Freelander 1 Three amigos - again and again…

Those three amigos are friendly chaps aren’t they? Mine have popped back to say hello.

Diagnostics tells me it’s the right rear sensor causing grief this time. The fault appears intermittent - intermittent in that the lights can go away… bad connector perhaps?

I will need to dive in to find that connector whatever the problem turns out to be anyway - is it in the boot behind some trim? Couldn’t find any pictures on a quick Google search - any thoughts on the likely cause of the fault and how to dig out the connector?

Cheers!

Rear ABS sensor is behind inner wheel arch liner.
Follow cable! Housed in small plastic box with clip down lid.
Small button to press and they release.
May be broken lead internally.
Guess it is 2002 or later so not the reluctance ring.??

Thanks - just want I needed to know - will dig out the connector

2001, so reluctor ring based sensor technology. May have blown out with rust (I have had to replace the NSF for this reason). Could also be broken cable... might just have to bite the bullet and go through the painful process of replacing it (hopefully a little easier than doing the fronts???) but IF I am very lucky, it might be something easy. But probably not... LOL

Oh, OK.
If 2001 then look at the reluctance ring first.
They rust, snap and give intermittent bad signals. Been there !!
Ring can be changed or new shaft depending on wear in it.

Thanks - yes, been there already too...

rob_bell said:

but IF I am very lucky, it might be something easy. But probably not.

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If it's not the ring, you can also check the resistance of the speed sensor, which should have a resistance of around 1k Ohm.

Thanks - will do!

They are not the active ones like the later model. The 2002 on need a supply voltage. Hence the ABS light stays on until rolling self test conducted on pre 2002.

andyfreelandy said:

They are not the active ones like the later model. The 2002 on need a supply voltage. Hence the ABS light stays on until rolling self test conducted on pre 2002.

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Only the ABS light stays on till you move. If you turn the ignition on and you have the Amigos after the tests, then the start up tests have found problems.

And if there are no faults stored, the ABS light will blink out before re-illuminating until road speed reaches 4mph... if it comes on with ignition and does not extinguished, then there is a retained historical fault

I've been ignoring this for a while now, but I had a bit of time yesterday to get the wheel off and have a good look at what is going on. Unfortunately the sensor has failed - putting my multimeter over the sensor gives an open circuit.

I had already purchased a spare reluctor/trigger ring, replacement hub nut and a sensor, but only found out yesterday I ordered the wrong type!!! Argh!

Obviously, the old sensor is refusing to come out of the hub. I'll need to pull the half shaft out and bash the old one out like I have had to do with the two front sensors. Happy days... I shall do this once I get the correct sensor delivered!

PS typical, given that I have to remove the half shaft that the shaft with the oil leak is on the other side of the car... Murphy's law in play.

rob_bell said:

I had already purchased a spare reluctor/trigger ring, replacement hub nut and a sensor, but only found out yesterday I ordered the wrong type!!! Argh!

PS typical, given that I have to remove the half shaft that the shaft with the oil leak is on the other side of the car... Murphy's law in play.

Click to expand...

These are not Murphy's law. It Solihull's law

kernowsvenski said:

These are not Murphy's law. It Solihull's law

Click to expand...

Haha, yes, you’re absolutely right!

waiting for new sensor to turn up now. Hopefully will be dry enough at weekend to breakout the air compressor - both sides coming apart to do sensor one side and diff oil seal on the other.

anyone know what oil I need to refill the rear diff?

New sensor arrived and Sunday was dry enough for me to spend over 6 hours under the car... Ah, the joys of working on 21+ year old cars...

Long and short, the three amigos have once again left the building and a joyous lack of yellow lamps have restored calm to the dashboard.

There was absolutely NO WAY the sensor was coming out the way the Haynes' manual optimistically suggests. And in fact, removing the half shaft from the immediately revealed the problem: the outer part of the CV joint had corroded and the ensuing rust had ballooned and expanded the reluctor ring, such that the ring was shaped more like an egg, and the high part of the reluctor had worn off the tip of the old sensor, effectively killing it.

It has been replaced (and the CV/splined end of the drive shaft cleaned and painted first). The sensor itself came out in parts - the plastic inner first, then the alloy casing (after much chiselling with an old screw driver) and drifting. The copper retaining cage came out after running a 16mm hole drill down the sensor orifice in the hub. Lots of copper grease on reassembly!

I need to go through the process of removing the nearside rear drive shaft as the diff seal has failed. Getting the trailing arm off the hub was fun, but thank goodness for Chinese cheap tools - I had bought an induction loop thingy, which heated up a nut that had started to round off - and after getting that cherry red, it released relatively easily.

Why is it that when you start any job on a car invariably leads to almost your entire tool box lying on the drive next to you (when when you intentionally start with the minimum of tools that you think you'll need)?

I ran out of light, but the three amigos disappeared. However, the sensor is occasionally dropping out a speed signal leading to activation of the traction control. I think I need to push the sensor a little closer to the reluctor ring to get a more reliable signal. I'll do this one evening this week, work and weather permitting!

PS lower arm to subframe bolts - really 36Nm then 360 degrees? That's what Haynes manual says, is that correct?? Thanks!

PPS will upload photos, if I can work out a way of doing this from my phone...

I tapped the sensor a little closer to the reluctor ring and the abnormal TC activation has now gone!

happy days: time to book the MoT!

rob_bell said:

PS lower arm to subframe bolts - really 36Nm then 360 degrees? That's what Haynes manual says, is that correct?? Thanks

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Are we front or rear ?
My manual says rear transverse link to subframe 120Nm.
Front lower arm to front pivot 190Nm

All with vehicle weight on arms before tightening.

Thanks Andy

rear suspension: front non-adjustable arm to subframe and rear adjustable link to subframe

120Nm then. That's Haynes too.

Thanks Andy - I must've read the wrong column in Haynes manual. I'll get the car up on ramps to do this