Does anyone know if ABS sensors, when replaced, need the fault light coding out? I replaced the nearside rear, which was shown as playing up some time ago on VCDS, so I eventually changed it. The problem is, I still get the ABS light come on. It is not constant and ABS does seem to operate but its a pain in the ain!

 

Of course, I could also have had an additional sensor "GO" as the car is now ten years old but I was just asking as a starting point. I did not want to go to a main dealer, only to be charged a fortune to extinguish a simple code, which is needed after a new item is fitted. 

Additionally, do you know if anything else is LIKELY to be activating the warning light, if the sensor is now fine? (It had originally stated rear left sensor, but can't recall if it suggested other potential faults).

 

One more thing has now occurred to me... If VCDS is foreign based, (German, etc), Will the translation to English, refer to nearside rear or left side rear? I ask as offside might mean RIGHT on a Eurocentric/American system. I again, can't remember if the detail said left side, or nearside!

 

Many thanks for any help offered.

As far as I know, all VW Group marques will only quote and so use "seen as when sitting in the driver's seat looking forward" so that means right hand or left hand, so I'd be very surprised is VCDS have not followed that way of thinking.

All else fails unplug one and see which one goes open circuit. 

Sensors can be checked by unplugging them and putting a multi meter on the contacts up inside the plug and put the meter into ohms mode and get someone to spin the wheel in question for you. The meter should show 0 then a numbered figure say 3 for a second and then go back to 0 and so on, if it shows 0 constant then the sensor is faulty.

 

Why I say this my reverse sensor was faulty and showed right rear cluster but in fact It turned out to be the left side, it seems some people who built these cars cannot figure out left or right

Rum4mo... I see your point. I fully understand the ol' left is nearside rule but as the VCDS stuff is not U.K., I cannot remember if they said left or nearside. Left is quite clearly left, nearside is the side to the curb... Total opposites here in the U.K, compared to Europe, etc.

 

Techie... If I unplug one, surely the ABS light will go on... This won't then matter which one I unplug, they will all illuminate the dash light!

I guess re-connecting the duff one MIGHT just keep the ABS light on, whereby plugging in a good one will turn it off. This is why I wondered if they need the fault code removing in order to stay off, long term. 

 

Murdockman...Surely for this, you would also need the meter connected to the sensor, not just the plug? Just checking the plug with the meter won't do anything when the wheel is spun as the sensor will be in place but no connector!

 

 

Many thanks so far for the ideas and replies, though.

Edited 16 July, 20196 yr by mrgf

If you dont have VCDS, then disconnect battery (dont forget radio code)

 

then disconnect each one in turn at the connection closest to the sensor (wheel arch probably) and measure the resistance in ohms of all of them, the "odd" one either being to high or low is the faulty one. I dont know what the "range" should be, so you will have to try different settings on the meter to get a reading, but it will be obvious if / which one is "out of range"

 

Tried looking for what the resistance "should" be, but cannot find it in manual as yet.

 

Not sure on the Fabia as yet as I have had no issues (touchwood), but some ABS systems still need a code clearing once the sensor is replaced AND or the vehicle moving over 8km/h

 

 

Edited 16 July, 20196 yr by UrbanPanzer

12 hours ago, mrgf said:

Techie... If I unplug one, surely the ABS light will go on... This won't then matter which one I unplug, they will all illuminate the dash light!

 

Yes, but it will answer your question if it means a left or right sensor is what I was getting it. 

Sorry, not getting that.

59 minutes ago, mrgf said:

Sorry, not getting that.

 

You said earlier you weren't sure if VCDS was telling you left or right correctly?

On 16/07/2019 at 17:44, mrgf said:

Rum4mo... I see your point. I fully understand the ol' left is nearside rule but as the VCDS stuff is not U.K., I cannot remember if they said left or nearside. Left is quite clearly left, nearside is the side to the curb... Total opposites here in the U.K, compared to Europe, etc.

 

Snip  ---  Snip

 

 

Many thanks so far for the ideas and replies, though.

 

mrgf, yes but my point was that "off side and near side" when speaking in worldwide terms, which VW Group and even VCDS will be, are meaningless terms, so would not be used. "left hand side and right hand side" works for all.

One other thing if you did not know it is, all VW Group part numbers that are handed always have the LHS as the lower last number as part of the part number.

...Might be my fault with my description but I had a kind Briskodian do the VCDS quite a while ago and it was he that informed me of the sensor in question. I believe it was rear left as far as I can remember but it may well have been rear nearside. This is where any confusion may arise. U.K. nearside being left, Europe, America, etc being right. As I believe the computer system is not English but translated, this is where it MIGHT just be a spanner in the works. If they say left, great but if they say nearside, it will be the total opposite! 

I may be completely wide of the mark and other territories may not even use the term offside/nearside, when describing parts anyway!

To that degree, Rum4mo may have given me my answer in that the sensor most certainly would have been the left rear.

 

So, now I think I still need to know if the code for the ABS fault needs clearing properly or if its automatic!

 

I get the light come on sometimes, fairly frequently but NOT all the time, which makes me wonder why? 

 

One other thing to add, my pads are now getting low on both ends so does anyone know if the pads thin-ness could produce an ABS fault? I am thinking along the lines of the brake fluid reservoir being lower then normal, due to the pads/pistons being further out, to compensate for less pad thickness. If I replace the pads, the fluid will naturally rise so I wondered if the ABS light is also connected to a low fluid sensor. Bizarrely, brake fluid checks are quite hard on my model as the reservoir is placed quite low and behind a thick black pipe, making the reading difficult to see. Silly placement, really for such a crucial component. 

They say left and right.

Example:

1 Fault Found:
00285 - ABS Wheel Speed Sensor; Front Right (G45)
012 - Electrical Fault in Circuit

 

ABS light will stop coming on once the fault is fixed.  If the code is not cleared, it may still 'lurk' but won't cause the light to come on any more if the fault has been fixed.

Very much doubt it's anything to do with the brake fluid level.

 

According to your owner's manual, low fluid level will make the brake system warning light come on - ((!)) - rather than the ABS light.

 

Edited 22 July, 20196 yr by Wino

Sounds like another scan is needed to make better sense of what is going on.

I think you may be right.

I know it comes and goes. Will go off usually with the ignition being switched on and off and will come on during driving sometimes and stay on mostly, until the ignition is turned off again BUT can go back off by itself too! I still seem to have the ABS function, too so thats puzzling as I would have thought the electronics would cancel out and revert to non ABS braking... That is the usual story we are told by manufacturers! Light on, no ABS!

Not always, it depends on manufacturer and OR what other systems are "part" off  it, like EBD as an example.

 

If the ABS light is on on my Land Rover, the manual actually says will work but with reduced parameters, ie its not as good as it could be.