ABS light stays illuminated

[NWDSdax 10]

Newbie here, I’m going to view a vr6 tomorrow which looks like a lovely example, only issue it has is the abs light is on. From a little googling I’ve found the most likely fault is a sensor. Then others could be ABS pump,ABS ecu, or the brake pedal position sensor. I was just after some info on possible cost for each, and if parts are easily available.

Thanks

[dr_mat 0]

Yeah, the sensors are easy to get, and the rear sensors are more expensive but in general this is no big deal. The pump unit however is hard to come by and generally many hundreds of pounds. That said they are quite reliable so you can easily chance it on a used one with minimal risk. They can also be refurbished for a couple of hundred quid if you'd like to have a warranty.

[fendervg 29]

The ABS pump unit can be had new from VW for well over €2500! Second hand ones can be around €100, bur there is no real way of knowing if they are ok and many of them suffer from the same damage to the loom connector and control PCB that is mounted on the underside of the unit. ABS ECUs are easy enough to find but rarely go unless there is water damage. Could also be the pedal position sensor in the servo - this can be repaired - do a search on here. Cheap sensors tend to be false economy so buyer beware, and also if the ABS sensor rings are damaged or bent, this can give a false reading.

 

If you have a chance, it would be worth scanning the fault codes first, which might give you more of an idea - it could be a really cheap and easy fix if it's a sensor, or potentially a lot more if the pump unit is knackered. There's lots of info on here.

[NWDSdax 10]

Thanks for the reply, I do have a cose scanner but from what I’ve read online that you need VAGCOM to access the ABS ecu to diagnose the fault?

[NWDSdax 10]

If it was the pump, and I went for the refurb option how much labour time is it to remove and fit roughly? Just so I can factor that in if I make an offer.

Many thanks

[Dox 22]

Mine took around 20 mins to remove, they don't bleed up well after refitting, so 2 hours to get a decent pedal afterwards

[seanl82 23]

As mentioned you'll need to factor in the cost of brake fluid, as it'll need a full system refresh and bleed after replacing the pump. BBA Raman refurbish them so there are ways should it be the culprit. Pedal position sensors are easily repaired also and not too expensive, and I've never had problems with cheap ebay wheel speed sensors. Have a look in the Wiki section at the buyers guide too, lots of good info on what to look for in that. Good luck!

 

You can also check the wheels sensors using a multimeter at the plug where it connects to the loom (Front are on the turrets and backs are under the rear seats.

Edited December 8, 2018 by seanl82

[dr_mat 0]

Vagcom is not required, a generic code reader will get the code but you'll have to decode them yourself. Obdeleven works too tho, and works on your smartphone. Very handy and not ridiculously expensive.