ABS pressure switch - thanks Bibs

[fightingtorque]

Car was off the road for about 6 weeks while I tried to locate a replacement switch that controls the ABS pump on/ off function if you have the nasty Delco setup as in the S4.

OCW in London (mentioned in LEF past posts) quoted about 200 quid but eventually had to admit defeat in sourcing one - need to remember to get my money back actually. SJ sportscars list it on their website but don't have any. Stratton motors advised that Lotus factory had found a small number but they were nominally allocated to different dealers.

Knight in SEining armour Mr Bibs made some enquiries after I had a little outburst on his facebook wall and a few days later I was summoned round the corner to the Lotus factory to collect one of the last seven switches known to man. Oddly, after the trouble I'd had getting hold of it I was actually proud to sign on the line for this 272 quid glorified oil pressure switch.

The Delco system has a few items in it that are expensive, now hard to find and also prone to failure. Please someone come up with a nice bolt in solution e.g. twin master cylinders with a bias bar all ready to go etc before I have to throw more money at it.

In the meantime, thanks to Bibs I rushed home, screwed it in, down the MOT shop, straight through and I'm back on the streets of Norfolk again. Cheers.

Now time to look through the forum to solve the next new problem, a smell of petrol in the car, please don't let it be tanks out time.................

[chandrab]

Wow...only 7 switches left for the 2,000+ Esprit's that use the Delco ABS System???

I hope thats a huge red flag for the factory and they are researching an alternative.

-Chandra

91SE (with Delco ABS) :-(

Edited December 12, 2007 by chandrab

[MGFCrasher]

Thats two of us sorted out this week.

CHEERS Bibs. I too am back up and running although the AbS light is still on.

I have sent my old switch to Pete at PNM to use as a guinea pig to see if he can find out why they fail.My replacement from Lotus was the black switch though which I thoought had been superceded???? Still seems to work ok though

Rich

[Bibs]

Topics merged!

An Esprit owner in need is a worthy cause in my opinion, glad I could help guys

[ozontour]

Topics merged!

An Esprit owner in need is a worthy cause in my opinion, glad I could help guys

Good Onya Bibs!

Seems that wherever there is an Esprit Driver in need, There is help from Bibs indeed...

Good to see number member #1 on the job again!

Ozontour

[alan]

I have sent my old switch to Pete at PNM to use as a guinea pig to see if he can find out why they fail.My replacement from Lotus was the black switch though which I thoought had been superceded???? Still seems to work ok though

Rich

I wonder if the switches (they are just mechanical switches) just gum up over time. It would be interesting to try and clean a couple of duff ones in an ultrasonic cleaning bath and then see if they work again.

Even if this only got 50% of them working it would save owners big time.

Alan

[MGFCrasher]

I think you have probably hit the nail on the head Alan.

I compared both my switches and the little valve at the end looked as if it was slightly out of seat ,compared with the new one.

There must be hundreds of these old ones sitting in peoples tool boxes.

Still doesn't explain why my bl@@dy ABS light is continuously on. But as yet I haven't checked the front abs sensors on the wheels or the brake lights so who knows.

Rich

S4

Sport 350 (soon)(again)

[lemoncurd]

The Delco system has a few items in it that are expensive, now hard to find and also prone to failure. Please someone come up with a nice bolt in solution e.g. twin master cylinders with a bias bar all ready to go etc before I have to throw more money at it.

I'd second that statement! Having been through the process in replacing my pressure switch (and master cylinder/accumulator) earlier this year, I would have struggled without the large amounts of help I received from people off the forum and in the community. I dread to think what it will be like in a few years when they are even rarer!

[Jonathan]

Can anyone who's replaced the switch tell of the brakes symptoms before they replaced it ?

[alan]

Can anyone who's replaced the switch tell of the brakes symptoms before they replaced it ?

My symptoms were an intermittent ABS warning light which then became a continous light. In the end (when I was still looking for a replacement switch) it failed totally - I had no power assist to the brakes.

Alan

[MGFCrasher]

My symptoms were ; pedal went about an inch without anything and I then just felt like I had very little braking.

Almost like you had to use both feet to slow down..If the switch goes it doesnt just disble the ABS(which you can live without) but it also almost disables the braking effect by taking away the assistance through the pressure accumulator/pump.

My ABS light was on continuously as was the red brake light.

