Disco 2 Wheel sensor....

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Hi, I've fitted two new front ABS sensors on my 2003 Disco 2 face lift in the last four years, the last one I fitted only last week. In both cases the wheel bearing/hub has been fine. Same issue as you, three amigo's + hill descent light came on, Haykeye said front right hand side sensor.

Both times I've use a £9 sensor from Ebay, first one's been on four years now and no problem, this time also cured the problem. I found that both times I had to cut the plug off the sensor to thread it through (behind) the hub, as both the sensor and plug are too big to fit through, I just re-joined it afterwards. Quite an easy job, just remove the brake caliper, caliper mounting bracket and brake disc and the sensor is right there. Just be careful with the small O ring that fitted around the sensor.

As I said, both times now I've fixed my problem for less than a tenner :)

Not sure about the long/short lead stuff, mine has a plug that connects through the wheel arch and under/near the brake fluid reservoir.

Mat
 
sierrafery said:
No they are not, those with long leads dont have a connector, they are hardwired into the ECU plug, mine had hardwired front sensors from factory but i cut the wires and installed connectors as to accept new hubs with theyr's sensor as it is
Click to expand...

Thanks for that. Just had a look at them online and they are indeed designed to be wired directly to the SLABS. Cheers
 
Hmm, more problems! Just had a look for the sensor wiring, looks to be a short cable one. Unplugged it to check for any corrosion (looked OK), replugged it and cleared the fault. All sensors are reading 2.19.
Went to move the car to clear the abs warning light to find that the brake pedal is solid - no assistance any more! Thinking I must have disturbed a vacuum pipe or something, but it's peeing down at the mo so I'll wait until that eases off before venturing out again :rolleyes:.
 
Phew, panic over - looks like the vacuum pipe to the servo has broken or been cut at some point and rejoined with a bit of rubber hose, just after the tee piece (to the EGR?). I must have knocked it off when I was undoing the sensor connector - klutz. Think I'll redo it with some jubilee clips, it didn't take much to knock it off.
 
Managed to get back to looking at this again....
All wheel sensors read 2.21 on Nanocom, front right sensor reads 1073 Ohms on the meter.
Usual fault is 'front right sensor intermittent 20 times' (seems to stop counting after that).
I unplugged the front right sensor and it then said 'front right sensor electrical failure', so it is identifying the correct side of the car.
I checked the wheel bearing and it sounds fine, although I did notice (and replace) a bad track rod end on the nearside.
Tempted to try replacing the sensor first, but fully expecting to swap the hub out afterwards!
 
As I've said above, I've done two front sensors now, and both time the hub & bearing have been fine, If you've checked the wheel bearing and it feels fine, why would you fully expect to have to swap the hub ??
Just buy the £9 ABS sensor off ebay and swap it, takes about an hour, and at the end of the day you've only lost £9 if it doesn't work.
 
matgriff said:
As I've said above, I've done two front sensors now, and both time the hub & bearing have been fine, If you've checked the wheel bearing and it feels fine, why would you fully expect to have to swap the hub ??
Just buy the £9 ABS sensor off ebay and swap it, takes about an hour, and at the end of the day you've only lost £9 if it doesn't work.
Click to expand...
You was the lucky one...i've seen many more cases when the sensor change was useless and too few like your case
Stanleysteamer said:
Looking forward to seeing if you can get away with just changing the sensor.
Click to expand...
Me too
 
matgriff said:
As I've said above, I've done two front sensors now, and both time the hub & bearing have been fine, If you've checked the wheel bearing and it feels fine, why would you fully expect to have to swap the hub ??
Just buy the £9 ABS sensor off ebay and swap it, takes about an hour, and at the end of the day you've only lost £9 if it doesn't work.
Click to expand...
Update....
Well.......I'm touching lots of wood, but so far the sensor fault hasn't come back since replacing it on Sunday. I've had the shuttle valve fault since then but we know why that is.
@matgriff , I hadn't appreciated that that you need to remove the hub to get the sensor through (even though you did say!), hence the cutting and rejoining. I did attempt to pull the hub forwards and feed it through, but the hub was stuck fast on the carrier. And this is a hub that was supposedly taken off by a garage to fit a lower ball joint for the MoT back in February.
Unfortunately there wasn't enough cable length or room to keep the join in the engine bay, but I've swathed it in self amalgamating tape so should be water tight - more wood touching required!
 
I have gained a small amount of knowledge from this community, I had hoped to be able to add something, but sadly no. I’m still just asking for help.

