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Technical ABS Warning - Return to Garage message

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Technical ABS Warning - Return to Garage message

T

Tomee_Boy

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Chaps,

Does anyone else have this message whenever there is a hard frost? Our Multipla (2002 1.9 JTD ELX) will do the normal checks, you start the engine, and then the computer will declare an ABS fault and advise us to turn off the engine and seek garage assistance.

It's very annoying as we are not sure if there really is a fault or its just the cold effecting the sensors!

Its happend before but we always err on the side of caution and leave the car until later, usually when its warmer, and things are back to normal.

Sometimes its not possible to leave the car and I wonder if you ignore this message can you still drive the car?

Your help / comment would be grately received (y)

Cheers,
Tom.
 
car will drive ,only the abs will not cut in if faulty. you will still have normal brakes as thou the car has no abs,this is due to the brakes depend on hydraulics,and the abs when not working do not affect the hydraulic system.
 
Does the ABS light come on when you start the engine and before you move off for the first time, or only when you start moving?
If it's only when you start moving then it's probably frozen handbrake cables and rear wheels sliding on ice while the front wheels are going round normally confusing the ABS system. This happened to me a couple of years ago in my Alfa 146 when I set off for work one morning, the light stayed on all the way to work but went off as soon as I started driving later in the day.
 
Hi, thanks for the comments.

Funnily enough the ABS problem only happens when my wife uses the car (although I don't think the Multi has a thing against women!!). Anyway I beleive from what my wife has told me that the sequence of events are that the iginition is on and the computer does the usual checks, then the engine is started and running, and only then do we get the ABS warning. She has not attemped to drive the car due to the nature of the warning.

It seems to me that the cold weather is defo related as this has only happened once before when we had a hard frost. We do not use the car everyday so perhaps the sensors are dirty and frozen through lack of use?

I think if it does it again the next step will be to see if driving off makes any difference.

Thanks again for your help!

Cheers,
Tom.
 
You should be fine to drive with the ABS warning light on - unless the Multi ABS design is radically different to other cars - which it isn't - its a stock Bosch system.

The brakes should work fine except you'll have no ABS. If there was a fault on the actual braking system, that would show with a differnt warning light.

(My Peugeot 106 ABS warning light has been on since July last year - and it even passed it's MOT like that.
 
Hi. I had the same problem with my multipla when it was still under warranty. after loads of messing about it was discovered that the battery needed replacing.been sorted for over a year now. hope that helps:D
 
hi

I have a similar problem with my fiat JTD,its done 136K but still runs ok, recently the ABS sys. faulty light comes on and stays on after start check.I suspected some problem with the rear brakes and decided to have new disc and pads, but this did not cure it.I still drive with the message showing and it seems to handle normally.I am going to try changing the battery first to see if that cures it.Otherwise I may need to go to dealer.
 
In most cases, from start-up the ABS system only works once the car has reached its trigger speed, about 15 MPH. If the warning light comes on when the engine is running but the car's still stationary, most common cause is an open circuit on a wheel sensor. If the light stays off but comes on once the car's moving faster than the ABS trigger speed, most common cause is a dirty or displaced wheel sensor.
 
I also have seen this issue. Could be the CAN coms between the ABS unit and the PCM. With a low battery the comunication between the two units may drop out (especially when cold) but as the ABS is a safety system it should not disable it which is why there is no ABS light fault. When comunication is establisted (we are talking milliseconds) the system will work fine.
 
This is my first contact with the forum, so forgive me gentlemen if I should be posting a new thread. However I am also having a problem with the ABS on my much-loved 2001 multi (1600, petrol). I have had the ABS fault warning come on once or twice in the last 4 months, but it goes off again. However I am more concerned that on one or two occasions when I have applied the brakes, they have felt odd, sort of hard or juddery (this has not happened on the same days that I have had a warning). I am told that the ABS control unit probably needs replacing and that the strange feel to the brakes is due to the Anti lock system coming on. I am in shock about the price of a new control unit! Does anybody think that there may be another solution/cause.
 
Hi All,
My first post, despite being a Multi owner for 4 years :eek:.

I have this "ABS System Faulty" warning now when I turn the key, but in my case it is preceded/accompanied by a strange hum from the back of the car that I never heard before.

Actually I noticed the hum a couple of days ago. I tuurned off fan, radio, everything in order to hear it better, and I wasn't sure if it had always been there, but I didn't think so.

Now I have definitely got a new fairly loud hum from the back and now the ABS System Faulty warning beeps before turning the key fully to ignition.

Any ideas?

Many thanks!
/M.

Edit: I drive a '02 JTD with 73,000 miles on it.

Update: Sorry, the hum is not necessarily from the back. I can't quite pinpoint where it's coming from. It's a low loud hum from somewhere underneath me, it lasts about 8 to 10 seconds during which the ABS warning beeps and then shortly after that the hum stops with a click.
 
Last edited:
I am sure my old Multi used to get the abs warning due to the battery voltage dropping when starting. This is worse when it is cold outside. If you turn off and restart after running the engine for a minute or 2 it wont have the warning.


The humming might be and fuel pump and you are just noticing it because of the warning?
 
My abs light has started to come on when starting now and then but if you turn it off and re start it goes out again.Maybe this might be due to the battery:confused:The car is only three years old:confused:Would the battery be starting to fail allready:confused:It did it once when it was a few months old but seems to be about one in ten starts now.I was also wondering if it had anything to do with a new trailing arm being fitted but it was done at Fiat and is a Fiat part so am inclined to think it is the battery because it only does it on staring and never when driving:confused:
 
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