[hopz]

Just for the record... I did a brake system flush (servo brakes) yesterday with a good friend.

Let's see... the price for ABS flush at the dealer is what? Something in the range of $400?

Cost me ... according to the receipt from Pep Boys $8.53 that's with the tax included.

Took us maybe 3 hours most of that was taking off and reinstalling the tupperware, and the fuel tank. That plus the moto-BS along the way, playing with the dog etc. which was priceless.

Bike just "feels" better, and old stuff was not that old... maybe 10k miles... I'd have to look at my log book.

Thanks Al... if you are listening.

****** ****** ****** <---- this part is just screwing with the system, I said the "A" word again 3 times.... yuk, yuk

 

[JayJay]

I did my 2009 a couple of weeks ago with similar cost savings. I already had the Tupperware off for some other reason (don't remember what) but I don't think I would have had to remove it, or the fuel tank, to do the flush. Did I miss something or is there something about the servo brakes that requires fuel tank removal?

FWIW, considering what brake fluid does to painted surfaces (including rotor assemblies), and the fact that I already had the Tupperware off, I gave mine a thorough (2-beer) wash immediately after. Amazing what nooks and crannies become easier to wash without plastic in the way.

JayJay

 

[hopz]

No reason to remove the tank unless you want to actually get to the ABS pump assembly... which is the entire point of it all.

All kidding aside. On the '05/06's and earlier bikes with servo brakes, you got to get to the assembly to do the flush.

First you do the Control circuits. This is the part from the hand lever TO the pump. Then the Lever from the foot brake TO the pump. This refreshes the parts that do the controlling... thus, the "Control" circuits.

Then you flush out the old fluid and add in the new... ging from the pump to the calipers. This is easy, connect the 1/4" hose from the caliper... three of them, (one at a time), open the bleeder valve, turn on the bike ... pull the lever and the pump does the work... pumping out the old, and your Ministan (funnel) tool fills new fluid as the old fluid leaves.

Sounds easy and it actually is, if you know which of the various bleed ports connect to what. Easy enough to find if you look on the web.

 

[JayJay]

The non-servo systems are quite a bit simpler. Front brake goes from the reservoir through the ABS controller to the front calipers. Rear goes from the reservoir (under the seat) through the ABS controller to the rear caliper.

The only difficulty I had was that I couldn't really tell when the old fluid had flushed out and had been replaced by new as they were both the same color (no darkening of the old fluid). RepROM isn't much help on that one - "continue flushing until the fluid has been replaced" or something equally ambiguous. After sucking the old fluid out of the reservoir and replacing it with new I flushed through four reservoir volumes for each system (front and rear) as a SWAG on what needed to be done.

All told, I used just shy of a pint for the entire process.

JayJay

 

[vulch]

Hi i did my brake flush awhile back for the first time not hard to do as with most of the servicing on the RT the only thing is i didn't remove calipers to push the pistons back.

 

[JayJay]

Hi i did my brake flush awhile back for the first time not hard to do as with most of the servicing on the RT the only thing is i didn't remove calipers to push the pistons back.

I think the idea behind pushing the pads out is to reduce the volume of fluid in the piston cavity to make the fluid exchange more efficient. You don't need to remove the calipers to do this. I had just put new pads on the front so those pistons were already pushed back into the caliper. On the rear I worked the one movable pad out using a pair of pliers on the backing plate, and then mashed a couple of over-the-hill plastic toothbrushes between the pad and the rotor to keep it out while I pumped the fluid through. Not exactly factory procedure (there apparently is a special BMW tool to do this) but it worked.

JayJay

 

[Atomicman]

I just had the System Brake flush at the BMW dealer done on my '09 on 06/22/2012.

$88.00 including shop supplies and fluid! NO mus no fuss, and it was there anyway!

$400.00 come on dude

 

[hopz]

Your deal is great. My bike has integrated servo controlled brakes.... your bike does not.

I Love the whizzy brakes...

"Come On Dude" ?

My $9.00 beats your $88.... just sayn' and I know for certain what was done and how it was reassembled.

 

[biometrics]

$88.00 didn't include the removal/reinstallation of the tank or tupperware did it? I would imagine that the $88 was just for the fluid replacement and the tank and tupperware had already been removed for what the bike was "already there" for... eh?

You also didn't mention if it was a full fluid bleed including the ABS pump, or if it was just between the master cylinder reservoirs and the calipers...?