ABS Broke...Where to start

[yogiontour 0]

Hello Guys N Girlies

 

The car is in my garage having a new H/G fitted...However MOT is due and the ABS doesn't work

 

How do I go about tracing the fault?

 

I'm assuming the VAG-COM is a good place to start...are the VAG-COM cables on ebay any good?

 

If it's one of the wheels sensors...How hard is it to replace? I can't even stomach paying for a mecahnic to do the work after the month I have had!

 

Cheers

[peanut 0]

what do you mean it doesnt work? is it just the ornage light coming up on the dash? if so, pull it out and take the bulb out for the mot.

Gav

[dr_mat 0]

what do you mean it doesnt work? is it just the ornage light coming up on the dash? if so, pull it out and take the bulb out for the mot.

Gav

 

.. which won't work if your tester has his head screwed on cos he will know the light is supposed to come on and then go off.

Get it VAG-COMed (yes the ebay leads are ok, even the old opto-isolated ones should work), and see what it says. The best way is to fix it.

[RS VR6 0]

Theres two relays way behind the instrument cluster. Take it out and you can see them...thats how it is on a VR.

 

Maybe your bulb is burnt out like mine. :lol:

[Toad 0]

what do you mean it doesnt work? is it just the ornage light coming up on the dash? if so, pull it out and take the bulb out for the mot.

Gav

 

.. which won't work if your tester has his head screwed on cos he will know the light is supposed to come on and then go off.

Get it VAG-COMed (yes the ebay leads are ok, even the old opto-isolated ones should work), and see what it says. The best way is to fix it.

 

 

I have a cheap ebay usb one and it doesn't read the ABS, I know several people who have the same issue.

[dr_mat 0]

I have a cheap ebay usb one and it doesn't read the ABS, I know several people who have the same issue.

 

Bummer. I got a cheap ebay serial one about three years ago and have no problems at all.

[yogiontour 0]

Yer the orange light is on most of the time...goes off and on in an attempt to wind me up....if you push the car hard though and get the brakes nice and hot (I had them smoking one time 8) )it goes off and normal ABS is resumed...when the lights on however the wheels will lock up....

 

I was going to 'fiddle' with the bulb for the MOT...and hope that the car has ABS for the test...but ideally i would like it fixing because the car brakes much better with it.....whats the best VAG-COM lead to buy then?

[dr_mat 0]

whats the best VAG-COM lead to buy then?

 

The best is clearly the real thing from Ross-tech.com. But they're not cheap .. Though for $229 you get the cable and a permanent license to use the software, so that's not too bad - about £120.

[Skimask 0]

 

 

I have a cheap ebay usb one and it doesn't read the ABS, I know several people who have the same issue.

 

Bought a cheap ebay USB lead and it does work!

 

Although at first VAG-COM couldn't detect the cable - I turned down the COM port settings on the laptop. Go to Hardware - Device manager - Ports (COM&LPT) and Properties of Communication port (USB) usually Com4 and in the advanced settings turn down the 'Latency timer' to 5 - it worked for me.

It depends what COM port you have the connection configured for in VAG-COM, my one only worked on COM4.

[Skimask 0]

Yer the orange light is on most of the time...goes off and on in an attempt to wind me up....if you push the car hard though and get the brakes nice and hot (I had them smoking one time 8) )it goes off and normal ABS is resumed...when the lights on however the wheels will lock up....

 

I was going to 'fiddle' with the bulb for the MOT...and hope that the car has ABS for the test...but ideally i would like it fixing because the car brakes much better with it.....whats the best VAG-COM lead to buy then?

 

 

First port of call is get a multimeter and check the resistance of the sensors - don't need VAG-COM for that! It sounds like one of the sensors is faulty. Try a search on the forum it's covered loads of times.