Rover 620ti Long Standing ABS Issue Rectified .. at last.

[MGJohn]

Some of you may have read about my ABS issue back in 2013 on my least used ( 80,000 mile ) and nicest Rover 620ti I've had for six years. I rarely use it and it's been in store ( SORN ) and will again go on SORN tomorrow 1st July as VED expires tonight.

Back in 2013 after giving faultless service my ABS light started to flicker, go off then come on and stay on. ...... New ground terra incognita for me... Web searches gave me some DIY checks and I started by checking each of the four ABS Sensors' Resistance in turn. Both front ones spot on and the off/side/rear checked out too. Then as is so often the case with S0d's Law, the last one chosen to check revealed it was faulty. So, off to my favourite breaker yard and found a late 600 where someone had helpfully already removed most of the near side rear hub components ~ disc, calipers etc all gone. Plenty of access now so again using my Multimeter to check it before removal, got a good reading.

Condition of sensor and cable looked OK so after some liberal use of a quality penetrating spray, I was able to remove that sensor intact. It's cable is about two meters long and some of the cable is protected and supported by metal tube enclosures secured by numerous 10mm bolts to the underside of the car, behind the bumper and wheel arch.. Came off in one piece and all looked well. Only charged me a fiver for it ... bargain... cleaned up nicely too.... Bonus being I learned a self-taught how to remove and replace the whole assembly in the process rather than make any mistakes on my nice car... real bonus that.

Few days later I found time to remove the faulty sensor assembly and fit the known good replacement. Turned on the ignition and the ABS went through the usual system check with the ABS light illuminated and then went out. Yeah .... result...

Twenty miles later I felt a roughness under my foot when applying the brakes and a grinding half-hearted ABS pulsing effect on the pedal. Oh Dear ... The ABS light started to flicker on and off and then stayed on!

I used the car like that until the MoT expired and the stored the car meaning to have a look at it ... sometime. That sometime was today. I again checked all the sensor readings with the multimeter and I knew all the ABS Reluctor Rings were in perfect shape as I checked them originally back in 2013. Those rings on the 600s are made of very high grade material and never corrode unlike the similar rings fitted to later Rovers and MGs which I've known to corrode so badly they crack up and need replacing. Fortunately those rings are less than a fiver posted so no big deal only and hour or so DIY work.

Back to my nice 620ti today. Owning and running numerous cars for the past fifty years, usually more than several in my care, I rotate their use to keep things in good shape and that sometimes means some cars suffer from lack of regular use. Maybe that's the case here.

Lets investigate ~ here's the modulator behind the Battery :~



Close up of the Unit :~



So off with the ABS Modulator's Multi-plug connector for a look see at all the numerous terminals. All looks well but most of those terminal pins look lightly corroded. Would prefer to see them shiny and bright.

Using some Grade 180 Wet and Dry paper DRY to clean up all four sides and the tops of those numerous terminal pins. :~



That looks better ~ blew away the dust from using the 180 grade paper folded twice to add thickness and strength :~



All back together :~



Now for the acid test ...

View My Video

Yeah ... sorted ...