ABS Sensor replacement

Hi all, another question on ABS and the dreaded 3 amigos...

I'm currently in the process of removing the faulty sensor on mine -what a bastard job as it broke and I'm 'drilling' it out - and wonder if you have to have the three dash lights reset after fitting a new sensor ie. does it have to be reset via the dealer using the diagnostics connection, or do they automatically go out when everything is working as should be?

OK. No worries, all lights go off when the sensor is replaced....

What a plaver getting the damn thing out!! For anyone who attempts this in the future, don't despair, if the old sensor breaks off and it seems impossible to extract.... keep at it!!

I ended up drilling inside the old sensor, around the outer area where there is mostly plastic, then using a small wood chisel (had to be sacrificed for this job) I hacked away at the interior until I could scrape out almost all the interior and battled away with the metal casing - which was rusted solid to the sheath and the boss.

Finally:

I was quoted 491.90 euros in total for this job, with the part itself quoted at 308 euros plus tax. I paid £13.30 for the part from ebay and it cost me 2.5 hours of my time.

Well done getting it out.
A good soaking with WD would've helped a lot too.

Well done mate - they are a bitch to get out.

You seem to have saved about 190€ an hour by doing it yourself - Ha ha.

Hoorah for eBay.

Freelaner said:

Well done getting it out.
A good soaking with WD would've helped a lot too.

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PlusGas would do better, it's a lighter oil, much better at penetrating those truly manky threads

I keep a tin of PlusGas handy next to my sockets

WD40 is OK, but it's primarily for shiftingn water, preventing rust and light lubrication duties.

Parafin is another excellent penetrating / release oil

TRXnMe said:

PlusGas would do better, it's a lighter oil, much better at penetrating those truly manky threads

I keep a tin of PlusGas handy next to my sockets

WD40 is OK, but it's primarily for shiftingn water, preventing rust and light lubrication duties.

Parafin is another excellent penetrating / release oil

Click to expand...

Paraffin also an excellent lube for drilling cast iron as well

Freelaner said:

Paraffin also an excellent lube for drilling cast iron as well

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The best cutting fluid for cast iron is water, paraffin is the best cutting fluid for aluminium alloys.






Edit. Could the OP not have taken off the hub and disc and knocked the sensor out from the other side using a round punch?

GRATCH said:

The best cutting fluid for cast iron is water, paraffin is the best cutting fluid for aluminium alloys.






Edit. Could the OP not have taken off the hub and disc and knocked the sensor out from the other side using a round punch?

Click to expand...

We couldn't use water as it made the jobs very rusty and our boss got a rollocking off the customer.
Never tried it on ally, but the HSE wouldn't let you use it now anyway.

I've never changed one but I thought they were in a blind hole, ready to be corrected tho

hi it took me a couple of hours and a bashed thumb

Thats good going really, except for the thumb

IMO it doesn't matter how much WD40 or any other fluid you use to try and free these damn things - mine was soaking in WD40 overnight. The car is a 2001 so it's unlikely the sensor has ever been touched in the last 11 yrs and it was well and truly 'welded' to the boss with rust.

As for dismantling other parts to be able to drift it out from the other side? I have no wish to dismantle anything and possible discover another problem to solve....

This was 'the problem' area



and this is a pic of the old and new together

Personal experience has shown me that paraffin or plusgas work much better than WD40, I've also learnt to use blu tak to form a funnel above the point it's needed so I don't have to keep topping it up over night

It's also taught me that sometimes it takes a ruddy big hammer and chisel to shift stuff, no matter how long I leave it to soak

Hammer, Chisel, scapel and forceps, drill all at the ready to remove abs R/O/S sensor, not looking forward to this one