If it sjust an ABS faulti.e a wheel sensor or your brake pedal switch ,your brakes will feel normalish but just without the ABS in an emergency.

My car also had pads down to the metal and two scrap discs (but thats a different story).

Hope that helps.

By the way having run my catr a couple of times and turnrned it around in the garage to do the front brake pads/discs , the yellow ABS light has now gone out.So obviously the system just needed to recheck itself after the new switch was installed

[fightingtorque]

Gents,

I have an ultrasonic bath at work, will give it a run through. Although can't promise when I'll try it out, as I have a bit of a 'if it aint broke don't f with it' view where things like sensors are concerned.

My symptom was slightly different, brakes worked fine, but on the first or second application after startup the motor would run (should be more like the 4th) and then the light would start flashing and the motor ran whenever you put the brakes on. I believe this is a high / low pressure switch, it seems likely that the two levels can fail independently leaving it able to function in some way but having to run the motor each time to err on side of caution. my main issue was the car needed an mot and I didn't want to start bodging the light, but it is also likely that in this mode you eventually fail the motor (as it would run at least 4 times as often) and the motor is another expensive and rare part.

As mentioned, the new part is the old one (if you see what I mean) so now I need to install an extra spring on the pedal because sometimes the brake lights come on and stay on while parked.

Cheers,

Gav

[MGFCrasher]

Hi Gav,

My new switch is the old one too,as I've said I think, but the brake lights are staying off for now,although I'll keep an eye on them.

Rich

[MGFCrasher]

Hiya,....HELP !!!! :crybaby:

OK,This car is starting to annoy me.I suppose all my Esprit's have at some poimt in time but this one especially for some reason.

Complete under bonnet ABS system now replaced. Light goes out after starting and no amount of pressing the brake will bring it one whilst stationary.

Move off reach 10mph fixed not flashing ABS light comes on ? OK must be a wheel sensor.Jack up front and spin wheels by hand with engine running =no light.Test drive = light on again,ok must be rear.

Get home jack up rear (on stands) get in carefully run up to 30mph in 2nd = no light. AHH must be front but only triggered after 10mph or so!!

So I start with the nearside and snap the abs sensor in half trying to get it out (of course now I realise that you can tap them gently through the hole where the wheel nuts go to loosen them)

Anyway I now obviously need one new sensor and I have cleaned the other side up .

Is there anything else that could be causing the light to come on only after you move off and reach 10mph plus.(note it still goes off now and stays off,even with the broken sensor,when the car is stationary!!!! ,pumping the brake still doesn't set the light off)?

At least the car now stops reasonably well for the first time since I got it.

I was really looking forward to getting this car but there is so much wrong with it.

Rich

[kyliesmith.com]

Rich sorry to hear of your troubles with this car what a nightmare, I will be forking out another $5K + to get mine road worthy sadly. If I were you I would be getting funds out of it now to put towards another 350. I had no Esprit for several months, was really tough but rather pour all my funds into one black hole not two !!!! Besides plenty of people over there to take you for rides in their esprits which is better than nothing.

[MGFCrasher]

Hi Kylie,

I am not going to get into the details on here,I am disappointed but I have been extremely polite and I think the P.O knows that.Deals are deals and the car will be worth doing I just think it had a hard life recently.I'm suffering the same problems a lot of S4 owners seen to suffer and thanks to Bibs and others I am just getting through all the issues one by one. I am probably also a bit fussy which doesnt help!

I have a plan in place for my next 350 which hopefully will become apparent in the new year.The trouble is that I can't sell this car as it is .It doesn't have an MOT and it needs about

[kyliesmith.com]

I.Brakes are expensive on Esprits which is often why they get left.

The trouble I have is that I have got out of a car (that ok was damage repaired ,which was known) into some thing that looks like its been dipped in a salt water bath.If my 350 (correct me if I'm wrong) had developed flaky rust on the suspension I would have had nightmares. It is me, I am a nutter.

Richard

No you sound passionate and normal. People who dont have the time to look after Esprits should step away from them NOW!!! All my suspension is fcuked with rust!!!! All four corners needs refurbishing or replacing this year. Getting the service guy to replace the front lower suspension arms over xmas these also failed. Be more $$$ over the next month for sure. Things we do for kicks eh!! I WILL be doing before and after shots of the car just for the record.

Sorry Gav to jump in on ya thread, hope you get it all sorted