ABS light stays on
Elite HDF Member
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 3,846
Likes: 173
From: Simi Valley, CA
If your recollection is correct and this issue started after having the tires replaced, that is a very important piece of diagnostic information, and would lead me to believe that one (or more) of your wheel speed sensors was damaged during the tire installation.
Thread Starter
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Intermediate
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 38
Likes: 0
From:
I don't think it is ever normal if the light stays on steady after moving forward after backing up first. I'm am talking about after I accelerate beyond 10 mph and the light stays on. What's the point of the light if it is normal for it to stay on.
Road Captain
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 666
Likes: 5
From: Bay Area, CA
Had this very same thing happen to me after a tire change. The clown who did the work put the wheel on backwards. Yep, just jammed it on to make it fit. The indy shop owner made it right but I never went back.
Could be something like that, or they were not careful with the wire or unit and caused damage.
And/or they reversed the bearings/spacers. (???) Don't have my shop manual here, but compare it to what you can see.
Could be something like that, or they were not careful with the wire or unit and caused damage.
And/or they reversed the bearings/spacers. (???) Don't have my shop manual here, but compare it to what you can see.
Road Captain
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 575
Likes: 4
From: SouthWestern Ontario
I agree with 2black1s. Having this problem after having the tires replaced would direct me to inspect and test the wheel speed sensors. Also, the input information recieved by the ABS control module is basic. It doesn't recognize direction of rotation. It only reads the electrical current generated by the halls effect sensors, no matter if it is going frontwards or backwards. To test the wheel speed sensors you can use a multimeter to read the voltage as the wheel is spun in either direction. No reading means the sensor is out of alignment or defective.
Cruiser
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 138
Likes: 2
From: Small Country
You are correct, once you go over 10 mph the ABS light should go off.
As other guys already suggested it is most definitely the Wheel Speed Sensor problem, theyve messed it up when replacing the tires.
If you knew how to read codes in the Speedometer ODO display you could even find out which sensor is bad, the front or the rear.
Reading codes is a simple procedure. With IGN OFF you turn the RUN/STOP to RUN, then hold in the Trip Switch, and turn IGN ON. The ODO will display DIAG, then you release the Trip switch, then press and release the trip switch till the ODO displays ABS. When ABS is displayed, hold in the trip button and the first code will be displayed. Then release the trip switch and press it again the second code will be displayed. If you right down the codes Ill be able to tell you in which sensor is the problem.
Now, as you know, the WSS are mounted on the axels of the wheels, just outside of the wheel bearing. On the front wheel the WSS is on the left side of the wheel, on the Rear wheel the sensor is on the right side of the wheel.
From your description it looks like theyve broken the locking feature of one of the sensors. So, when you are backing, that sensor rotates. Sensors should not move with the wheels.
You can check which of the sensors spin or move when you are backing up.
You can use a marker to mark the position of the pigtail on the sensor (the wire going into the sensor), then rock the bike back and forth and check which one has moved.
You can also try rotating the sensors by hand the one that you can rotate will be the bad one.
There is a slight chance that they just didnt assemble it right, or did not fixate the sensor properly.
If you are not technically challenged you can take the wheel off and find out why the sensor rotates.
From an 09 owners manual.
"On ABS equipped models, the amber ABS indicator lamp begins to flash at key ON to indicate that the system is operational. It continues to flash until motorcycle speed exceeds 3 mph (5 k km/h). Continuous illumination of the lamp will only occur when ABS detects that the system is malfunctioning. In diagnostic mode, the lamp will also illuminate to indicate the presence of diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs). See a Harley-Davidson dealer for service.”
"On ABS equipped models, the amber ABS indicator lamp begins to flash at key ON to indicate that the system is operational. It continues to flash until motorcycle speed exceeds 3 mph (5 k km/h). Continuous illumination of the lamp will only occur when ABS detects that the system is malfunctioning. In diagnostic mode, the lamp will also illuminate to indicate the presence of diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs). See a Harley-Davidson dealer for service.”
Thread Starter
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Intermediate
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 38
Likes: 0
From:
Ok, I've got more information. Today I replaced the front brake pads. First inspection of the old pads shows the inside pad worn down to about 10% or less material left. I noticed that it looks like the caliper was beginning to rub against the rotor.
