Abs Fault - 2001 307 hdi

I would like to share with the group another 'issue' I've had with my 307. It is now resolved but seems worth remembering / sharing.

Ive had a problem with slowspeed braking that i'm getting the ABS engaging for no apparent reason and releasing one of the wheels. This started about

16 months ago and has got gradually worse. The car stops well and passed its MOT in september whilst like this but is a real pain.

I got my local tyre and brake supplier to check it out, and they couldnt find any issues with the brakes etc. They recommended a local independant garage that would be able to check the diagnostics.

They found no faults reported on the diagnostics and no warning lights etc. They suggested a new ABS pump but warned it was offered as a 'most likely' cause rather than dead cert. Given the likely cost, have a think about it first. I decided to bear with it, so long as it stayed safe, and hope for a fault to be recorded on the diagnostics.

5 MONTHS ON it went back for service and they again asked what I wanted to do. This time whilst talking to my mechanic I mentioned that at 40000miles another garage had replaced a front bearing.

They suggested this may be the missing link. If the bearing had been put in wrongly (or the wrong bearing used) the ABS sensor on that side may be fooled into thinking the wheel wasnt turning, and activating the abs pump. They stripped it down and found whilst the bearing was fine, the circlip was overlapping the sensor by a few millimeters. REFITTED CORRECTLY AND FAULT VANISHES.

So despite being originally told the ABS unit is self contained and is most often the cause of any problems, this clearly demonstrates this is not so.

Sometimes it pays to persist when there seems no obvious fault.

Reply to
Ian O'Dowd
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The first thing to check with any ABS problem is the wheel sensors. They don't have to be far out to cause a problem. They also fail, but that should show up on the diagnostics.

Reply to
Brian

where in this case they were not @ fault, in fact, they were working splendid.... only there sight was blocked.

true to say that if an ABS issue is to be solved, the most obvious place to look are the wheel sensors.

garagists these day's just cannot seem to find faults without their computer, and if nothing shows up, nothing is a fault.... if there is something at fault the only solution they can come up with it replacing the unit that comes up in the computer, and still not knowing what was wrong with it.

First thing i do in a garage is look if there are some senior mechanics that are over 50 years of age. they are the ones that can determine a fault by driving a car, listening to the engine, AND listening to the costumer.

Reply to
Marc Amsterdam

Useful information. It's been done to death but I'll mention it again; the wheel sensors get covered in metallic gunge from the brakes. This causes various problems, like the abs warning lamp flashing intermittently to abs cutting in when braking smoothly on a dry road. Halford sell a big aerosol can of brake cleaner for about a fiver. Good spray and clean with an old toothbrush- job done. DaveK.

Reply to
davek

Marc, this is so true.

Reply to
Brian

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