Grab it.
Open up the dashboard, and disconnect the wiring on the ABS light and then wire it to the ignition light - that comes on when you turn the key and goes off when the car is up and running.
When they test ABS at an MOT, all they do is check that the light comes on and goes off.
Hey presto.
Before you all shout in horror:
1. ABS didn't use to be compulsory, lots of cars on the road don't have it.
2. All the MOT tests on the ABS is whether the light goes on and off as it should. It doesn't test whether it helps the car to stop.
3. The ABS quite likely works anyway.
Total cost: three hours and £0.00
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Yes, that's really smart - disable a safety critical system warning light. Wisdom itself!
Of course you would also inform your insurance company about this crackpot modification?
Number_Cruncher
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>>Of course you would also inform your insurance company about this crackpot modification?
So I suppose that if the wire going to the left tail light fractures and you wire it into the right tail light you would consider it a modification to inform your insurance company? I don't think playing with the illumination of a bulb counts as a modification.
Plenty of cars (built before ?1995?) have - as a safety feature - the option of turning OFF the ABS.
I intensely dislike ABS as it greatly increases braking distance on gravel. Failed ABS can only ever be a good thing.
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>>. Failed ABS can only ever be a good thing.
You buffoon.
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TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
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If I didn't know any better, I would say that Mapmaker is on a windup mission.
Doing some dodgy wiring for a tailight to work again is one thing, but overriding a warning light is something completely different.
::makes note never to buy a car from mapmaker::
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From memory it has to go out in a particular time frame, either with the engine running or not - not just go out in a arbitrary manner.
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www.motuk.co.uk/manual_340.htm
Note: The sequence varies with the type of system. Refer to the manufacturers or other reliable data, eg purpose produced charts, books, etc.
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I was reading the information from a big wall chart (Showing different makes of car in relation to light behaviour) in the local garage whilst the unglued a fag from the lower lip of the Tester who was to do the Landie's test.....amazing what you can pick up when you're bored.
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Thanks for that tip, PU. Some sort of a delay timer obviously needs soldering into the circuit. o)
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>>If I didn't know any better,
You do?
>>I would say that Mapmaker is on a windup mission.
Nope. I have only ever had ABS go off on me when on gravel or snow. Under both circumstances, ABS materially increases braking distance.
Fanbleedingtastic.
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" have only ever had ABS go off on me when on gravel or snow. Under both circumstances, ABS materially increases braking distance"
I've had ABS go on dry surfaces and wet. Doing what was intended..
People like Mapmaker post imo out of rather obvious ignorance imo of ABS and its uses... and of the reality of insurance companies and their attitude to accidents.
But hey it's his car and his money...
It's rather an obvious and pathetic windup....
madf
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I do not condone or agree with mapmakers advice, but know of several instances where ithas been applied ( often on cars from auction).
However, in his support. Very few people actually ever use the abs facility of the car; and I have have had many cases of people bringing their cars in for repair because they thought the brakes were faulty when they did an emergency stop because of the noise and pulsing of the pedal.
I dont believe it is actually used by more than 10% of people to enable them to steer in an emergency braking moment, (and dont forget physics still applies), but is a proud boast when they talk about their car. "of course it has got that new brake and steering system fitted!"
IMO abs is a safety feature that works the wrong way! It lulls people into a false sense of protected security, resulting in more speed at the wrong places, and less actual safer driving.
Other opinions may well differ!
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I hate the ABS on my bike, Its totally switchable but I dread to think if I had it off and I needed it in a hurry......
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Nope. I have only ever had ABS go off on me when on gravel or snow. Under both circumstances ABS materially increases braking distance.
Mappy - you have no idea how many times ABS has cut in on someone elses vehicle and stopped them hitting you or your kin.
Fanbleedingtastic. Absolutley.
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TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
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I'm a fan of ABS. It may increase braking distances slightly in a few circumstances but most of the time its main benefit is being able to still steer when braking in an emergency.
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Many posters on here appear to make regular use of the ABS feature on their cars. I'm very glad they have it.
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I regularly drive lightly loaded, small vans. One has ABS.
I've never hit anything else, but the feeling of security when the pedal pulses in an urgent situation is very reassuring. It's only happened a couple of times, the second on a quiet road when I 'tested' its abilities.
