P38A Tips for removing front ABS sensors

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My car was like yours when I got it - it had lived on the south coast, and then scotland - it looked like someone had used the underside as a submarine...

No percussion please... I use expanding/ plumbers pliers, so you can feel how hard you're squeezing, and then just rotate/ wiggle back and forth, the sensor will slowly start to move. Once you've moved it out a few mil you can put a screwdriver under the edge of the sensor to help it slide out . Don't hit it ( in or out) ... with a bit of luck you can reuse the cage it will just be all full of crud, but clean and lightly grease and it will prob be fine. When you put it back in it's a push fit - again, no hitting - with a bit more luck once you've reset the gap they will start working again. The sensors are pretty robust where you need to squeeze them to pull them out, but if you damage the domed tip then all bets are off as that's part of what maintains the gap.
 
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I must have been lucky. I managed to get under the lip of the sleeve and prise it out as far as I recall. All parts are going to be a bot of a sod the age of these cars, unless the PO has been in there.
 
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Hmm... I may have buggered it then, I haven’t been able to shift the first one an inch even with a little percussive persuasion. I tried the twisteroo too but nothing, it’s bloody solid.

the whole area back there is cruddy and rusty the dust shields are particularly flaky.

can anyone recommend an especially effective penetrating fluid ?

The sensor itself (and cable) seem surprisingly new and I tried to trace it back into the engine bay but I can’t see where it goes after the cable disappears through the wheel arch liner, where ought I to be looking ?

thanks again, sorry feeling a little defeated by this one at the mo !
 
Hmm... I may have buggered it then, I haven’t been able to shift the first one an inch even with a little percussive persuasion. I tried the twisteroo too but nothing, it’s bloody solid.

the whole area back there is cruddy and rusty the dust shields are particularly flaky.

can anyone recommend an especially effective penetrating fluid ?

The sensor itself (and cable) seem surprisingly new and I tried to trace it back into the engine bay but I can’t see where it goes after the cable disappears through the wheel arch liner, where ought I to be looking ?

thanks again, sorry feeling a little defeated by this one at the mo !
Inner wing of the engine bay,from memory, You may have to remove the liner.
 
I may just have had an epiphany.... am
I attempting to prise at the wrong bit ?

is the sensor just a smooth metal cylinder or does it have a ‘collar’ ? I may have been trying to prise above rather than below the collar...

Could be that I’m an idiot !
Oh dear. I’ll Wait for daylight and try again.
 

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I may just have had an epiphany.... am
I attempting to prise at the wrong bit ?

is the sensor just a smooth metal cylinder or does it have a ‘collar’ ? I may have been trying to prise above rather than below the collar...

Could be that I’m an idiot !
Oh dear. I’ll Wait for daylight and try again.
I don't have ABS on mine. But the sensors I've seen are cars have been push in cylinders, some with a plastic lug to stop them at the right place. Looks like yours is just that silver(ish) component.
 
I may just have had an epiphany.... am
I attempting to prise at the wrong bit ?

is the sensor just a smooth metal cylinder or does it have a ‘collar’ ? I may have been trying to prise above rather than below the collar...

Could be that I’m an idiot !
Oh dear. I’ll Wait for daylight and try again.
Have a look at Rave it shows you how the sensor fits into a bush giving you an idea where to prize up
 
I may just have had an epiphany.... am
I attempting to prise at the wrong bit ?

is the sensor just a smooth metal cylinder or does it have a ‘collar’ ? I may have been trying to prise above rather than below the collar...

Could be that I’m an idiot !
Oh dear. I’ll Wait for daylight and try again.
The sensor is the silver bit which sits in a copper cage which sits in a steel bush and the steel bush is the collar bit you refer to so just work on the silver bit thats stuck out the top.
 
The silver bit - It WILL rotate - just grip it harder and put more leverage on it - and yes, plusgas on the sensor
 
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Pre soak with copious amounts of plus gas, and gently work them round till they become free. Worth buying some new retainers as the old ones could be past it.
 
Thanks folks.
I’m Persevering but I just can’t budge the bugger.
Tried to trace the cable route too but struggling to see where it joins, does it just go go into the fuse box ?

also, what might this curious beastie be ?
Looks like it might be EAS related but seems a little weird !
 

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Thanks folks.
I’m Persevering but I just can’t budge the bugger.
Tried to trace the cable route too but struggling to see where it joins, does it just go go into the fuse box ?

also, what might this curious beastie be ?
Looks like it might be EAS related but seems a little weird !

I think thats the diff breather for the front axle.
 
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