Datatek
Well-Known Member
Also check the brake light switch
The vehicle actually brakes better with the abs and traction disabled i.e. with the lights staying on - at least I get a consistent brake pedal. Shame it wont pass an MOT like that. After each set of front sensors were fitted and before the lights came on, I had a pedal that alternated between normal to jerky to solid. So the fault is intermittent until the ECU has had enough and turns the lights on. I'm beginning to doubt that its the sensors or the accumulator or the pump or the pressure switch as they all behave normally with both abs and traction lights on. I've done the test below and the lights stay on with the pressure switch connector unplugged which points to a wiring fault. The fact that it occurred after the balljoint and front sensors were swapped may be purely coincidental. I'd be grateful as to any observations regarding the erratic feel of the brake pedal before the lights became illuminated.
on my 1990 year mk3 granada - the 1st car with ABS, the pedal pulsates back and forth which gives you reassuring feedback that the ABS has kicked in, whereas on the P38 before the ABS and TC lights came on, the pedal sometime felt normal and then say 100 yards further on felt like something was jammed solid i.e. no power assistance and zero feel or feedback whatsoever - very unnerving. Something is definitely not right somewhere. The "Landrover Specialist" that diagnosed faulty front ABS sensors and sold me another set even though the existing ones were brand new is going to get a call as soon as they are back in the New Year.
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In my opinion, the pedal 'feel' is completely different to that of a regular abs system on a modern car.on my 1990 year mk3 granada - the 1st car with ABS, the pedal pulsates back and forth which gives you reassuring feedback that the ABS has kicked in, whereas on the P38 before the ABS and TC lights came on, the pedal sometime felt normal and then say 100 yards further on felt like something was jammed solid i.e. no power assistance and zero feel or feedback whatsoever - very unnerving. Something is definitely not right somewhere. The "Landover Specialist" that diagnosed faulty front ABS sensors and sold me another set even though the existing ones were brand new is going to get a call as soon as they are back in the New Year.
Without 'testing' on a slippy surface, I'm pretty sure my pedal goes solid but the brakes still work, the pressurised system sorts everything out based on pedal position
The road was dry and I wasn't braking particularly hard. I've been driving the p38 since 2016 in all weathers including snow and ice and I knew the pedal still wasn't right after the 2nd set of sensors. Lo and behold 12 days and just 70 miles covered after 2nd set of sensors being fitted, ABS and TC lights back on and back to where I was a month ago. What I really need is a P38 owner local to me with a Nanocom because the Landrover dealerships have no longer got the kit to diagnose a 20 year old model due to obsolescence.
That's very kind of you.
mine's a w reg 2000 with Wabco D 4wd TC
i'm back to working from home on the 4th, but I could get over to Crewe in my lunch hour.
No idea how to send a PM on this forum.
That's the same as mine, will PM you
As far as my employer is concerned, WFH is for everyone else
Next to your name top right is an envelope sign. Click on this to PM someone
The ABS ECU has been known to fail on the later models with 4W TC.
That said, if it started after doing the hubs and that isn't coincidence then it can only be the wiring loom itself broken inside somewhere.
Datatek
Well-Known Member
The sensors are a simple wire coil round a soft iron core, the after market ones work fine, I have aftermarket fitted to the front of both mine.
My wabco one threw a code from the broken reluctor ring, the new one doesn't, not really sure why.
Still haven't got to fix it yet
Datatek
Well-Known Member
The WABCO sensor has a flat sloping surface like a skid so that air pressure will push it back when initially fitted, the aftermarket part just has a small round raised button so is less likely to push back and may thus produce a better signal.
I'm not a fan of ABS, on my last 4x4 I fitted a switch to turn it off as it was far too inclined to operate when not needed increasing braking distance unexpectedly. Not so easy to do on the P38 and in any case it rarely operates.
I've only once had my ABS kick in and that was on a deserted straight when I was testing the brakes and absolutely mashed the pedal.
Yes I agree, which makes me doubt the original diagnosis by the "Landrover specialist" that the new aftermarket sensors were duff and then proceeded to sell me another set of aftermarket ones which may well have been aftermarket by Landrover but they looked identical to the ones I fitted 1st time around. The second pair have lasted 70 miles until the same warning lights came back on. I suspect he fitted the second set and then cleared the codes in the ECU and its taken about the same length of time after fitting the first set of sensors before the errors appeared for the second time. Will see what Kemit's nanocom comes up with next week. Could be the ECU, could be a sticking valve in the modulator. God knows.
I've had to stamp on mine just to get them to work since the mot - lights were off then
. If it wasn't for the fact that it will be an MOT fail next time around I wouldn't bother as it brakes much better with the ABS and TC lights on than the intermittent pedal I get when the lights are off.
