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MG MGF Technical - ABS warning light staying on!

The ABS warning light on my 1997 R MGF (45k) is staying on!

It was fine during the drive to work but when I took the car out at lunchtime the light stayed on.

I have looked at the archive and found a few possible solutions:

- Brake fluid resevoir needs topping up
- Poor connection at wheel sensor (where EXACTLY is this?)
- Failed wheel sensor
- Poor connection under seat??

Can anyone give me any other possibile causes for this problem? ABS has been working fine up to now, but I have not tested it since the light problem.

Thanks for the help!

Rich
RICHARD WOODFIELD

>>> - Poor connection under seat?? <<<
Wasn't this a possible issue when the SRS light comes on ?
Erik

BUGGER.

You're right Erik.

I have just managed to confuse both myself AND everyone else.

It IS the SRS light that is staying on. I think I matched the 'words' and not the 'phrase' when I searched in the archive - then just got carried away with the matches!!!

I'll start a new thread.

THANKS!
RICHARD WOODFIELD

>Poor connection at wheel sensor (where EXACTLY is this?)

I'll avoid answering that for fear of sounding too condecending ;-)

If you look at the back of the wheel hubs you should see that where the CV joint on the driveshaft attaches to the wheel hub the hub is splined, the sensor nearly touches the splines (works with magnatism). The front is the same, but there is no CV joint!
Will Munns

This would be an MOT failure, but I guess you've got till at least August to sort it.
If the brake fluid is low, then you really need to investigate why immediately.
On each wheel hub is a castellated ring - the sensor is near this. Dieter had a neat test for ABS :-
Bonnet up (so you can hear the ABS unit!)
Ignition on (engine off)
jack up each wheel in turn and spin it - you should hear the ABS unit 'chatter'
If you have one wheel that doesn't cause chatter then you've found the dead/disconnected sensor.

Take care with the car jacked up - you may have problems turning the rear wheels fast enough by hand.

I think Erik's right about the under-seat connection being for SRS.
Steve

>It IS the SRS light that is staying on

This is the airbag circuit, not the ABS.
Possible faults are the connections under the seats (take apart spray with contact cleaner and reseat) and the rotory coupler on the stearing column (the same).

All SRS wires are in bright yellow sheilding

Rover Manual say take battery off for 15 mins before touching the connectors.
Will Munns

Thanks Will. I did think I could be laying myself open to some "Where the f@#k do you think!!" responses - hence the capital letters ;)

I'll bear that information in mind though... just incase I do get a problem with the ABS.

My excuse...? Too much beer over Christmas.
RICHARD WOODFIELD

This thread was discussed on 06/01/2004

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