ABS Issues

[clyde]

I've just got my car back from the body shop and while trying to find out why the windscreen washer wont work I removed the nearside wheel intending to remove the arch lining to get a better view. I never got that far though because I noticed the brown (earth?) wire that goes from the abs sensor/brake pad wear indicator multi-plug to the abs sensor mount had been cut.

I am obviousy going to contact the body shop tomorrow but can anyone confirm that this is an earth serving the abs sensor and what the implications of it being cut are?

Also any ideas why the screenwash wont work after the bonnet was removed for cosmetic re-spray? Is it possible to re-fit the non-return valves the wrong way round?

I should also say that it is a Porsche approved body shop.

Thanks, Clyde

 

[Guards Red]

Hi Clyde,

easiest way to check the windscreen washer motors is to take the passenger side headlight out - a five minute job. All the gubbins for this is then accessible.

To paint the bonnet, they may have taped over the screen washer jets thereby blocking them or if they took off the bonnet, they would have disconnected the jets and maybe not reconnected them on reinstalling it. Check in the boot, it may be filling with water everytime you operate the washer system....

If the ABS sensor wire has been cut the ABS would not work and the warning light would light on your dash, may be the wear sensor wire for the brakes. This is not too serious and a new sonsor can be had for about a fiver form Europarts. Not too difficult to fit either. A picture of the offending item would be useful.

Regards
GR

 

[clyde]

Thanks GR, I had taken the headlight out and, after a bit of a spray with an electrical contact cleaner, got the motor to work. but there was still no water at the nozzels. That's when I decided to take the arch liner off to see if the pipe in the wing was kinked but lost heart a bit when I saw the cut wire and just put the wheel back on. The bonnet was removed for the re-spray, so shouldn't be blocked at the oulet but some crap may have got into the pipework before it was put back together.

I have spoken to the garage where it is serviced and the owner reckons the brown wire is an earth wire for the abs sensor but it isn't a major issue as it's a secondary earth. The cable for the sensor is a coaxial type, so the outer sheething acts as an earth. So hopefully I over-reacted slightly (still annoyed that they cut it rather than disconnecting it though but may not be as sinister as I first thought). It's going in for a service on Friday and he's going to check it out properly, together with the washer.

Thought when I was posting this yesterday that I should have taken a picure but the car was tucked up in it's garage then.

 

[Guards Red]

Hi Clyde,

in that case I guess you can just put a new terminal connector on the brown wire and re-attach it. As for the washers, if they took the bonnet off they would have disconnected the tubes to the washers and probably not reconnected them right. Should be easy for them to do so should turn out okay.

Best of luck
GR