Abs... bleeding thing!!!

I'm having a nightmare with my abs, I've replaced all my disks calipers and pads (including those infernal sensor rings on the rear, £197 each from landrover!!!) and now bleeding the brakes is giving me a bigger headache!
I've followed the Haynes book of lies, with the depressurisation, and got to the part on bleeding the hydrostatic circuit. I've been using a vacuum bleeder, and I've done all four corners and got a decent pedal, but upon turning the ignition on, I get nothing from the abs pump. I've no warning light and the brakes do work (abeit a little spongy, but I figured that they just need bedding in, but this poses a problem coz I've no tax or test!) I've bled the pump, but then following the manual it says to bleed the sphere Thingy whose name escapes me, but the pump makes no sound whatsoever... Is this normal? The pump has a live feed, but she's been stood for five years. Any clues? Or can I just ignore it and not have abs? Or does this effect the whole braking system?

Help!!

It would help to know what car you have, model/year and perhaps a location..

I assume it is a P38 as you mention a shere thingy - that is a sealed unit always under pressure until it leaks out, then you have toreplace it.

Forget the Hayns and download Rave from green-oval.com and use that method for bleeding cos I think you start with the pump and then move to the corners....

It's a classic, 3.9 efi 1992, and I'm in Leeds wet yorkshire

OK - I have no clue about Classics, but I still recommend downloading RAVE and reading their instructions..

Schmarnst said:

I've bled the pump, but then following the manual it says to bleed the sphere Thingy whose name escapes me, but the pump makes no sound whatsoever... Is this normal? The pump has a live feed, but she's been stood for five years. Any clues? Or can I just ignore it and not have abs? Or does this effect the whole braking system?

Help!!

Click to expand...

No that isn't normal.

Bleeding the accumulator is relatively easy but if you have no pump then you won't have normal brakes because you'll have no pressure.

It is possible the pump is seized or the pressure switch is stuffed. best bet is probably to try a second hand pump and pressure switch from e-bay (make sure they work first!!).

As for not having ABS - well let's just say I wouldn't and also, Mr.MOT man might have a problem there too.

Has anyone got an ABS pump? I'm struggling a bit

Hang On! I'm pretty sure you can only bleed these with a pressure system (i.e. Gunson Ezibleed and its ilk) rather than a vacuum system.

Don't know why exactly but I remember reading it in a bleeding kit group test in Popular Mechanics (yes I'm just a sado and not actually a mechanic by trade ) and so bought that one when I had to do mine. I've since bled both my ABS equpped RRC and P38 without a problem.

I've been told that the pump needs to work to be able to bleed the full system, and when this fails it shuts down part of the modulator as a failsafe... Infernal machine!

i got the pump and now the brakes work well.... but now the damn things wont come off!!! :doh: