ABS and a car wash

  • Thread starter Thread starter Michael
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Michael

I had had an ABS/TRACS warning indicator for a month
and went to the car wash a couple of days ago.

Had them do the underbody wash.

Since then the warning light hasn't come back on at all.

Just to verify.....has anyone heard that something so simple can actually
get those sensors back to normal?

(Or are they sealed and it's a coincidence).?

98 S70 T5
 
In an earlier contribution to this discussion,
Michael said:
I had had an ABS/TRACS warning indicator for a month
and went to the car wash a couple of days ago.

Had them do the underbody wash.

Since then the warning light hasn't come back on at all.

Just to verify.....has anyone heard that something so simple can
actually get those sensors back to normal?

(Or are they sealed and it's a coincidence).?

98 S70 T5
Click to expand...

Are sure that the sensor didn't get *disconnected* by the car-wash?
 
Michael said:
I had had an ABS/TRACS warning indicator for a month
and went to the car wash a couple of days ago.

Had them do the underbody wash.

Since then the warning light hasn't come back on at all.

Just to verify.....has anyone heard that something so simple can actually
get those sensors back to normal?

(Or are they sealed and it's a coincidence).?

98 S70 T5
Click to expand...

There could have been metallic particles on the sensor or the pulse
wheel which were washed off (or at least displaced) during the
underbody wash. Find an empty side street or parking lot and d a
real-world test the operation of the system.


__ __
Randy & \ \/ /alerie's
\__/olvos
'90 245 Estate - '93 965 Estate
"Shelby" & "Kate"
 
So those sensors aren't "sealed"?....the washing could have possibly cleaned
them (somewhat)?

So far, so good....not a single ABS warning light.

I guess I should do some hard stop and go just to see.
 
Michael said:
So those sensors aren't "sealed"?....the washing could have possibly cleaned
them (somewhat)?
Click to expand...
The sensor is a magnetic/electromagnetic device. It has a magnetic end
that "senses" the passing of many hunbreds of what look like gear
teeth that are part of the rotor/hub. The magnetic pulses are received
and sent to the computer which combines various signals to decide if a
wheel is about to lock up and the computer modulates the poressure of
the brake system to that one wheel to keep it from locking up.

The sensor's wiring is sealed. What happens is that the particles of
the disc and brake pads as they wear can get stuck to the magnet end
of the sensor. The magnetic field is quite strong there. If these
build up to much they affect the sensors ability to "see" the teeth
going by. The cure is simple- carefully remove each sensor and wipe
the particles off the end, althe time being careful not to stress the
wire connected to the sensor any more than necessary. Remvoeing them
once in a while is good becasue you can smear a little brake silicone
or anti-seize to the sensor to keep it from corroding into place.

Jacking up one wheel at a time and using the tool kit in the car I
believe that you should be able to remove the sensors yourself.

So far, so good....not a single ABS warning light.
Click to expand...
Same with my wife's 960. Threw the light a few times and I knew it was
time to clean the sensors.
I guess I should do some hard stop and go just to see.
Click to expand...
If nothing else, it is a really good idea to experience what the car
can (and can't) do in an emergency and to feel what the ABS system
feels like. Get it up to about 40-45 and hit the brakes- don't slam
the pedal, but smoothly and rapidly press it as far as it will go
until you stop. It might take two or three times to get the feel of
it, but your car (most cars, actually) can stop a lot faster than you
think! Let the brakes cool for a couple of minutes between tests so as
not to overheat and warp the rotors.

If the car seems to "hop" on the front end or chatter excessively it
could be a sign that the front struts need replacing. I noticed a
dramatic improvement in ABS performance after I had replaced the 960's
front struts.


__ __
Randy & \ \/ /alerie's
\__/olvos
'90 245 Estate - '93 965 Estate
"Shelby" & "Kate"
 
Michael said:
I had had an ABS/TRACS warning indicator for a month
and went to the car wash a couple of days ago.

Had them do the underbody wash.

Since then the warning light hasn't come back on at all.

Just to verify.....has anyone heard that something so simple can actually
get those sensors back to normal?

(Or are they sealed and it's a coincidence).?

98 S70 T5
Click to expand...
IIRC a common advice (by knowledgable Volvo people here, rather than me!)
used to be to clean the castellated area at the end of the axles when the
ABS light came on, to clean the accumulated debris out. It isn't the sensor
per se, but the part that goes past the sensor they were concentrating on.

Mike
 
Well the car wash was wishful thinking.

Started acting up again.....but it could possibly indicate a loose
connection......never the less, I'll clean all the sensors.

I wonder if a blast of air from an air gun would clean them?....or is that a
bad idea?
 
Michael said:
Well the car wash was wishful thinking.

Started acting up again.....but it could possibly indicate a loose
connection......never the less, I'll clean all the sensors.

I wonder if a blast of air from an air gun would clean them?....or is that
a bad idea?
Click to expand...
It shouldn't be all that hard. Remove each wheel and you should see the cog
area that makes up the ABS reluctor, just behind the bearing carrier. Where
something gets close to the teeth, that has to be the sensor. A brush on the
teeth and a blast of the air gun on the part of the sensor facing the teeth
should clean it up.

Mike
 
Michael said:
It shouldn't be all that hard. Remove each wheel and you should see the cog
area that makes up the ABS reluctor, just behind the bearing carrier. Where
something gets close to the teeth, that has to be the sensor. A brush on the
teeth and a blast of the air gun on the part of the sensor facing the teeth
should clean it up.
Click to expand...

And if you don't own an airgun, the compressed air in a can at
computer shops works well for this.
 
The connectors are under the hood near the wheel arches in the front, and of
course the connector on the ABS unit itself, it's easy enough to clean those
too.
 
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