ABS MODULE AND PUMP PROBLEMS

[ALANCASTER]

Hi, I have a 1999 xk8 which has show an error message relating to the abs and traction control. My local (non specialist) garage have said that a new abs module and pump are required (£2000)!!!! However the local main dealer has told me in a conversation on the phone that it is more likely to be just the module (£1000)!!!

Has anyone had a similar problem and does anyone know of a source for second hand components of this kind?

Alan

[bt965]

check the abs sensor leads, and connections. I was getting same warning, changed offside front lead and cleaned connections, cured problem!

[m_hagger]

Have you had any progress with your ABS problem?

I have the same amber warning on my 1998 XK8 about Traction/Stability Control and the ABS warning light. It was intermittent, but is now on all the time. My local independent has said that the problem often lies with some weak connections in the ECU and that it is possible to rebuild the ECU rather than replace it. Quoted £600.

[mike020150]

Hi, if you check the bulletin board postings you will be able to see a number of related postings. This is becoming a relatively common problem often caused by blocked under-bonnet drains. A good independent with diagnostic facilities should be able to narrow down the precise problem (it's easy to spend a lot of money in this area) and give you the options for the most cost effective repair. Mike.

[GrandTourer]

Hi, I have a 1999 xk8 which has show an error message relating to the abs and traction control. My local (non specialist) garage have said that a new abs module and pump are required (£2000)!!!! However the local main dealer has told me in a conversation on the phone that it is more likely to be just the module (£1000)!!!

Has anyone had a similar problem and does anyone know of a source for second hand components of this kind?

Alan
A variety of causes, which have the effect you describe, are listed on a number of posts - you should be able to SEARCH for them.
However, there is one, which I had never heard of, but it did effect my car, and it was that the actual pump motor became faulty. I first did all the various checks (cables, sensors, etc) but eventually checked the resistance through the motor, which showed around 90 Ohm - a good motor would show 0 - 3 Ohm, but not much more. This reading is taken with no power on the circuit, ie Ignition OFF.

It is a simple check:
There is a short cable which connects the motor with the socket of the large connector which sits right next to the ABS ECU (on the side facing the bulkhead). To get access I recommend you disconnect the large connector and you'll see the motor cable below it. Disconnect that and put a multimeter across the 2 pins to take a reading.
If this shows that the motor is ok, at least you have eliminated a possible cause - and it takes only a few minutes to do.

Another cause I found was a new ABS cable I bought from a main dealer, to have a spare handy, and it had a broken wire contact somewhere within the cable length, so it sometimes worked and sometimes not. It was a real pain testing and retesting this until I found the problem, not of course expecting a problem with the NEW cable.

By the way, my DTC diagnostic tool reader returned the error, something like: ABS pump assbly. circuit failure.

Sorry, I am a bit late with my comments. If you have managed to fix the problem by now, I hope it may be useful for someone else.

[Billroot]

Another late reply but hopefully helpful. I have occaisional ABS/Trac Control warnings that come on at random and nearly always clear on restart. I recently attended the XK8 seminar and this topic was covered at some length by the main presenter, David Marks. This is not an uncomon problem and is due to a dry joint in the electronics module attached to the pump. The dry joint is where the motor power socket conductors attach to the printed circuit board. Rather than pay ~£1000 for a new module it can be repaired but this is not one for the faint hearted as you have to remove the module and cut the cover off it taking great care not to damage the components inside. The connections from the motor power socket to the printed circuit board can then be resoldered. The cover needs to be reattached with water proof adhesive. David Marks Garages (Nottingham) might even do a mail order repair (I forgot to ask). I have not attempted this repair myself yet as the fault appears so rarely on my car, but I guess it's only a matter of time before it gets worse. By the way when the warning is on you really DO NOT have any ABS or Traction control available so be careful. Also if the warning is on during a MOT test then the car will fail. Another aspect is that if you fit a new electronics module yourself it won't work as apparently it needs programming into the rest of the car's brain - a dealer job.

[doug424]

Hello everybody.

I like others had been suffering from Traction Control Fail, Stability Control Fail messages, along with the ABS warning light showing. My problems started in April 2004 and came and went over the years. From about October last year the warnings were on all the time and I decided it was time to investigate and taken some action.

I checked all the sensors and the flexible leads on the front suspension, these being proposed as the likely culprits; I found no faults.

Digging further, especially on the club XK8 forum I found some suggestions that the ABS pump or the connections to it could be suspect. I checked the flexible lead to the ABS pump and pump resistance and found nothing wrong; this only left the ABS control module.

I Googled XK8 and ABS and found an excellent piece on Jag-Lovers by Dan Jensen; have a look at http://www.jag-lovers.org/snaps/snap_vi ... 1230845126.

The upshot of this is that I took a brave pill and had a go at re-soldering the motor pins on the ABS ECU; and it seems to have worked. The pins on my ECU looked OK, but since the work the fault has gone away so they must have been faulty. Since doing the job I’ve done 1050 kilometres (my car is a German import) in about two months.

Doug Barrass.
Ashford, Kent

[mike020150]

Hi Doug,
Well done. Going inside ECUs always frightens me. Where can you get a supply of those brave pills? Mike.

[GrandTourer]

Mike, they are called Scotch or Brandy or even Steinhaeger will also work

[mike020150]

Thanks Karl. I'll stock up with spirits ready for my next ECU failure! Mike.