ABS pump and brake bleed info.

B

Bufort

Member
Hi, I've had the FDF0 error code up for a while now (intermittently) so I've done lots of reading for diagnosis so will shortly be sending the unit off to have the bushes replaced. So, my question is how do I bleed the brakes afterwards? I've bled lots of brakes before on motorbikes so I'm proficient with this, but not with an ABS pump. I can't find a how-to on this forum, and I've read that it needs software to do this (I assume for it to activate the pump in order to remove air from it), so is my only option taking it to a garage? In which case, I would obviously have to take the car there before removing the ABS pump, so that also means they would have to charge for the removal and fitting of the pump which I would have otherwise done myself.

Any other options? Thanks
 
It's a simple operation in INPA (software + cable readily available from Bcables.com) or NCS Expert. Would be hard to purge all the air out otherwise I suspect.
 
ph001 said:
It's a simple operation in INPA (software + cable readily available from Bcables.com) or NCS Expert. Would be hard to purge all the air out otherwise I suspect.
Click to expand...
I have a C110+ OBD reader, could that do it? Is this INPA software free? Does it run on Mac? I bought two OBD cables from reputable sellers for previous cars and both had issues. One car wouldn't recognise one of the cables, none of the software ever recognised the drivers for it, so eventually gave up with them. These things always seem fraught with issues.
 
PDJ said:
The Foxwell reader will also force the ABS pump to run on request
Click to expand...
These Foxwell systems seem to start at £800, but I'm after a cheaper way of doing it compared to a garage, though.
 
Can I re-install the fixed ABS module, and then bleed the brakes (without activating the ABS pump) to get them working sufficiently enough to drive to a local garage to be bled properly by them?
 
As above INPA or ISTA-D are best and cheapest options, just need a windows laptop and download the software.
 
Bufort said:
ph001 said:
It's a simple operation in INPA (software + cable readily available from Bcables.com) or NCS Expert. Would be hard to purge all the air out otherwise I suspect.
Click to expand...
I have a C110+ OBD reader, could that do it? Is this INPA software free? Does it run on Mac? I bought two OBD cables from reputable sellers for previous cars and both had issues. One car wouldn't recognise one of the cables, none of the software ever recognised the drivers for it, so eventually gave up with them. These things always seem fraught with issues.
Click to expand...

Maybe plug the c110 in and see what options it gives you??

The Foxwell NT-510 is probably what is being referred to above, usually around £100.

The answers to all your other questions is on the bcables web link I provided.
 
ph001 said:
The Foxwell NT-510 is probably what is being referred to above, usually around £100.
Click to expand...

That's more like it. I'd much prefer getting the Foxwell than faffing around with cables, software, drivers, borrowed laptop, etc. If this can do it straight out of the tin, thats perfect. Thanks
 
Bufort said:
Can I re-install the fixed ABS module, and then bleed the brakes (without activating the ABS pump) to get them working sufficiently enough to drive to a local garage to be bled properly by them?
Click to expand...

Hi Bufort,

I’d recommend getting a way to cycle the abs module upon refit / bleeding without having to move the car.

For info, I refitted my abs module after getting it fixed by ECU Testing. I bought a cable but couldn’t get a laptop that would run INPA at the time.

After refitting the abs module and full brake line bleed (without INPA / electronically running the abs pump) I struggled to get the brake peddle to firm up enough. The brakes would grip, but couldn’t be relied on. Not much more friction than the handbrake.

I took a very, very slow drive to a very near by area of loose ground. A few skids and wheel spins later, followed by another bleed to get the air out of the brake lines after the abs module, and the brake peddle was good as new.

So it is possible without electronically cycling the abs module, but I wouldn’t do it again in the same circumstances. I hope to not have to with the ECU Testing fix. Unless you have loose ground where the car is being worked on, without going near anyone / anything.
 
MHZ4C said:
Bufort said:
Can I re-install the fixed ABS module, and then bleed the brakes (without activating the ABS pump) to get them working sufficiently enough to drive to a local garage to be bled properly by them?
Click to expand...

Hi Bufort,

I’d recommend getting a way to cycle the abs module upon refit / bleeding without having to move the car.
Click to expand...

Yeh it seems a Foxwell NT510 will do it for about £100, so i'll be getting one of these soon. I'm sure it'll have another use at some point too.
 
Replaced my abs module last year and have tried to bleed it out with INPA too. Have used different computer but it did not work as desired. My INPA didnt recognized any of my control units. Did anyone elso also have such difficulties?
 
I changed the brushes in the ABS pump myself with a kit off Ebay. Brushes and a new bearing.
(See post https://z4-forum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=121145
if interested)
I bled the brakes after and they were good enough to drive the vehicle safeley but spongy about 70% effective.
I did a normal brake pedal bleed in combination with an eazibleed pressure system and also tried my vacuum bleeder.

Finally I used the INPA brake bleed service programme which runs the pumnp for about 10 seconds - that cured the issue.
Which part of the country are you in?
 
