Just got the range rover back from (failing) its MOT.

Had an ABS fault come up repeatedly a few weeks back when I was up in the Lake District, but it stopped the day after I got back and I hadn't seen it since, and as the ABS still seemed to work fine even when the light was on I put it on the back burner...you can see where this is going, can't you?

Just about a mile short of the garage this morning, on comes the ABS light Discussed it with the mechanic who suggested trying the MOT anyway - as long as it stayed off long enough he didn't see it, he couldn't fail it. It didn't... After I picked it up, no sign of the ABS light even after a couple of stops, so I decide to head back to the garage for a retest while it was behaving itself - got about a quarter of a mile before the ABS light came on again...

Guess what I'm doing this evening...

.... removing the lightbulb from the warning light pannel?

No good - it has to come on and then go off as it's supposed to, not just not come on at all. Although option B could be a small timer circuit...especially as I'm taking this truck off the road in about three weeks...

Connect it to the oil light?

I suppose the trouble is, it will pass, you'll forget all about it - then find you are wearing a bus one day!

Si

hmmm, good idea but if the MOT man is clued up, he should spot that one. On power up, the lamp lights up, maybe flashes once or twice then stays off independent of the engine running; it will go trhough the init cycle only after the ignition is truned fully off then back on. On the other hand, oil lamp will go off only when engine is running and be back on once the engine has stopped and igntion is still on. (at least that is how volvo do it)

A timer should sort it out to get round the MOT.

That's why option A is fixing it properly...

check your wheel bearings are tight? or the ABS sensors are all in the right position?

All is now revealed. Interogated the ABS controller, which had recorded every error code available for the front left sensor (plus one unlisted code - 2-3 anyone?).

Those of you with long memories may remember I had a wheel bearing come loose the day after having the swivel bearings done at Town and Country in Cubbington last summer. I've also got a leaking swivel seal (looks like they reused a pitted swivel housing). The ABS sensor appears to be more of their handywork - they told me when I collected the truck that the top swivel bearing had collapsed and wrapped itself round the ABS sensor - they've either been unable to remove the sensor and have just stuck the old swivel pin back in complete with jammed sensor, or they've forced the damaged sensor into a new swivel pin - either way, it's jammed solid not fully home, and the lip at the top had already pretty much been destroyed (it's gone completely after tonights efforts...). It must be right on the limit of it's working air gap.

Nothing is going to shift the sensor without destroying it, so I guess new swivel pin and sensor are the only solution? The fault codes are cleared and it's behaving itself at the moment so it can go back in for retest as it is, at any rate.

I guess I should point out that I never actually went back to Town and Country and complained about the wheel bearing (I didn't know about the rest at the time), mainly because I'd have had to give them a chance to put it right, and I really, really didn't want them going anywhere near my truck again...