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Damned ABS warning light - radical cure?

932 views 5 replies 2 participants last post by  twoturbos 
#1 ·
I've posted this elsewhere, so apologies if it's tedious...trying to get my 1997 9000 throught the (British) MOT test. Lots to do, most of which I can handle, I think. But the erratic ABS warning light - for the time being, can I just pull the ABS system fuse and disable the system, and will this extinguish the light or just guarantee it will glare maliciously at me all the way to the testing station?

All thoughts welcome...well, most thoughts welcome anyway...:cheesy:
 
#2 ·
Hiya

Afraid you can't do that. Disabling it like that will put the light out and obviously disable the system.

However, in order to pass the MOT, the light must come on with the ignition and then go out in order to satify the tester the system works and is not displaying a fault.
He should automatically give it a fail if the light doesn't comne on at all.
I stress should :)

Your most likely guilty party is one of the sensors (I am sure you don't need telling this).
If it is intermittant, it could be a broken cable or merely a build up of crud on the sensor itself. The fronts get dirtier so I would probably start there.
They are easy enough to get at, as are the rears. You will need a 10mm socket. Ther rears in particular can be a git to get out as they seize in the hub.
You can check the resistance of each sensor at the loom connectors. They should read between 900-1400ohms if working.
The connectors are under the covers that is just in front of the screen
The rears are under the rear seat close to the door, you will see a plug on the floorpan which you pop out and the cable is in there.

Good luck
 
#3 ·
Thanks mate - that was a spectacularly helpful reply. I will get the multimeter out at the weekend (amongst the other jobs on the car...) I'm particularly grateful for the info on where the sensors connect to the looms, that is far from obvious when trying to trace them!

Grateful thanks,

Thorfinn;ol;
 
#5 ·
As the light comes on when stationary, and stays on, then I don't think it's the old "gunk on the sensor-ring" issue. I'll be checking the resistances this weekend as I say. But I already know - having had the offside front apart last weekend to renew a CV joint boot - that that one is well and truly stuck in the hub. In fact I had to cut the cable to get the hub assembly into my workshop - soldered it all back together, but as it's co-axial cable, I'm concerned there may be RF things going on that will make that joint an extra problem. But, the light was already permanently on before this.
In fact, it was fine until I laid the car up a couple of months ago. Since then, it's been sitting static on the driveway. Significant or not, I only noticed the permanent warning light after the battery had been off for a week being re-charged.
It's a real pest as this may be the one thing that will continually fail the MOT; and if so, may be the end of the car's useful life. That would be a real shame.:cry:
 
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