ECU-TestingQuote:
Originally Posted by Dave Elcome
52B Station Road
Ilkeston
Derbyshire
DE7 5LE
Printable View
ECU-TestingQuote:
Originally Posted by Dave Elcome
52B Station Road
Ilkeston
Derbyshire
DE7 5LE
Thank you. :beerchug:
Well I've got it back at last!! it is a fairly lengthy story, so I'll try to keep it a short as possible.
The new Airbag sensor was fitted by a local VW independent, (who has worked in most of the local dealers at some time or other). After fitting this sensor the ABS light came on, and it was then that he found that the code for the ABS module had been lost, and reset itself to 0000. He said the only way to get this code was to take it to a VW agent who could download it from VW. By now we were at the 22nd December. He got it booked in for the 2nd January:zx11:, so basically I was facing nearly a fortnight without a car, so on the afternoon of the 22nd I popped into the dealers and the nice young lady on the reception said to leave it and she would get it done before Xmas :biglaugh: When they rang about a hour later, this was when they told me that they had downloaded the code, but that there was now an internal fault with the ABS module, which was causing it to not accept the new code, and a new ABS module was required, and quoted me £884 + vat.
So I returned it to the independent on the 2nd having not used it and told him all this. He said later that he carried out various tests, but could not get the number to go in either, (VW dealer had told me the number), and he duely ordered a new module direct from a Bosch dealer, which was some £200 cheaper than from the dealers, he also stated at this point that it was not necessary to change the mechanical part, only the electrical bit of the ABS, the deales had quoted for the lot!!
After waiting Another 4 days for this part to arrive, you can imagine my glee when I rang to see if was ready, only to be told that the new module wouldn't accept a code either. :1zhelp: He had rung around the dealers, and finally found one about 20 miles away that had come accross this in the past, "pop it over and leave it with us, we will sort it out", so he took it over to them yesterday afternoon arounf 4.30pm, he rang me at 5.15pm to say it was working:biglaugh:
The most annoying thing about the whole saga is, that this 2nd dealer said, that there is a set procedure for entering lost codes, and if this isn't followed it will not go in no matter what, it seems very likely that dealer 1 hadn't done this correctly, and in doing so cost the independent an ABS module that wasn't required, and me to have what I consideered to be an unusable car between the 22nd December, and today.
Needless to say, I know where I would take it in future if anything goes wrong!!
One final thing before you all die of boredom. I was explaining about this forum to the independent, and told him of this thread, as I described the scenario of the initial poster, IE jacked up front wheels rotating with the drag, he finished off the story and told me that the ABS light had come on, so maybe Richard you were not mislead, at least not as much as Me and my independent were by the useless dealer.
Hi Dave ,
my ABS light is still on!!
My mechanics have changed the ABS ECU Pump for a brand new one (as recon company stated the ECU was burnt out)
The car is now with an independant Electrician to re code !!
Hopefully I will know more tomorrow (Fri am)
Hi Teutonic Tamer, If the ABS system fails on modern vehicles the car immediately returns to " Conventual Base Brake Mode " and the following link is quite helpful: http://www.abs-education.org/faqs/faqindex.htm
A law on ABS and air brake requirements that was brought in during 2003 only applied to Tractors, Fastracs and Trailers. Other laws applied to lorries and commercial vehicles since 1992.
The law on Air Brakes and Anti-Blockier systems applies where the law insists these brakes MUST be on the vehicle and in working order. This does not apply to ordinary cars as yet, and reads " It is legally permissable to drive a vehicle with a fault in its antilock braking system in order to complete a journey if the fault arose after the journey began or to move the vehicle to a place where the fault will be repaired."
There is no mention that it is illegal to drive a private car that has its anti-lock braking system out of action in the Parliamentary Advisory Committee for Transport's safety report " Policing Road Risk enforcement, Technologies and Road Safety ".
Perhaps you could post the Law????????? Thanks in anticipation.
I think you answer your own question in the quote below, but just to spell it out from your quote. It is permissable to continue your journey if a fault arrises during that journey. It is also permissable to start a journey with a fault, on the proviso that the reason for that journey is to take the vehicle to a place of repair.
It stops short of saying that you can drive around at will until you either decide to get it fixed, or parts arrive to effect the repair. Unless there is more that you haven't quoted?
Also, never lose sight of the offence of Fail to maintain a braking system which says, "Every part of the braking system should be maintained in a good and efficient working order"Quote:
Originally Posted by auiron
:boggled: Erm, try looking at the url in the very top of your browser window - does the dot co dot UK give the game away?. The site you quote an American site, and is written in very basic, laymans terms. Their uptake on ABS (an the subsequent technologies evolving from ABS) is way behind that of western Europe, and accordingly, their level of ABS technology advancement, and therefore knowledge, also lags at a similar level.Quote:
Originally Posted by auiron
And what exactly is "conventional base-brake mode" - just some simplified simple-speak jargon which Americans can latch onto?!
When ABS does fail, irrespective of the cause of failure which illuminates the warning light, ALL electrical intervention and control is totally eliminated, and it returns to a purely mechanical/hydraulic system, but one which has over-specified rear brakes and ABSOLUTELY no limitation to the braking effort/effect to the rear brakes. Remember, the definition of "modern" vehicles in the US is way off the mark, and standards, which would be deemed as modern in western Europe.