On the other hand, on numerous occasions I've felt the back end lock up on the non-ABS equipped vehicles under moderate braking.
I know which I prefer!
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"Many posters on here appear to make regular use of the ABS feature on their cars. I'm very glad they have it."
I'm glad the above post confirms my suspicions of ignorance.
My Yaris has ABS with Brake Assistance so any hard braking means the ABS will be applied. I live in the edges of the country on twisty, wet and muck strewn roads - and by muck I mean horses and the odd bit of cow muck from tractors.
In these conditions, it takes very little to make the roads very slippery.. especially when we have the wettest June for along time... So I'm glad to have ABS and have it working..
The fact that many cars have ABS integrated into traction control obviously escapes the poster above.
I'll continue to be glad I have working ABS... and some of the muppets I see driving have it as well for my and other people's safety...
madf
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It appears that rather too many drivers push their cars rather too far. Careful driving at an appropriate speed for the circumstances is more likely to pervent an accident than is ABS.
If the roads are slippery my own choice is to drive more cautiously. Having ABS is all very well, but I don't know it's going to work until I try it.
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i see where you are coming from mapmaker and at one time used to practise cadence methods with good effect,however our roads are now much more crowded, we live in times where if you leave a sensible gap some person will surely fill it,my last two cars both have abs and i have never felt it work,however i know its there for those undercracker moments
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I had it work once (in a car - not yet on the bike) when I was er....making progress on a wet dual carriageway in the dead of night when a lorry pulled out from a lay by with no indication, I slammed on and thought "I am so dead" and the ABS kicked in and allowed me to change lanes voluntarily rather than by hobson's choice. In an ordinary non-abs car I would have been strawberry jam. Yes Mapmaker I shouldn't have been driving at a three figure number and maybe I should have been in the outside lane.
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Can you do handbrake turns with ABS?.
I recall seeing one of those 'police action - something or other' programs years ago and there was CCTV coverage of a car going very fast through a red light and smashing into something else. It was later determined that his ABS was switched off (probably one of those mentioned further up) and he was done by plod (although I forget the specific offence) and he was also done by his insurer to recover their costs to the third party.
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If you did tamper with the ABS light you could find yourself liable if the car was tested after a serious prang. You'd probably be looking at a "Fail to maintain....." charge - or worse.
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Anyway, all this talk is besides the point.
To the OP - If you don't buy the car then give me your friend's number, if I could get a 9 year old 320i for £1,350 fully fixed then I would be over the moon! :-)
Blue
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After braking very hard two days ago after a buffoon pulled out from behind a tractor on the A38 while I was passing at 60mph, I am extremely grateful for the ABS in the car behind, who was so close he had to swerve violently to the left to avoid hitting me. :)
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Nope. I have only ever had ABS go off on me when on gravel or snow. Under both circumstances ABS materially increases braking distance.
I have only experienced ABS twice in a car I was driving. Once I gave the pedal a hard prod on wet cobbles in a new Audi 80 I had on test, and there was clamour and a moment of brisk retardation before I released the pedal.
The other time was in Spain last year in an old and rough 2-litre Scorpio, coming up to a major road down a steepening, greasy slope. The back tyres were both new. Retardation was truly appalling, although the car did just manage to stop, as was the clamour. It was an alarming experience for me, and even the passengers asked what was up. On all other occasions the car behaved fairly well for a rough old barge, and the ABS never operated again.
I don't like ABS either, anyway when it gets old.
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I intensely dislike ABS as it greatly increases braking distance on gravel. Failed ABS can only ever be a good thing.
My old Granada with ABS wouldn't stop on snow, quite disconcerting a looming hedge, however I much prefer to have it.
Regards................MD
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The point about ABS is that it has KNOWN weaknesses (soft snow/gravel) and in those cases we (the driver) should make allowances (i.e. drive at such a speed that you won't need it).
The mistake is driving faster than the surface conditions permit - something Roadcraft stresses.
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The point about ABS is that it has KNOWN weaknesses (soft snow/gravel) and in those cases we (the driver) should make allowances (i.e. drive at such a speed that you won't need it). The mistake is driving faster than the surface conditions permit - something Roadcraft stresses.
Then on snow..don't go...at least with ABS.