A while ago I had the three amigos arrive on the dash. I had a friend who runs a garage read the fault code and it was the shuttle valves. He fitted the repair kit and all was well. Then they came on again and I ignored them but they stayed until Mot time and the front hubs had to be changed they come with wheel sensors and the three amigos left.

A year passes and up they pop. I now have a Nanocom and the fault code read 16-07 front left sensor output too low Intermittent 016 times. I cleared the code, but it was back as soon as I drove away.

I obtained a new sensor price £18.60 and fitted that. Confident Id fixed it, cleared the codes and went to test it.

Turned key to position 2 and all the lights came on with the test, ABS stayed lit, reversed out the drive, turned on the gravel and the TC light came on and the brake applied to the front left wheel.

Drove up the lane and as I hit 10 Mph the TC light came on and applied the brake to the left front, if I tried to accelerate the brake started to try and lock the wheel, scuffing sounds from the tyre.

Then the three amigos returned and I got home. Did some reading and assumed I have a wiring fault, so off came the cover front passenger foot well and yes a grey connector plug was so bad some of the purple wires fell out. Now I knew these where not the abs or sensor wires but they needed fixing. Got the plug apart and its beyond saving so cut it out and crimped all the wires together. Result of all this contortion was the interior lights work and the interference gone from radio 2.

Cleared fault codes and tested. Same problem can’t get above 10 Mph. So I assumed the new sensor was not compatible with the rest and the ecu thinks I’m wheel spinning, I checked the resistance of the old sensor on the bench and it seemed correct, I plugged it into the car, loose and the three amigos were not present so I reinstalled the sensor, I’m much quicker now.

Cleared faults and same problem. ABS light stayed on, then TC applied the brake and then the three amigos arrive allowing me to drive home.

I’ve checked the earth ring in the foot well, checked the plugs to the ecu, no visible damage to the wiring loom. When I use the central locking, I get a half wipe of the rear window. A while ago I would have assumed this was unrelated and not mentioned it, but then I though a simple door switch controlled the interior lights, I’m more educated now.

Has anyone got any thoughts on how I should proceed? new hub, I noticed the retaining plate was only a light press fit and has moved, so I used my thumb to press back in. Possibly a new ECU can I get one from a scrapped car?

Help appreciated
 
Tig-man said:
I have gained a small amount of knowledge from this community, I had hoped to be able to add something, but sadly no. I’m still just asking for help.

A while ago I had the three amigos arrive on the dash. I had a friend who runs a garage read the fault code and it was the shuttle valves. He fitted the repair kit and all was well. Then they came on again and I ignored them but they stayed until Mot time and the front hubs had to be changed they come with wheel sensors and the three amigos left.

A year passes and up they pop. I now have a Nanocom and the fault code read 16-07 front left sensor output too low Intermittent 016 times. I cleared the code, but it was back as soon as I drove away.

I obtained a new sensor price £18.60 and fitted that. Confident Id fixed it, cleared the codes and went to test it.

Turned key to position 2 and all the lights came on with the test, ABS stayed lit, reversed out the drive, turned on the gravel and the TC light came on and the brake applied to the front left wheel.

Drove up the lane and as I hit 10 Mph the TC light came on and applied the brake to the left front, if I tried to accelerate the brake started to try and lock the wheel, scuffing sounds from the tyre.

Then the three amigos returned and I got home. Did some reading and assumed I have a wiring fault, so off came the cover front passenger foot well and yes a grey connector plug was so bad some of the purple wires fell out. Now I knew these where not the abs or sensor wires but they needed fixing. Got the plug apart and its beyond saving so cut it out and crimped all the wires together. Result of all this contortion was the interior lights work and the interference gone from radio 2.

Cleared fault codes and tested. Same problem can’t get above 10 Mph. So I assumed the new sensor was not compatible with the rest and the ecu thinks I’m wheel spinning, I checked the resistance of the old sensor on the bench and it seemed correct, I plugged it into the car, loose and the three amigos were not present so I reinstalled the sensor, I’m much quicker now.

Cleared faults and same problem. ABS light stayed on, then TC applied the brake and then the three amigos arrive allowing me to drive home.

I’ve checked the earth ring in the foot well, checked the plugs to the ecu, no visible damage to the wiring loom. When I use the central locking, I get a half wipe of the rear window. A while ago I would have assumed this was unrelated and not mentioned it, but then I though a simple door switch controlled the interior lights, I’m more educated now.

