Problem! Help me please! - UPDATED - Still need help!

[yerdusk]

Right then, i have just taken my calipers off and painted them. Left them to dry and re assembled. Left the car standing for at least 2 hours after it was put back together. I have just gone out to move it and the abs light is on constant and the braking is not very good. Any ideas what it could be? Its kinda urgent too as im doing a 150mile trip tmrw morning!

[stevenet15]

when u say taken the calipers off do u mean u took them off the car or jsut off the hub? are any of the calbes twisted and did u knock the abs sensor?

[yerdusk]

jus took them off the hub and suported them. They are def not twisted, but i dont know what you mean by abs sensor! Where abouts is this?

[stevenet15]

i presume u have abs on your vtr as u put "abs light is on" the abs sensors are on the wheel hub and face the drive shaft where it takes a reading from groves off the driveshaft as it rotates. could u have split or dripped an paint on it?

[stevenet15]

sensors look like this

http://i9.ebayimg.com/07/i/000/91/79/f61f_1.JPG

http://i24.ebayimg.com/01/i/000/85/42/7f60_1_b.JPG

[yerdusk]

right, maybe i could of knocked it, as i placed the caliper on top of the disk to dry, and i could of hit it i suppose. is this a major problem? i have just been for a drive and the abs is not working, under some hard braking it skidded like hell!

[yerdusk]

but was only the front drivers wheel that locked. Will i be able to sort it for the morning do you reckon?

[stevenet15]

but was only the front drivers wheel that locked. Will i be able to sort it for the morning do you reckon?

check the passenger side caliepr and pads etc.. and make sure its all in place as if u brake hard enough they should both lock up, you can test the abs sensor by disconnecting the plug with the sensor still on and connect a multimeter to it and then spin the wheel, u should get a change on the screen e.g 0 - 1 - 0 - 1 - 0 - 1 where the sensor is picking the notches up off the driveshaft. if its not picking them up then its the sensor. as longs as the brakes are on correctly for definate then it will be ok to drive but u will have to be cautious as the abs wont be working so it will be like drivein a vtr without abs.

[yerdusk]

ok mate thanks. I will go and have a look in a mo. Are these sensors expensive to buy, and easy to fit?

[stevenet15]

ok mate thanks. I will go and have a look in a mo. Are these sensors expensive to buy, and easy to fit?

easy to fit, about £50 each iirc

[yerdusk]

each! shit! iirc? whats that mean?!

[stevenet15]

each! shit! iirc? whats that mean?!

iirc = if i recall correctly


used one - £33
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/SAXO-VTR-VTS-SPARES-FRONT-ABS-SENSOR-SENDER_W0QQitemZ200077137312QQcategoryZ10376QQrdZ1 QQssPageNameZWD1VQQcmdZViewItem

new one - £51
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/CITROEN-SAXO-FRONT-ABS-SENSOR-GENUINE-CIT557E_W0QQitemZ160065651064QQcategoryZ10376QQrdZ 1QQssPageNameZWD1VQQcmdZViewItem

oh and i think there are 2 different version depending how old ur car is

[yerdusk]

right mate, i have just been out and checked. Everything is on as it should be and the sensors look fine. I didnt even go near them, they are a little dirty but thats it. Any other ideas? also, i take it this will fail mot if abs not working?

[stevenet15]

clean them off if there dirty as it could b stopping them from getting a signal off the shaft. i gtg to the gfs now but i'll try check this thread later when i get back

[yerdusk]

ok mate, will try that. thanks mate, rep left

[yerdusk]

UPDATE!
Right. I have just been out and undone the sensors, and they were really shitted up. So I have cleaned them gently with a nylon brush and they came up pretty good. Done it on both sides. And guess what, still abs light on and no abs on car! Please help me!

[hesslevtr]

sensors sounds fooked

get it on a diagnostic machine and it will tell you whats wrong

you sure its not the pad wear sensors what ahve come unplugged

[woodsy]

these things are really easy to break

i went over a pot hole and buggered one of mine

its not really a prob in normal wether just try not to slam on

i drove for months with no abs ... i would buy a new one too as no gaurentees with second hand ones, easy to fit too just go to shitreon mate

£62 iirc

[yerdusk]

pad sensors?

[hesslevtr]

pad sensors?

is it def the abs light

the pads sensors go into the pads and put a light on the dash when the pads are low

[woodsy]

which is the pad sensor light

do mk1 vts have them

the abs light is a little car skidding and its orange in colour

[hesslevtr]

which is the pad sensor light

do mk1 vts have them

the abs light is a little car skidding and its orange in colour

think its a red 1 with a circle and dotted lines round the circle

il try find a pic

[yerdusk]

its def the abs light, a littel orange light with a car skidding
i didnt see anything plugged into the pads.:panic:

[stevenet15]

its def the abs light, a littel orange light with a car skidding
i didnt see anything plugged into the pads.:panic:


yeah that is the abs light, basicly the abs ecu has detected a fault in the system so it shuts it off and runs without it & brings the light up.

i still think its the abs sensor as even tho u have cleaned it it might be damaged or faulty inside, it uses internal windings like a magnet to detect the metal splines that pass it on the driveshaft. there easlily damaged, get it tested use a multimeter and connect it to it and see if there is a change in state as the shaft turns (e.g should be going 0 - 1 - 0 - 1 - 0 - 1) that is how it calculates the speed of the wheel. if it ent reading right it will switch the abs off. if you cant test it take it to a garge who will be able to do it and shouldnt cost much and can tell u exactly what it is.

[riggsy]

Are these abs sensors connected to the caliper then?

[stevenet15]

Are these abs sensors connected to the caliper then?

no its connected to the hub near where the caliper carrier bolts to and faces the driveshaft

[hesslevtr]

its def the abs light, a littel orange light with a car skidding
i didnt see anything plugged into the pads.:panic:

yup thats the abs sensor

have you cleand the rear ones to

you can test them ourself if you have a multimeter iirc but i cant think what results you should expect

best get it on a machine and will tell you the problem

[Scott]

measure the resistance across all of the sensors, one should be different from the others.

[williamsvts]

when you took the calipers off did you do anything to stop brake fluid running out hose? did you top fluid up and bleed rbakes correctly when refitting?

[williamsvts]

a nobbed ABS sensor will read 0 ohms.

diag machine will also tell you which one is pooped.

[riggsy]

Dont think he disconnected any of the hoses mate ^^

[yerdusk]

no, no hoses or anything disconnected, just undid the two bolts and suported the caliper ontop of the disk. Still had no luck, gona try to find someone with a multimeter today and test the sensors.
Just a thought tho, when i moved the drivers caliper, i am sure i heard a spark. I dont think there is anything there to spark, but could I of possibly blown a fuse? Just a thought?

[stevenet15]

did u not think to check the fuses if u heard a spark?

[yerdusk]

lol! no! I will be checking them in the morning! I just assumed nothing could spark there! so will check in morning!