:***: *** are you talking about???? We are discussing ABS braking systems fitted to CARS, with particular reference to those belonging to the VW/Audi group portfolio, as used in the geographic location (mainly, but not exclusively) of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, as per the title of this forum, and the name of this thread being 'Passat 2001 1.8T - ABS Warning Light On!'. Forget trying to cloud the water with utterly irrelevant stuff on agricultural and commercial vehicles.Quote:
Originally Posted by auiron
There was a European Directive, initiated by the very highly respected EuroNCAP organisation headed by Max Mosely, wherby all cars (but with very limited exemptions) sold in the European Union, with European Type Approval, must have ABS fitted as a standard factory fit (not some tick-box pay extra option), from a certain date in 2003 (the exact date fails me, but I think it was 1st April). Compliance with all the relevant European Type Approvals is a qualifying, and regulatory requirement of the UK legislation: The Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986, as amended. The useage of the said motor vehicles on UK public highways is covered by: The Road Traffic Act 1988, as amended.
:boggled: Again, you are talking bollock$. Any road vehicle, of any class on UK public roads, which has ABS fitted, must be in fully working order. Yes, there are exceptions, whereby the vehicle with faulty ABS (or any other law-braking fault) is taken to a place of repair. However, there is no general exemption, and it certainly is not permissable to continue a journey, just to get you home/shopping/doctors/vets/grannys care home etc. I would conceed that it would be slightly unreasonable to insist on the immediate termination of use of the car, if the fault had developed since the start of the journey. The simple fact that many people do carry on driving with defective ABS (along with a huge array of other defects; including defective tyres, lights, windscreens, exhausts etc, hand-held mobiles next to their lugs, and also no insurance, VED, MoT, or even valid Driving Licence!) is NOT an implied admission that it is legal to do so, but merely that it is never enforced by the upholders of the law, namely the Police.Quote:
Originally Posted by auiron
If you take a car with ABS which has a fault for an annual MoT test, then it will FAIL that test - period. A requirement to operate a road vehicle on UK public highways is that the appropriate and applicable MoT test certificate must be valid. The same and/or similar requirements fall under the Construction and Use Regs, which basically state an array of conditions, regarding roadworthyness, legal compliance, unlawful modification, European Type Approval ("E" type) - and will either state specifically, or infer generally, that if an ABS system is fitted, then it must be working!
Any Parlimentary Advisory Committee is exactly what is says on the tin - ie; a bunch of people, answerable to either Chamber of the Houses of Parliament, in the form of a committee, discussing agenda'd items, and giving - yup, you guessed it - ADVICE. It is not law, and neither is a "Transport safety report" a law. What this particular issue was probably trying to address was how to develop a national strategy on how all the Police forces of England and Wales could develop a uniform stragegy for enforcing the illegal driving of motor vehicles with defective ABS.Quote:
Originally Posted by auiron
The Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986, as amended. The Road Traffic Act 1988.Quote:
Originally Posted by auiron
You really are being very, very irresponsible: by firstly trying to confuse the issue of the technicalities of the actual laws, secondly, by actually encouraging the use of cars with defective braking systems, and thirdly by trying to express an opinion on the technical operation of car ABS systems when you clearly are not qualified, nor display any knowledge, to do so. Your blasé comments on safety critical components and systems really do beggar belief! :buttkick:
I think you are on your own here, as no-one else seems to agree with you.
Rgds
Reply to post 17: All I asked for was the Law that says a car cannot be driven with its anti-lock braking system "not working". 1988 Road Traffic Act and 1988 reg's, as amended, you say: As we know, the list of amendments is very long due to so many being a change of a word here and there.
The part of the Act, that refers to " A vehicles brakes and every part of the braking system must be kept in a good and efficient working order."; was discussed by Hansard, as the part of the European Law that has now been included, covers, mostly, commercial vehicles only. " What is efficient " and what is "defective " as private cars do not need, under the act, to have an antilock braking system.
If a car, with no antilock system, is efficient and legal, would not one fitted with an antilock braking system, that is not operative, also be as efficient and legal. Therefore, if both cars operate efficiently, then in neither case could they be seen to be not in "...efficient working order. "
I'm sorry, but you are talking nonesense.
I'm in a similar position. Mine's a 1998 1.8 petrol 20v turbo estate and about three months ago the ABS light began to come on intermittantly, then permanantly about a month ago. It failed the MOT because of this. I took it to a local VW dealers, Martins of Camberley, who diagnosed a faulty ABS ECU and quoted me £1,200+ to replace it. As the vehicle is nine years old now (and I'm not too flush either!) I politely declined the offer, instead removing the ECU and sending it to ECU Testing of Derby (www.ecu-testing.com - I think their number is the same as the one quoted by RDDarbishire above) who confirmed it was indeed faulty and rebuilt it for a much more reasonable sum. Upon refitting, all seemed well. I turned on the ignition and after the usual checks the ABS light stayed off. But, 100 yards down the road to an MOT retest, BEEP BEEP BEEP and on comes the ABS light again!!!
I went back to Martins, but when they plugged in their diagnostic device, they said there was no information coming from the ABS ECU at all.
From various web searches, I understand that ABS ECU failures have become quite common on these Bosch pumps, so it may be that something else is causing the ECU to fail. Anyone out there got any clues?
Eddie