FRONT ABS HARNESS / LEAD (FOR ABS SENSOR) Jaguar XJ8 XJR X308 1997-2002 | eBay
It’s cheap enough I guess to buy and try it, but not sure how to tell whether it’s any good other than ask whether they’ve tested it for continuity.
So the ABS light was off. I drove to the local garage to jet wash it, started it, and it came back on. It came on last time when I washed the car at home. Coincidence? This time I’m getting a “Traction Control fail” and " Stability Control Fail" message on the dash too, which is worrying. Do these just come on automatically if there’s a ABS error code?
I would check the wheel sensor connectors. Sounds like you have a bad connecting and water getting in makes it worse.
Logical I guess, but not sure whether it’s just a coincidence. The connectors seem like a very snug fit, so not sure a jet wash aimed at the outside of the wheels would get water into them.
I’m not saying that it’s the cause of your issue but experience shows that the assumption “Water can’t possibly have got in there!” is almost always false! 
Thank you for that. I’ve ordered one of those second hand link harness’s off ebay. I’ll check it for continuity when it arrives. Is it easy enough to fit by just removing the front wheel?
It simply ‘unplugs’ at both ends. It is only a few feet long.
The body end is right behind the plastic wheel arch liner.
I turned the wheel to have a look and could see it going behind the wheel liner, guess you don’t need to remove wheel liner to get to it. Just wondered if it’s a doddle to do with wheel off rather than access under car with wheel on, say on ramps. If it’s really easy I’ll do it myself rather than pay a garage.
I have a shop with 2 car lifts here on my property. (the goat ranch)
Ramps should work fine but I just lift cars so I can walk under. (too old the crawl around)
Wish I had a car lift! I’m too old too (56) but I’ve got ankylosing spondylitis so can’t really crawl under cars any more, which was why I was asking if I can tackle it by removing the wheel.
Not being flippant but don’t let CadJag (AKA Carl he’s only 92) see this, sorry to hear about the spondylitis.
I received the lead today and it seems to test fine so I’m going to fit it. Looks easy enough with the wheel off.
On the pic (not of my car), where the lead loops, where that blue thing is, there seems to be some sort of clip holding it against the wheel arch. Does it just pull out of there and you push the new one in, or do you need to break the clip, and if so, how do you keep the new one attached to wheel arch.
Many thanks,
Simon
This is my error code, so it does look like it’s the harness, and not the ABS module, thank God!
Looks very easy to replace, although the only tricky looking part is disconnecting the connector behind the wheel arch that goes into the frame. There’s not much room, but I’m hoping there’s enough room with the wheel off to feel and push the plastic tab from the other side of the connector through the hole and pull it off.
Here’s what I recommend.
It’s either the ABS ECU, which has a common solder fault, or the sensor is going bad.
I went at this by attacking the ECU first, which ended up not being the problem. If I were to do it again, I’d go through the effort of removing the sensor, which is indeed a pain, and cleaning off sensor. You’ll find a fair amount of debris covering up the magnetic sensor.
If you do this and the code goes away (you may have to reset the code, or drive it several times) then it is the sensor and you’ll have to replace it. (Not cheap)
If the code comes back right away, it’ll be the ECU. You’ll have to fix the solder joints or maybe replace some other pieces. I think opening up that ECU will require you to cut it open, so you probably don’t want to do this the way I did.
After cleaning, that light should stay off for several weeks, if not maybe months! Those durations will get shorter as the sensor dies off, so it’ll buy you some time, but it will be back!
My error code is C1155, indicating it’s the harness not the ABS module. Just had this reply from someone on another forum:
“module’s bad don’t even waste your time remaking the harness. just put a scope on the pins at the module watch the vrs signal go up and down on top of the bias voltage.
Just did one the other day they lose the LF circuit internally. had a db7/crown vic mk20 module lose the rear right circuit. good rebuilders will fix them up no problem.”
Apart from him saying it’s the ABS module I haven’t a clue what he’s talking about.
He’s talking about an oscilloscope. He wants you to probe the wheels…while they are moving. I don’t have the means to do that. I guess you can get a bluetooth handheld oscilloscope maybe?
Anyways, you have two possibilities here. The ABS ECU and the sensor. You have to decide which way you want to proceed. My way will cost you nothing but time as a next step…unless you were planning on replacing ball joints or control arm bushings anyways, then it won’t even cost you much time!
The other way could also be free, if you want to start by opening up the ECU and seeing if you can resolder some joints. Do a search on this forum and I believe you’ll find someone that was kind enough to take a pic of the suspect joints.
Those are your free options. The more expensive way is to throw parts at it. You can:
a. buy a replacement, used ABS ECU on eBay or something.
b. buy a new ABS sensor. I wouldn’t bother with a used one, it’s likely as old as yours (25+ years old?)
Again, I recommend my way as it will narrow down the possibilities. You want to cross off that sensor as being bad if you can. Cleaning it and reinstalling it will clear the code for a while. If it doesn’t, then it’s the ECU.
I want to add that I thought c1095 was the code that indicated ECU issues.
When I had a dying sensor, I got codes c1145 and c1148 (passenger side went bad for me). Once I replaced the sensor, light has never returned. It’s been almost 10 years now.
Just install the connector harness you purchased and be done with it just like the esteemed Motorcarman suggested.
Yes, it could be the ABS control unit, the sensor, or the lead. Going purely on the code, indicates it could be the sensor, or lead. Motorcarman seems extremely experienced, and what he said about the lead moving with the suspension, over thousands of cycles over 25 years, it makes sense that it’s likely to be a broken wire within the harness. He said he’s never come across a failed sensor. Given that the harness I bought was only £7, it sensible to start with the cheapest as well.
Also the light doesn’t come on immediately: It first came on last June during the MOT. They turned it off and it only came back on a few months ago, comes on after say a few miles of driving, but seems to be gradually getting worse.
Oh, I thought you tried installing the harness already.
By all means, do that first. That is the best plan.