This thread is designed to aid in those of us that will eventually get a failure caused by the ABS Module-Modulator-Pump. You typically get the DSC-ABS-Brake light warning on the dash.
If you are someone that has no interest in doing their own work or take it to your dealer or independent this thread isn't for you.
Background
I received this warning, the first warning I have received on my E93 since I picked it up in Munich 4/2007. I read the codes and discovered this is a common failure and will continue to be a common failure reasons why posted later. I tried to locate companies in the US that would rebuild the unit. The ABS module, that is the electrical brain that the connector is attached to isn't typically the problem. The problem is the other assembly called modulator and pump. I have only one car at the moment so I could not afford the downtime to research a repair. I purchased my unit from BMW of Minn for $940 which is the cheapest new part for this repair I could find. If you see my post on another members ABS post you will see the part numbers posted there. There are two part numbers one for 2007 to late 2007's and one for late 2007's on. I installed the unit, bleed the brakes and cleared the codes. Problem solved.
Now I can research the "why" on this part, Typically these things do not fail often why are we seeing this now? Well BMW changed the design and the suppliers provided parts to their design spec. Gone is the servo system and this system we have is a new design as of late 2006. This makes this part easy (3 on a 10 scale) to replace.
I investigated as many sites as I could and talked to a number of repair houses none in the US that would touch the modulator-pump just the module.
Here is what appears to be the cause of the failure. Remember this is my simple research on the subject but I plan to back this up with my failed unit repair to see if indeed the failure is caused by what I discovered. The pump on this unit is a high torque multi-brush electrical motor driving the pump. What happens is that this electrical motor gets brushes stuck and not making contact with the slip rings thus not allowing the motor to turn at the designated speed it is designed for thus throwing a fault code.
Well can you just replace the motor and be happy. Maybe someone can source the part but it is integral to the modulator and requires disassembly to attempt the repair. I will post a couple of sites that describe the problem and a Youtube video link that shows a BMW K1200 rider doing this repair, the same one I am going to try to see if that is what our problem is too.
Here is the youtube video 14 minutres long
and here is another link
http://www.i-bmw.com/showthread.php?t=41122&page=2
Both links are motorcycle related but if you have your failed system and compare it to the ones that are in the motorcycle thread and youtube you can see they are very close.
Can it be that simple as to a set of one stuck brush not making electrical contact with the slip rings? I am guessing yes because BMW isn't using different brush holders for the same series of electrical motors. The holders are plastic and the brushes are typically carbon or copper and seem to like each other too much and stick.
I will add to this thread as I begin to disassemble my failed unit and I will try my best using the camera equipment I have to take pictures to see if this theory is correct.
It can't be a coincidence that we are seeing this expensive unit fail when they typically never failed before especially once I discovered the design was changed in 2006.
By the way the company that replaced the brushes on the K1200 BMW motorcycles is called
http://www.modulemaster.com/en/index.php
I called them and talked to their rep and she stated no they would not touch our unit. Well since I am going to do this investigation and repair attempt myself I didn't feel it worth the time to explain to her it is the same unit slightly different design, etc. But if enough member want to get theirs repaired and it is the brushes they do that for I think $155.
Standby for updates
If you are someone that has no interest in doing their own work or take it to your dealer or independent this thread isn't for you.
Background
I received this warning, the first warning I have received on my E93 since I picked it up in Munich 4/2007. I read the codes and discovered this is a common failure and will continue to be a common failure reasons why posted later. I tried to locate companies in the US that would rebuild the unit. The ABS module, that is the electrical brain that the connector is attached to isn't typically the problem. The problem is the other assembly called modulator and pump. I have only one car at the moment so I could not afford the downtime to research a repair. I purchased my unit from BMW of Minn for $940 which is the cheapest new part for this repair I could find. If you see my post on another members ABS post you will see the part numbers posted there. There are two part numbers one for 2007 to late 2007's and one for late 2007's on. I installed the unit, bleed the brakes and cleared the codes. Problem solved.
Now I can research the "why" on this part, Typically these things do not fail often why are we seeing this now? Well BMW changed the design and the suppliers provided parts to their design spec. Gone is the servo system and this system we have is a new design as of late 2006. This makes this part easy (3 on a 10 scale) to replace.
I investigated as many sites as I could and talked to a number of repair houses none in the US that would touch the modulator-pump just the module.
Here is what appears to be the cause of the failure. Remember this is my simple research on the subject but I plan to back this up with my failed unit repair to see if indeed the failure is caused by what I discovered. The pump on this unit is a high torque multi-brush electrical motor driving the pump. What happens is that this electrical motor gets brushes stuck and not making contact with the slip rings thus not allowing the motor to turn at the designated speed it is designed for thus throwing a fault code.
Well can you just replace the motor and be happy. Maybe someone can source the part but it is integral to the modulator and requires disassembly to attempt the repair. I will post a couple of sites that describe the problem and a Youtube video link that shows a BMW K1200 rider doing this repair, the same one I am going to try to see if that is what our problem is too.
Here is the youtube video 14 minutres long
and here is another link
http://www.i-bmw.com/showthread.php?t=41122&page=2
Both links are motorcycle related but if you have your failed system and compare it to the ones that are in the motorcycle thread and youtube you can see they are very close.
Can it be that simple as to a set of one stuck brush not making electrical contact with the slip rings? I am guessing yes because BMW isn't using different brush holders for the same series of electrical motors. The holders are plastic and the brushes are typically carbon or copper and seem to like each other too much and stick.
I will add to this thread as I begin to disassemble my failed unit and I will try my best using the camera equipment I have to take pictures to see if this theory is correct.
It can't be a coincidence that we are seeing this expensive unit fail when they typically never failed before especially once I discovered the design was changed in 2006.
By the way the company that replaced the brushes on the K1200 BMW motorcycles is called
http://www.modulemaster.com/en/index.php
I called them and talked to their rep and she stated no they would not touch our unit. Well since I am going to do this investigation and repair attempt myself I didn't feel it worth the time to explain to her it is the same unit slightly different design, etc. But if enough member want to get theirs repaired and it is the brushes they do that for I think $155.
Standby for updates