Has anyone got any thoughts on how I should proceed? new hub, I noticed the retaining plate was only a light press fit and has moved, so I used my thumb to press back in. Possibly a new ECU can I get one from a scrapped car?

Help appreciated
Click to expand...
Two things.
1/ you need to be aware Nanocoms have a bad habit of mixing up the wheels on the same axle so the fault might in fact be with the other hub.;)
2/ There are or were some hubs on the market with the wrong number of teeth on the reluctor wheel. :eek:
you obviously have other faults than just the hub(s) though.:(
 
Stanleysteamer said:
Two things.
1/ you need to be aware Nanocoms have a bad habit of mixing up the wheels on the same axle so the fault might in fact be with the other hub.;)
2/ There are or were some hubs on the market with the wrong number of teeth on the reluctor wheel. :eek:
you obviously have other faults than just the hub(s) though.:(
Click to expand...


Ok tomorrows job, look at the off side hub. Thanks
 
To definitively ascertain which hub/sensor is at fault, find a kerb and drive off the kerb with one wheel at a time until you get the fault. This will provide confirmation of which wheel is the problem. As said there are a number of hubs for sale with the wrong number of teeth on the reluctor ring, IIRC it should be 60, but some cheap hubs are 55. Is it possible the garage fitted a cheap hub with wrong number of teeth, as you appear to have had this problem since the new hub was fitted?
 
Andy Warren said:
The Optimal hub I fitted had 60 teeth (comes with sensor fitted) but If you fit a pair of 55 teeth hubs to the same axle I think I read somewhere this would work ok.
Click to expand...
Surely all 4 wheel hubs would need to have the same number of reluctor teeth on them whether 55 or 60? As the ABS ecu would sense for the differences in wheel speeds and if one axle is different to the other then it'd throw its toys out of the pram wouldn't it? I.e brake constantly the wheels on the axle with 60 teeth as that would seem to be going faster than the other axle?
But then I know feck all when it comes to electronix, as you all know.:rolleyes:
 
Stanleysteamer said:
Surely all 4 wheel hubs would need to have the same number of reluctor teeth on them whether 55 or 60? As the ABS ecu would sense for the differences in wheel speeds and if one axle is different to the other then it'd throw its toys out of the pram wouldn't it? I.e brake constantly the wheels on the axle with 60 teeth as that would seem to be going faster than the other axle?
But then I know feck all when it comes to electronix, as you all know.:rolleyes:
Click to expand...
:):) Me too Stan it's all black arts but I'm sure I read the 55T hubs on the same axle works but if it's wrong lets hope someone says it's complete bollo**s before someone tries it:eek:
 
Aaaaand we're back, because as all Disco 2 owners know, there are actually three certainties in life - death, taxes and the three amigos.

I started to get intermittent amigos a while back, usually when turning hard left, so probably a broken wire. Nanocom reported 'front right sensor intermittent', so I ordered a new sensor.

New sensor arrived and although the cabling all looked new, the sensor itself had been filed around the edge and the centre tip was exposed rather than covered. The mounting bracket also had a witness mark where the screw had been. Contacted the supplier and they sent me another one.

IMG_3055.jpg


I stripped the brake off the front right corner and confirmed the broken wire by connecting a multimeter to the sensor connector and set to Ohms. This read about 1000 Ohms until I moved the wire just above hub cable bracket, at which point it went open circuit.

I removed the old the sensor, fitted the new one, put it all back together and went for a test drive.

Bong bong bong! Damn.....

Nanocom now says 'front right sensor output too low'. I had checked the new sensor with the meter and it looked OK. Maybe it just didn't pulse when the hub teeth went past it, but how to check it? In the end I got a fan from an old PC power supply and pushed a small split washer over one of the blades and connected it to a 12V battery. With the Nanocom display showing the wheel speed page and holding the sensor close to the path of the washer on the spinning fan, I could see a wheel speed of about 10mph (not enough hands to take a photo of that).

IMG_20220116_161530.jpg


So while I was pleased my test worked, it didn't show anything apparently wrong with the sensor. Eventually I decided that, as I knew the old sensor head worked, I'd cut the new one off and solder the old one to the cable - success! A test drive cleared the fault and didn't come back when turning full lock.

I've no idea why the new one didn't work. it looked to be exactly the same sensor depth as the old one, so should have ended up in the same place in the hub. I suppose the cheaper sensors are just a bit of a lottery, mostly they work but every now and then you get a rogue one.
 
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