ABS Fault Fixed.... Maybe

[beaky 10]

Evening all

 

Just to let you know about my ABS problems and what I did to "fix" them. Reading VAG COM I had a front right inlet valve failure.

 

I have had the car for 3 weeks now and love it. :thumbleft: I bought it with an ABS problem that stopped when the engine was warm, but came back when the engine was cold!

 

Looking through the service history VW advised a brake fluid service in 2007 but the previous owner did not do it, he only did 10k in the car in 7 yars and just warmed the car up for the MOT! I wanted to get to the bottom of this problem, as when the ABS light is on, the ABS does not work.

 

Firstly, I removed the ECU and checked the connections, looked all good, but sprayed electrical contact cleaner on the connections, no difference.

 

I then checked the front wheel sensors at the strut tops with a multimeter all good at about 1100 ohms.

 

I couldn't get the large plug off the ABS valve block but sprayed the other electrical connections, no difference.

 

Last Saturday I took the car to my local VW specialist (Marlow VW) they plugged it into VAG COM and told me what I already knew and said the pump needed replacing at approx £1k. I had read up on ABS faults on this forum and considering the cars history approx 10k miles in 7 years without a brake fluid change asked them to do a brake fluid service at £50. The light stayed off longer.... until the engine was completely cold, then came on again, but it was encouraging....

 

This afternoon I mangaed to get the large plug at the front of the ABS valve block off and sprayed it with electraical contact cleaner, still no immediate difference.

 

Checked the car this evening and the ABS light went out when the car is cold!!! A definate improvement!! maybe even fixed! :cheers:

 

Too early to say at the moment I guess.... I will let you all know what happens next.

 

Cheers

 

Rich

[beaky 10]

Just a quick update, the abs now functions as it should and the light always goes off as it should, so I reckon it's all fixed.

[Critical_Mass 10]

Good stuff mate. Situations like that are rewarding when you manage to get what seems to be an expensive problem fixed with a simple solution. Saved you 1K! :D I remember when i first got my VR and the ABS light didnt come on at all, i thought i was looking at 1k for the ABS ECU (WTF!!). Turned out the the bulb and the little circuit board just needed replacing. :D

[edd 0]

Hi Beaky

 

So what do you think was the solution, i'm not clear from the previous posts, i have exaclty the same problem on a VR ive picked up recently, ABS light stays on after cold starts but once car warm can turn engine on/off and will they work as it should. definitely engine temp related. Any ideads?

 

Edd

[tony_ack 0]

Don't want to put too much of a downer on it, but my ABS light is like yours - stays on when the car is first started in the morning, but goes out like it should when the engine is hot.

 

It's been a lot better recently with the warm weather, and in the past week or so it's been going out all the time and behaving itself, but I'm guessing it's going to be back to staying on all the time when it gets colder.

 

Luckily MOT month is June :-)

[edd 0]

aye its certainly a bit annoying, any hunches regarding the cause Tony?

 

---------- Post added at 09:08 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:05 PM ----------

 

http://the-corrado.net/showthread.php?47249-ABS-warning-light-ABS-pump-internal-wiring&highlight=abs+fault+cold

[beaky 10]

Hi there, firstly I would check the large electrically plug connected to the front of the abs unit, try removing and cleaning with electrically contact cleaner. I found I couldn't get the plug off at first but when I grasped it in my hand from underneath and pulled it came off pretty easily.

 

My car had only covered 10k in 7 years and VW stated on a 2007 service sheet that it needed a brake fluid service. I read on this forum that old brake fluid may cause abs valve errors (which mine had) so I got the local vw specialist to change the fluid and the fault eventually cleared completely after a few days and hasn't come back (fingers crossed).

 

Do you know how old the brake fluid is?

[edd 0]

ah cheers beaky, no, just bought the car off someone recently, tried all the connections, definitely temp related, i'll get the brake fluid done.

[Bomb-Doctor 10]

Had exactly the same issue with my ABS on the VR6. Cleaned all the ABS connections and ECU with contact cleaner and hey presto problems went away. Thanks for the top tip Beaky :cheers:

Hi there, firstly I would check the large electrically plug connected to the front of the abs unit, try removing and cleaning with electrically contact cleaner. I found I couldn't get the plug off at first but when I grasped it in my hand from underneath and pulled it came off pretty easily.

 

My car had only covered 10k in 7 years and VW stated on a 2007 service sheet that it needed a brake fluid service. I read on this forum that old brake fluid may cause abs valve errors (which mine had) so I got the local vw specialist to change the fluid and the fault eventually cleared completely after a few days and hasn't come back (fingers crossed).

 

Do you know how old the brake fluid is?