MD
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Personally OP I would buy it (you could even be cheeky and try and knock your friend down a few quid!). On ebay that would bid to way over what you bid once the MOT has expired even with bidders aware of the ABS problem (get a second opinion on the fault btw)
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It is a Construction and Use offence..if ANY part of a vehicle's braking system is defective.. (this includes ABS, even though some cars don't have ABS at all)
if it's on the car's braking system and it doesn't work, offence committed..
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It is a Construction and Use offence..if ANY part of a vehicle's braking system is defective..
With the best will in the world, 75% (maybe more) have a braking fault on their car. Don't believe me? Put your car on a brake tester and look at the imbalances.
Mot test is so lax on brake requirements that the construction and use argument is a little weak to say the least. Imbalance is perfectly acceptable; but is "probably" worse than a car with virtually balanced brakes and no abs working. The idea of abs is that should the system fail normal braking is maintained. If that system is in good condition then the car is capable of braking in an emergency. If the brakes need to be applied that hard that it sets off the abs then the majority of times it is down to driving error, not abs error.
I estimate that less than 10% of people actually know what abs is like when it works. Just happens that the 10% are all posters on here !
I think abs actually encourages worse driving in majority of people, I would prefer better driving standards.
Having said all that; because of the amount of idiots on the road I do prefer having it fitted. It cant be disinvented so we are stuck with it regardless?
And for the op, I think bell boys original answer is by far the best advice I have seen on here.
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"The idea of abs is that should the system fail normal braking is maintained"
Wrong. ABS was devised to prevent brakes staying on and the wheel skidding.
"If the brakes need to be applied that hard that it sets off the abs then the majority of times it is down to driving error, not abs error."
No. What about emergency stops?
"I think abs actually encourages worse driving in majority of people" and "I estimate that less than 10% of people actually know what abs is like when it works"
Shumm divergence here!
Lots of opinions... few facts. Mostly wrong.
imo:-))))
madf
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Only just spotted this thread.
Non-ABS equipped cars will generally have a proportioning valve to limit retardation to rear wheels - often this incorporates some form of load sensing.
On ABS-equipped cars this function is incorporated into the ABS system - so if the ABS is defective then the braking system is no behaving as it should and there is a chance of premature rear wheel lock under relatively light braking.
I live in rural area, with frequently dirty/greasy roads and ABS is a real safety advantage.
Last year I was travelling along a main road, down hill, at about 50mph. A lady was waiting to turn out to her right from a junction on the left hand side of the road. I could see her looking at me, and then for no obvious reason she pulled out right in front of me. I hit the brakes hard, road was greasy, but I actually managed to swerve around the rear of her car into the junction area. She was very very lucky; without ABS I would have smacked right into the driver's door.
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The idea of abs is that should the system fail normal braking is maintained
Most car manuals clearly mentions that even if ABS fails, normail braking will be fine.
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Most car manuals clearly mentions that even if ABS fails normail braking will be fine.
No this is not always the case at all. In additional to the lack of brake pressure proportioning that I mentioned above there are also some systems where ABS failure can lead to a bit reduction in braking efficiency. Probably the best known example is the WABCO system fitted to Range Rover (and a few other vehicles). Bascially, when the light comes on you have 50% braking on the front wheels only.
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so if theABS is defective then the braking system is no behaving as it should and there is a chance of premature rear wheel lock under relatively light braking.
That's what it felt like in the old Scorpio in Spain last year. But the ABS worked immediately and I believe inhibited the functioning of the front brakes too... So malfunctioning ABS can be a lot worse than none at all.
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Lots of emotion on this thread, and a little muddy waters to make it awkward.
Stand by what I have said (including happy that I have it fitted on my car) but ALL cars are tested on their normal brake eficiency at mot test.
NO CAR ABS SYSTEM IS TESTED AT MOT ! FACT not opinion! If brakes were uneven, or didn't work correctly then the car would fail its mot test, quite simple really!
All that is tested on the abs is the abs warning light. FACT
Normal braking will work fine if the car is driven correctly, if abs fails! FACT
How on earth did we manage before it was invented?
Most people have never experienced the effect of abs braking either. I again think that all those that have experienced it post on here!
