Do it yourself ABS module repair. Topic is solved

[anfranco60]

This kinda sounds like "Sling Blade".
"There's no gas".
"Ozark", you're a Super Freak!
I must write up my project as Lee would.
Precise, coordinated procedures and that cool Gunfighter moxie.
Very well done you guys, I'm getting some feeling back from the shock of the realization of what I'm about to do.
And there will be film.

[demian5]

And it works like a charm. Plugged it back in on Friday and it is now Monday still with no intermittent lights.

I will start doing them for people for $100 each (local of course).
So far that's:
850/S70 oil pans for $400
ABS Module fix for $100

[Geevs]

Great write-up! Been having the usual faulty ABS ECU symptoms lately. Just opened up mine today and took about 30 minutes. Now going over the circuit board for cracks in the solder. Can't seem to see any cracks even around the 2 power leads. Of course I am just using my naked eyes. Will have a better look with magnifying glass.

Questions:

- do you guys scrape off all the old silicone adhesive before sealing with new silicone?

- what's the safest way to cut open the membrane? Do I cut directly on points to be soldered? Or do I cut at the edge and peel the membrane open to expose a larger area for soldering, then reseal the membrane at the edges with adhesive?

Thanks!

[Ozark Lee]

The way I peeled off the membrane was to use the tip of a knife and use a lifting action. It didn't really want to come off as one piece but it would come off in decent sized chunks. I exposed all of the solder joints that go to the connectors. In rare cases the solder joints that go to the solenoids can also fail so they might be worth a look. I never really "cut" the membrane as that can also cut the etched leads on the PC board itself.

When resealing the circuit board I just smeared a bunch of silicone on the PC board - even if it still was covered with the factory membrane - so as to give it a whole new, uniform, layer of protection.

...Lee

[Geevs]

Thanks Lee.

I soldered the 2 power leads, then temporarily sealed the unit and bolted it back in the car to test it out. The TRACS light went out but not sure about the ABS cos the dash light bulb is dead. Anyway, took it for a drive around the block and the ABS motor seems to pulsate when I lightly touch the brakes.

Any ideas what's going on?

Also, I need to drive the car tomorrow - can I drive it without the ABS unit? I understand I won't have any speedo and odo, I'm just concerned about how the brakes will work without the ABS unit.

[Ozark Lee]

It sounds like it might actually be fixed. It is normal for the ABS to go through a cycle when the car first moves off. You should have no problem driving without the module. The brakes will work just fine without it. I would wrap the connectors in a Baggie to protect them from the elements.

...Lee

[dusty]

I wanted to thank Ozark Lee for posting this economical repair, I just did this on my 2000 XC and all seems well.

I did want to mention to anyone having problems with stripped bolt heads; while the head of the bolt is the unusual E5 torx, the threads are a standard M4 X 0.7 pitch. My local hardware store had an exact match (I think they're 80mm long but I can't remember) with a 7mm hex head, I paired them with flat washers and put it back in.

This thread has been up for a while, has anyone had any re-occurrences of the tracs/abs lights or abs failure since doing the repair?

Geevs: I don't know what car you have but is it running the same size tires all around? I had a similar problem in my Jeep when running a slightly smaller tire as a spare. The abs computer was able to detect the difference in wheel speeds (smaller tire spinning faster than the other 3) and would engage the abs on dry paved roads at low, almost crawl speeds. Or check the wheel sensors for damage and correct resistance if you haven't already.

Thanks again!

[IVIUSTANG]

This repair for some reason did not work for me at all, I even tested the resistance of my wheel sensors. I re soldered every single one of the wire harness leads inside as well as the power joints. Module Master was not even able to fix my unit after two attempts.

- Jesse

[seanm3113]

Wow, ABS done! Thanks for this posting.
I found a 1" wood chisel was a better prying device as it has a nice crisp edge and wide enough to not crack the lip. Go slow ans the seal will start to break.
I also bought new bolts as the two lower ones were too rusted and ready to strip. 4M or M4 is the bolt type. Perfect fit.. The rubber silcone film was the most difficult part for me as it did not come off in a sheet.

[seanm3113]

Well, my repair on this lasted a week. No ABS for a week, then today, aftHer heavy rains and a drive, it returned. Perhaps it is not the actual ABS unit?