front wheel sensor how to!

[britlude]

as you may remember, i got a ABS/TCS fault, and shorting the blue connector,and reading /decoding the dashboard flashes, the front left abs sensor was faulty, a quick measure with a multimeter showed it was open circuit (should be around 900 ohms) so I pulled the wheel off and had a look.....

I removed the caliper (2x 14mm bolts) to get a better look, took off the 2 abs sensor mounting bolts (12mm) and found this.....

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it would appear that the ali around the sensor has corroded, clamping it, then the little corrosion under the mounting plate has literally jacked the sensor off the plate, making it open circuit... either that or i broke it taking the plate off, but it was open circuit anyway..... definately now!!! the sensor was stuck fast, and stayed that way until the new sensor turned up.......

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why they don't supply just the sensor and lead, and reuse the tabbed mountings is beyond me, would make it ambidextrous and cheaper... oh, hang on, it's honda! :-)

spot the difference... (no prizes!)
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with the aid of a drill, taps, a small drift and general bits to prod and poke with, the remnants of the old sensor removed, and the bore cleaned up of any corrosion. When the new sensor was fitter the bore was lightly greased first to stop it doing it again!!!! In the hole, you can see the cog wheel that gives the sensor it's pulses

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[britlude]

then new sensor was bolted in, and the wiring retainers bolted back onto the hub/suspension arm/chassis..... (10mm bolts, note the different lengths when they come out!!!)

the hub end......

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the suspension arm section and lower chassis mount...

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the top final clip...

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the cable connector then goes through the chassis to the top back corner of the spare wheel compartment (for want of a better description!) the chassis is double skinned here, just make sure you go through BOTH skins!!!

when the connector goes through the second skin, it has to go straight up, else it ends up under a cable bundle, and you can't see it! no prizes, again, for working out how I know!!!! a bit of bent wire, and a bit of a fiddle, and the wire ends up in the right place. Honda did keep the cable lengths to a premium, an extra couple of inches wouldn't have gone amiss (insert your own smutty comment here!) so it is a fiddle, but with patience and the bit of bent wire it is quite do-able!!! and I didn't have to unbolt the fusebox to connect the sensor to the loom!!!!

(sorry, forgot to take a pic of the connector, i'll do that tomorrow!!!!)

[simonprelude]

Good write up, as my car was in for a service at the time the part arrived I let Honda change the sensor. 2 hours labour they charged, I'll do it myself next time.

[TheSebringOne]

Very good write up & very informative! Whats the mileage & age of your car Britlude? Thanks

[britlude]

my car is a JDM '92, with about 67,000 miles on it.....

if you get a sensor fault, and have an urge to check the continuity of each one, here's where they end up...

as is typical, the sensor i changed has the most awkward and fiddliest connector, it joins to the loom behind the front fusebox... it's the orange connector buried in the middle....

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the front right is somewhat easier to get to....

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rear right is inside the boot, under the carpet on the wheel arch... the JDM has a couple of bonus exhaust temperature sensor connections mounted here too....

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the rear right, for some reason connects under the car, inboard of the suspension subframe under the boot floor, quite why it didn't just relect the other rear one i don't know!!!!! just being awkward I suppose!!!!
(the bit on the right is part of the stainless header, it's dirty, not dented!!!!

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hmmmm, looks like i will have to give it a clean before japfest!!!!