the ABS module during the bleeding, or you will never get all the air out of the system...

Good luck with the repair..... Keep us posted on what you decide to do, and what the final fix turns out to be...