Proud new Mark 3 GTi owner with ABS light problem

[NickyJ]

Adyh, thanks for the offer, I am in London, NW10, where are you based?

Stu, tried some hard breaking, but not at high speeds, and the car seemed to stay under control fine. Not sure what sort of speeds I should be breaking from. Could not feel any noticable push back on the break pedal though.

How does one get the cover off the ABS front cover to see if it has been messed with?

Nick

[vwagain]

Just pull the ABS/Airbag lamp unit out from the dash and unclip the connector. you can then carefully wiggle the back off(its held in with four clips) then remove the circuit board and the bulbs are in little holders at the front.  On mine, someone had broken the ABS bulb holder off completely!!!!!!!!!!!!

You dont need to break from a high speed. Just stamp on the brakes enough to make the wheels lock or the abs to kick in(if it works!!)

Stu

[NickyJ]

ok, off outside to check it out again....back soon... 

[NickyJ]

Back again.

I went for a spin around the block, and applied the breaks on a number of occasions varying the force applied each time. Not once did the wheels lock or skid, or veer off. Does this mean ABS is working? Still yet to feel the  peddle push back at all, should this be really noticable?

Did not take light cover off due to not being able to see much, so will check out in the morning.

 

[vwagain]

Hmmmmm.  My pedal doesnt "push back" or "pulse" as it did in my old merc. I dont think it does in the golfs.  When my ABS kicks in, all i get is a rapid clicking/pulsing noise from the ABS pump but no pedal feedback.  Do you hear the clicking/pulsing from the pump in the engine bay??? 

Stu

[NickyJ]

Cheers stu.

Just went back out to pull off the light cover. The chip was there, but I guess it had come loose as when I put it all back togther and pushed it back, the lights both come on. Unfortunately, the ABS does not go out.

Hmm...At least we are getting somewhere now!

Is there anything I can do, like checking/cleaning the sensors before going to a garage?


 

[Dom Mk3]

 It's probably worth getting someone with vagcom to clear the faults and see if it comes back. Could be an old thing...

[vwagain]

It's probably worth getting someone with vagcom to clear the faults and see if it comes back. Could be an old thing...

What Dom said^^^.  Id highly recomend you buy a code reader from ebay mate.  Mine has saved me so much money so far its payed for its self many times over!!!  You can read and clear the codes yourself and say goodbye to the dealer rip off prices for good :wink:   And if you dont understand what the codes mean(as i didnt at first) just post em up here and we'l help you to understand em and what to do about them

Il try and find a link to a code reader on ebay for you mate

Found one mate. This is the one i bought.
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=8033952460&ssPageName=MERC_VIC_ReBay_Pr8_PcY_BIN_Stores_IT

Stu

[NickyJ]

thanks for the link vwagain - it seems  a sensible thing to do judging by your comments and also many of the posts on this forum.

Will order one today, although it will take a couple of weeks to get here as they are being shipped from Singapore. I have a lead on where I can use one for the time being.

Today, while driving the ABS light stayed on, but after a few hours, switched off. I though that maybe the problem had corrected itself, but when I switched the ignition on and off, the light remained off, but with no start up sequence like the airbag, I guess meaning the connection had worked itself loose again.

I am now thinking maybe the ABS light was not tampered with, and it is genuinely a faulty/loose connection.

 

[adyh]

Im on the isle of dogs mate . ive sent you a message.