No ABS light at start up-MOT fail

[Steviesam]

Peugeot Boxer van. The ABS and ASR (think that anti skid) lights DO NOT flash up when you turn the car on, so will fail the MOT.

Any clues? No warning on dash! I am stumped!!

Cheers

[cuprabob]

There is a thread for such questions

https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...

[Steviesam]

Thanks. I have posted on there as well now, but its not "Will my car fail" its "my car will fail" and does anyone know what the cause might be?

Cheers

[cuprabob]

Steviesam said:

Thanks. I have posted on there as well now, but its not "Will my car fail" its "my car will fail" and does anyone know what the cause might be?

Cheers

Apologies, I misread your question.

[E-bmw]

The cause could be any ABS fault which the previous owner has removed the warning light bulb for.

[STe_rsv4]

Have you checked the user manual to ensure that the ABS does in fact light up when ignition turned on?
Reason I ask is that my Jaguar XF "failed" an MOT a few years ago for this same reason - I spent 3 hours in the freezing cold checking relays and bulbs and such until I re-read the handbook. It was only when I showed the tester the handbook that showed that there is no "ABS" light, only a brake warning light on the dash that he relented and passed it.

[Steviesam]

Thanks, I will get the book out!

[Steviesam]

Regarding removing the bulb, having watched Youtube videos of cluster removals, it doesnt look like it has bulbs, maybe LEDS?

[E-bmw]

Steviesam said:

Regarding removing the bulb, having watched Youtube videos of cluster removals, it doesnt look like it has bulbs, maybe LEDS?

OK, removed LED.

[stevieturbo]

Steviesam said:

Peugeot Boxer van. The ABS and ASR (think that anti skid) lights DO NOT flash up when you turn the car on, so will fail the MOT.

Any clues? No warning on dash! I am stumped!!

Cheers

Well start by either refitting the bulb, or whatever the problem is preventing it from lighting.

And quite obviously, scan the ABS module for any fault codes etc

Nothing to be stumped about, it's pretty basic first steps in diagnosing a fault.

[Steviesam]

E-bmw said:

OK, removed LED.

I didnt know you could that! I might remove the cluster and check!

[LordLoveLength]

Steviesam said:

E-bmw said:

OK, removed LED.

I didnt know you could that! I might remove the cluster and check!

Sometimes meatheads smash the LEDs off the PCB - they aren’t removable normally.
Or cover them with black insulation tape.

[Sardonicus]

Plug a suitable scanner into the OBD socket to see if you can get comms with the ABS/DSC module for starters then you will know if the module is online or with/has fault codes or some kinda skulduggery/monkey business before remove inst clusters etc

[E-bmw]

LordLoveLength said:

Steviesam said:

E-bmw said:

OK, removed LED.

I didnt know you could that! I might remove the cluster and check!

Sometimes meatheads smash the LEDs off the PCB - they aren’t removable normally.
Or cover them with black insulation tape.

LEDs are frequently removable with a soldering iron, I have come across all versions of this over the years.

Bulb removed.

Black tape over LED.

LED de-soldered.

LED painted over.

[stevieturbo]

E-bmw said:

LEDs are frequently removable with a soldering iron, I have come across all versions of this over the years.

Bulb removed.

Black tape over LED.

LED de-soldered.

LED painted over.

it's surprising the lengths people will go to to turn lights off, or mask faults, instead of just fixing the actual problem

[sunbeam alpine]

E-bmw said:

LordLoveLength said:

Steviesam said:

E-bmw said:

OK, removed LED.

I didnt know you could that! I might remove the cluster and check!

Sometimes meatheads smash the LEDs off the PCB - they aren’t removable normally.
Or cover them with black insulation tape.

LEDs are frequently removable with a soldering iron, I have come across all versions of this over the years.

Bulb removed.

Black tape over LED.

LED de-soldered.

LED painted over.

A friend of mine - admittedly not based in the UK - assures me that this works...

[RSTurboPaul]

stevieturbo said:

E-bmw said:

LEDs are frequently removable with a soldering iron, I have come across all versions of this over the years.

Bulb removed.

Black tape over LED.

LED de-soldered.

LED painted over.

it's surprising the lengths people will go to to turn lights off, or mask faults, instead of just fixing the actual problem

If the problem is just a stupid sensor that makes no difference to how the car actually runs and operates, and that sensor is £££ and a ball ache to fix, I am not surprised that the easy and cheap fix is the preferable fix. lol

[sunbeam alpine]

stevieturbo said:

E-bmw said:

LEDs are frequently removable with a soldering iron, I have come across all versions of this over the years.

Bulb removed.

Black tape over LED.

LED de-soldered.

LED painted over.

it's surprising the lengths people will go to to turn lights off, or mask faults, instead of just fixing the actual problem

I have a friend who - faced with a bill of €700 to fix the fault on a van worth at best €1000 - used the black tape trick.

He tells me that it has worked for the last 3 years.

[OldGermanHeaps]

It should fail as it doesn't light at start up. I have seen the pcb track to the led cut and a jumper wire soldered to the airbag led so it comes on then goes off when started
On the boxer could be no power to the abs module.

[E-bmw]

OldGermanHeaps said:

It should fail as it doesn't light at start up. I have seen the pcb track to the led cut and a jumper wire soldered to the airbag led so it comes on then goes off when started

I have done exactly that myself on a track day car.

The airbag was removed & to clear the fault on start up, I rewired it into the ABS warning light.

MOT tester was adamant that the lack of airbag wasn't a fail, but the fault light on start-up was.