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All that is tested on the abs is the abs warning light. FACT
Yes, this is correct. The test relies on the ABS self-diagnostics working correctly (as evidenced by the illumination sequence of the ABS warning light).
Normal braking will work fine if the car is driven correctly if abs fails! FACT
No, this is not correct. ABS is not simply a standard braking system with a few extra bits bolted on. It is differently designed from scratch. Some ABS equipped cars will brake quite normally; others will have a tendancy to prematurely lock the rear brakes. Some systems will not function correctly at all and the vehicle will be dangerous to drive and not pass the standard MoT brake efficiency test. If, for example, the ABS warning light comes on on a WABCO-equipped Range Rover then the car should be pulled over ASAP and not driven.
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Lots of opinions... few facts. Mostly wrong.
Have to agree to disagree then but curious what facts are wrong !
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see Aprilia's reply for what is wrong! A few FACTS!
madf
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Ah well, that's progress. In the good old days you could turn it off without loss of normal braking efficiency.
So what sort of braking system does this BMW have. Would it have a detrimental effect on the braking efficiency if it were to be immobilised.
BTW, DD, you need have no worry about buying a car from me. It is illegal for any person to sell a non-roadworthy motor vehicle - other than for spares/repairs. Whilst a MOT certificate is not confirmation of roadworthiness, it is certainly a helpful indication for a layman and I would be very reluctant to sell a vehicle without a recent MOT.
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Normal braking will work fine if the car is driven correctly
Fact!
Read the statement made, not the assumption made?
Madf, I accept Aprillia may have some info on the Wabco system that differs to my info, but it is still safe to drive to obtain assistance if driven correctly. I still lack any info from you regarding lack of facts though!
ABS is not a wonder cure for braking.
It is entirely possible for an abs light to be on and for the brakes to "pass" the mot test, although a fail will be issued for the abs warning system !
My comments are being taken out of context and not read as an article as they were written. Please re read them as a whole to fully understand my comments.
I again state, that a car with unbalnced brakes and working abs (quite possible and not against construction and use regs) is "probably" worse than a car with balanced brakes and and abs light on!
I am posting as devils advocate, not as a supporter of cutting out abs btw.
Oh and braking hard on a greasy road and steering at 50 mph ignores the physics involved and the great likelihood of spinning due to these physics!
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shortly after the A40 had one of the first red light cameras fitted, i saw a picture taken of a then newish Granada Scorpio (circa 1986) skidding through the junction (and setting off the camera).
the driver got done for the red light AND defective brakes....because the model of car had ABS fitted as standard across the range and the picture showed the car skidding through the junction leaving great big tyre marks..... now his brakes were working rather well, judging by the skid he left, but the ABS obviously wasn't working.....and he got prosecuted for it.
as would anyone else whose ABS didn't work and it should do.
why risk it, anyway......surely you want the best chance possible, as you've only got one life... furthermore who would want the responsibility for wiping out someone else, because of scrimping on something like this?
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And if you bought a car and this "bodge" had been done to the system without your knowledge you would be guilty of this offence how exactly?
If it passes the MOT test (easily done by this "bodge") to prove the abs light extinguishes, it doesn't mean the sytem works!
And if you had an accident and your brakes (abs or not) were badly unbalanced (vey possible with or without abs) would you be equally as guilty?
Abs should be working agreed, but it is not better than proper driving technique.
To the Op, please dont be tempted by the "bodge" but the car is still worth the price, even if you trade it straight in or shortly after owning it.
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>And if you had an accident and your brakes (abs or not) were badly unbalanced (vey possible >with or without abs) would you be equally as guilty?
Yer. Its an offence to drive a car in an unroadworthy condition. Dont matter if you knew it or not,
or if you were responsible for putting it in an unroadworthy condition. MOT means nothing.
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TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
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I strongly suggest anyone who has bought car from auction or are suspicious in anyway ask their garage to check that their abs actually works correctly and is wired correctly then.
I have seen this bodge numerous times, often when braking hard to test a car out and no abs has cut in. How many people do this to their car I wonder?
People seem to think I am arguing in favour of non abs; I am not. Just trying to point out it is not as "safe" as you may think it is for various reasons!
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Owner's responsibility to ensure that a vehicle complies with con and use - simple.
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Simple in theory but not so in practice ?
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