I removed the old pads, cleaned the caliper and pucks, installed new pads and remounted the calipers. Then I bled both calipers. I inspected the rear pads and they look to have 60 to 70% pad left. I primarily use the front brakes only and seldom apply the rear brakes except when I need to slow down quickly.
I took the bike out for a test drive and the brakes worked just fine. I started the test drive by starting the bike in the garage and backing it out before moving forward. The ABS light was blinking until I moved forward and then it went out. Shortly after I was riding down the street, the light came back on and stayed on. I continued on and testing the brakes several times, all felt good. Then I stopped the bike and turned it off, then I restarted the bike and took off. The light blinked until I rolled forward and then turned off and stayed off all the way home. I stopped in front of my house and turned the bike off. I restarted it, backed up about ten feet and then took off forward and the the light went off as it should and stayed off. I didn't have time to repeat the drill, but tomorrow I will try a few more drills by starting it, backing up and then moving off forward and see how the light reacts.
Do you suppose the ABS system has the ability to sense excessive pad wear, or low fluid, or the caliper making contact with the rotor?
Tomorrow I will try to download any error codes.
The pad replacement job was very simple and I probably will replace my pads more often. By the way, I'm not sure I mentioned I have 45K miles on this first set of brake pads. I went with the Harley pads (Brembo) as I think they are the best available.
I removed the old pads, cleaned the caliper and pucks, installed new pads and remounted the calipers. Then I bled both calipers. I inspected the rear pads and they look to have 60 to 70% pad left. I primarily use the front brakes only and seldom apply the rear brakes except when I need to slow down quickly.
I took the bike out for a test drive and the brakes worked just fine. I started the test drive by starting the bike in the garage and backing it out before moving forward. The ABS light was blinking until I moved forward and then it went out. Shortly after I was riding down the street, the light came back on and stayed on. I continued on and testing the brakes several times, all felt good. Then I stopped the bike and turned it off, then I restarted the bike and took off. The light blinked until I rolled forward and then turned off and stayed off all the way home. I stopped in front of my house and turned the bike off. I restarted it, backed up about ten feet and then took off forward and the the light went off as it should and stayed off. I didn't have time to repeat the drill, but tomorrow I will try a few more drills by starting it, backing up and then moving off forward and see how the light reacts.
Do you suppose the ABS system has the ability to sense excessive pad wear, or low fluid, or the caliper making contact with the rotor?
Tomorrow I will try to download any error codes.
The pad replacement job was very simple and I probably will replace my pads more often. By the way, I'm not sure I mentioned I have 45K miles on this first set of brake pads. I went with the Harley pads (Brembo) as I think they are the best available.
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Cruiser
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 138
Likes: 2
From: Small Country
Mike, it may be your lucky day and the problem might has been in the brakes.
If your front brakes were sticking then the speed of the front wheel would be somewhat lower than the speed of the rear wheel. The ABS module would interprete that as a sensor error, will turn the light ON and disable ABS for the rest of the ignition cycle.
While riding down the road the brakes come loose, then the next time you start the bike there is no problem. It may be that your brake pads somehow get stuck when you backing up.
Now, I'm not 100% sure about it all, but is is quite possible scenario. If your brake are OK now and your brake cylinders are not sticking then the problem may go away
If your front brakes were sticking then the speed of the front wheel would be somewhat lower than the speed of the rear wheel. The ABS module would interprete that as a sensor error, will turn the light ON and disable ABS for the rest of the ignition cycle.
While riding down the road the brakes come loose, then the next time you start the bike there is no problem. It may be that your brake pads somehow get stuck when you backing up.
Now, I'm not 100% sure about it all, but is is quite possible scenario. If your brake are OK now and your brake cylinders are not sticking then the problem may go away
Elite HDF Member
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 3,846
Likes: 173
From: Simi Valley, CA
Are you sure about that? Even if the front brake caliper(s) was binding/sticking/dragging, the only way that the front wheel would be rotating slower than the rear is if it was actually skidding. I don't think the OP ever mentioned that happening.