MK60 ABS

Bleed, diagnose and code your MK60E5 swap without a dealer laptop

I built this on a bench MK60E5 so you can bleed, diagnose and code a standalone ABS unit from your browser with a K+DCAN cable. If you are fitting a cheap BMW E9x or E8x ABS unit in a Miata, MR2, Elise, Corvette, Camaro or a kit or track car, you know the options: INPA on a Windows laptop, or a Foxwell scanner. It is pre-release.

Get notified when it's ready

Unit tested
Continental Teves MK60E5, software 4.38.1, ECU address 0x29
Cable
K+DCAN in D-CAN mode
Status
Bench-tested. Not yet used on a car.

Why it's easier

  • Nothing to install

    No INPA, ISTA or EDIABAS, and no Windows virtual machine. At most your system needs a USB driver for the cable.

  • Runs in your browser

    Open the page in Chrome, Edge, Firefox or Opera and connect. You always get the latest version, with nothing to update.

  • Windows, Mac or Linux

    Any desktop or laptop works, in any browser except Safari. No keeping an old Windows laptop around just for BMW tools.

  • No complex setup

    Cable in D-CAN mode, ignition on, open the page. No config files, COM port tweaks or BMW data files to find.

What it does

  • Bleed

    The four-corner ABS bleed with the unit's own routines. It checks for blocking faults first, then walks you through the corner order, the timed cycles and the cool-downs. How the bleed goes

  • Fault codes

    Reads the stored faults with their details and clears them. Live status, such as the supply voltage, shows a missing terminal 30 feed before you start chasing wiring.

  • Coding

    Reads the coding and decodes all 34 parameters into plain settings: gearbox type, cornering brake control, brake disc drying, hill start assist and more. Covers both the non-M and the E9x M3 coding. It also reads the ident and the VIN.

    Changing coding is guided: it backs up the current coding, asks you to confirm and reads the result back. I am still testing changes on the bench.

How the bleed goes

  1. Connect and open the page

    Connect the K+DCAN cable with its switch on D-CAN and open the page in your browser.

  2. It checks before it bleeds

    The tool reads the unit's ident, then checks for faults that would block a bleed: undervoltage on terminal 30, a pump motor fault, or the unit sitting in end-of-line test mode. If it finds one, it stops and tells you.

  3. Hook up the bleeder

    You hook up the pressure bleeder at 1.0 bar at most. Someone else sits on the brake pedal. I don't use a pedal wedge.

  4. Corner by corner

    Then it goes corner by corner: right rear, left rear, right front, left front. Each cycle gives you about 15 seconds to bleed, and each corner gets 2 cycles.

  5. Cool-down if needed

    If a corner needs more than 2 retries, the tool makes you wait 90 seconds for the pump to cool down.

It uses the unit's own bleed routines, and I checked on the bench exactly which valves each one opens before trusting it with a brake line.

The hard lesson from the bench: without terminal 30, the permanent battery feed to the pump and valve supply, the unit refuses every bleed command. That is why the tool checks for it first.

Want the full procedure, with the blocking fault codes and what to have ready? Read the MK60 ABS bleed guide.

Bench-testedSo far I have verified the commands and the valve mapping on the bench. A full supervised bleed on a car is the next step.

What you need

  • A K+DCAN USB cable set to D-CAN mode.
  • A browser on a desktop or laptop: Chrome, Edge, Firefox or Opera. Not Safari.
  • A pressure bleeder set to 1.0 bar or less, and an assistant for the pedal.
  • A steady 12 V supply, with terminal 30 connected, for the whole session.

Supported units

MK60E5: yes. I tested one unit, a Continental Teves with SGBD dsc_87. MK60E1 and the original MK60: planned.

UnitStatus
Continental Teves MK60E5Yes, bench-tested
MK60E1Planned
Original MK60Planned

Warning

Safety

Brakes are a safety system. Work on them only if you are competent to. Test the pedal and the brakes carefully before driving, and have the work checked if in doubt. Use of this tool is at your own risk.

Questions

Do I need ISTA or INPA?

No. The page talks to the unit through a K+DCAN cable from your browser. There is no Windows laptop to set up and no INPA, ISTA or EDIABAS install.

Which cable do I need?

A K+DCAN USB cable with its switch set to D-CAN. Some cables need a jumper or a pin mod instead of a switch. I use D-CAN mode on my bench unit.

Does it work on a Mac or Linux?

Yes. It works in Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Opera on Windows, macOS and Linux. Safari is the exception, and it is built for computers, not phones. Your system may need a driver for the cable's USB chip.

Is my data or ECU safe?

Reading ident, fault codes and coding changes nothing in the unit. Clearing faults, changing coding and running the bleed do change it, so the tool backs up the coding before a change and checks for blocking faults before a bleed. Use it at your own risk.

Which cars and units are supported?

The MK60E5 from BMW E9x and E8x donors, whether it stays in a BMW or goes into a standalone ABS swap. I have only tested one unit so far. The MK60E1 and the original MK60 are planned, not available.

Is it free?

No. I plan a small one-off price per ABS unit, well under what a dealer charges for a bleed. Everyone on the email list gets launch pricing.

Can I bleed the ABS without ISTA?

That is why I am building it. The commands and valve mapping are verified on the bench. A full supervised bleed on a car is the next step, so treat the web version as pre-release.

Something else? Email support@mk60abs.com and I will answer.

Get notified

I will send one email when the web version is ready to try. It won't be free: expect a small one-off price per ABS unit, and everyone on this list gets launch pricing.

Thanks, you are on the list.

I only use your address to tell you when it is ready. Reply to that email and I will delete it.