Rucky said:
I changed the brushes in the ABS pump myself with a kit off Ebay. Brushes and a new bearing.
(See post https://z4-forum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=121145
if interested)
I bled the brakes after and they were good enough to drive the vehicle safeley but spongy about 70% effective.
I did a normal brake pedal bleed in combination with an eazibleed pressure system and also tried my vacuum bleeder.

Finally I used the INPA brake bleed service programme which runs the pumnp for about 10 seconds - that cured the issue.
Which part of the country are you in?
Click to expand...

I'm in Surrey. I haven't actually taken my pump off yet, but looking at pics online they seem to have bolts holding the motor in, so how come you needed to fabricate some bars to hold yours in?

s-l1600.jpg
 
The Motor is actuaslly peened in place , The peens need to be removed.
The motor can be Araldited back in place but the araldite subsequently failed and I had to remove the pump again so I drilled and tapped into the pump casing and fitted to Al bracers per the photo.
Photo shows a Z4 pump from Ebay similar to my own pump

No Bolts.jpg

If your motor is held onto the Pump housing with bolts it may already have been repaired and fitted with bolts but there was no flange on the Motor fitted to mine . I understand that Other BMW non Z4 ABS pumps may be fitted with bolts as per this one for sale on EBay.


If yours is bolted then replacement is easy.m pump.jpg
 

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Bufort said:
MHZ4C said:
Bufort said:
Can I re-install the fixed ABS module, and then bleed the brakes (without activating the ABS pump) to get them working sufficiently enough to drive to a local garage to be bled properly by them?
Click to expand...

Hi Bufort,

I’d recommend getting a way to cycle the abs module upon refit / bleeding without having to move the car.
Click to expand...

Yeh it seems a Foxwell NT510 will do it for about £100, so i'll be getting one of these soon. I'm sure it'll have another use at some point too.
Click to expand...

Hi mate. I have a C110 as, like you, the idea of fannying around with drivers and such really put me off. It doesn’t have the brake bleed procedure though.

What I would say is (and I didn’t realise this until recently) you can download an entire “image” of Windows with all the INPA stuff preinstalled, and then just launch it in VMWare (free program for personal use). You can do this on a Mac or on windows. Once you are done, you just close it out and boom it’s gone. When you want to use it again, you just fire up VMWare. It’s that easy.

I would give that a go first, means you only need a £20 cable. I wish I had known this sooner as it is a doddle!
 
Jameszy said:
Hi mate. I have a C110 as, like you, the idea of fannying around with drivers and such really put me off. It doesn’t have the brake bleed procedure though.

What I would say is (and I didn’t realise this until recently) you can download an entire “image” of Windows with all the INPA stuff preinstalled, and then just launch it in VMWare (free program for personal use). You can do this on a Mac or on windows. Once you are done, you just close it out and boom it’s gone. When you want to use it again, you just fire up VMWare. It’s that easy.

I would give that a go first, means you only need a £20 cable. I wish I had known this sooner as it is a doddle!
Click to expand...

Thanks for the info; where do you get the entire image of windows with INPA preinstalled? Part of the faff of downloading software etc. is that I never know if what I'm downloading will really be what I want.
 
Right here:

https://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?s=5dfbe61ec14317f3c2d84e64f4eb8f07&t=1220039

The torrent is the first link (which is actually a pastebin of the magnet. So you copy and paste that text into a torrent client to load it).

You download the file, unzip it and then open the image. It immediately boots up into windows with the programs there preinstalled.

To open the image, you need VMWare but it’s free for personal use.

You also need a cable. There are two types depending on what year your car is, but it should be the DCAN. I got mine for £17 off Amazon.
 
Bufort said:
Jameszy said:
Hi mate. I have a C110 as, like you, the idea of fannying around with drivers and such really put me off. It doesn’t have the brake bleed procedure though.

What I would say is (and I didn’t realise this until recently) you can download an entire “image” of Windows with all the INPA stuff preinstalled, and then just launch it in VMWare (free program for personal use). You can do this on a Mac or on windows. Once you are done, you just close it out and boom it’s gone. When you want to use it again, you just fire up VMWare. It’s that easy.

I would give that a go first, means you only need a £20 cable. I wish I had known this sooner as it is a doddle!
Click to expand...

Thanks for the info; where do you get the entire image of windows with INPA preinstalled? Part of the faff of downloading software etc. is that I never know if what I'm downloading will really be what I want.
Click to expand...

Hi there mate sorry I typed a reply out to this and thought it had posted, but clearly not.

The torrent link and the list of what is included is here:

/https://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1220039

For clarity, you are downloading "BMW V3 Lite VM" which is 13.3GB to download, extracts to 50 odd GB so make sure you have space.

To download the files, you need a torrent client (if you don't have one, there are plenty out there to choose from). To load the file into the torrent client, you copy and paste the text from this link into the torrent browser :http://pastebin.com/fMVz9PMi. This is the same link on the above page.

Once it's downloaded, you extract the files. Once extracted, you double click on the VMWare file which loads windows right up with the programs there.
 
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