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Today at Atelier Kaz - Private NSX Enthusiast, ex-Honda R&D engineer with F1, Indy/CART background

ABS Upgrade, Door Window Refresh, etc 06

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Went out for the test driving session to check the ABS performance and wheel speed signal quality at higher speed.


Before going onto the main road and while all four tyres are still cold, activated the ABS.
As expected, so much quicker and smoother operation of ABS and of course, no more of that dreadful squeaking noise from the classic ABS pump.

On to the main road and brought the speed up to 70mph to check the noise on the existing wheel speed sensors.
No ABS or TCS lights so happy with the result.


To the owner:
It is mentioned in the installation manual but from now on, if you get ABS warning light, please note that you don’t use the blue 2pin SCS terminal inside the cabin at the passenger foot well area for the diagnosis purpose.
You will still use it for any other warning lights such as CEL, EPS (if you have one), etc but not for the ABS.




The ABS-SCS terminal is now located outside of the cabin and it is mounted nearby the new ABS modulator as in the centre of this photo.
Just remove it from the blanking mating connector and use the paper clip to short the two female terminals. Then, turn the IG key into P2/ON position to read the error code.
In my view, it's much easier than crawling under the passenger foot area trying to find that blue 2pin connector behind the carpet.
Also, everything related to ABS including the 4 x wheel speed signal are packaged in one place under the bonnet so much easier to diagnose any issues.


Unlike the classic ABS, you won’t be able to erase the error code by removing the fuse or the battery.
You must follow the specific sequences described in my ABS Upgrade Loom Installation Manual.
It will involve the usage of the brake pedal, new ABS-SCS terminal and the IG key.
You need to operate them at the specific timing by the status of the ABS light.



In order to confirm the ABS-SCS terminal operation, carried out the error code erase procedure and the ABS light flashed twice at the end of the sequence to confirm that it successfully erased any codes stored (there was none any way).




Normally in Japan, the NSX specialists will just cut off all of the orange connectors and wires neatly that are no longer in use as the owners will never go back to the ancient classic ABS once they have experienced the superior performance of the upgraded ABS.

For now, I’ll just keep them as they are and we can decide what to do later.
I prefer removing the classic ABS pump relay to prevent any short circuit at the large 2pin orange connector.




As always, it’s not new brake pad or disc so adjusted the fluid level to this point and not at the max level.




The classic 1st gen ABS and the controller + 4 x fixing bolt.

Considering the state of the modulator with leaky solenoid(s), they are no use to me.
I already have two other classic ABS modulators in the garage so this one will go into my storage area or I’m more than happy for the owner to take them back with him to save my space.



Done.


Time to work on the door windows…..


Kaz


Updated 05-06-2015 at 11:19 AM by Kaz-kzukNA1

Categories
ABS Upgrade

Comments

  1. Pride's Avatar
    Yet another nice ABS upgrade job done Kaz.

    As you know I have 92 NA1 with 136000 miles on the clock.

    I occasionally get those horrid screeching noises for just a few seconds from start up but not very often, about one in every ten to fifteen start ups and strangely enough only when pulling away, I have always fancied having this upgrade done, if not to eliminate the noises but also to increase braking performance.

    Could you tell me what sort of ball park price are we talking about for you to do this to my car, I know it will all depend on what you might find extra that needs doing but just an approximate price will do.

    Kind regards,
    Clive
  2. Kaz-kzukNA1's Avatar
    Hi, Clive.

    I ordered all of the parts about 11-12 months ago except the ABS upgrade/conversion loom from Japan and since then, the parts price went up twice and it will go up again on the 01/Jul in Japan so don't know the latest price.
    Still, should be cheaper than other countries.

    The exchange rate is on our side so presuming that it will absorb any price increases, I would say the parts cost would be about GBP1,200 including the ABS upgrade loom and the small part for the loom modification.
    This is for the RHD NSX and I don’t know the price for the LHD one although the most expensive ABS modulator is the same between RHD/LHD application.

    The price includes the JP delivery charge and the UK Customs Duty/Tax/Fee (for Parcel Force).
    If you are doing DIY, you can re-use the tri-pod/bracket so you can save some of the cost.

    I would recommend allowing 10Hrs for the upgrade (from the time removing the wheels) but if doing DIY and if it is going to be your first experience, then you may need 15+ Hrs.
    For RHD installation, the time consuming bit is the routing of the new brake pipes. You may struggle removing the old ABS controller or the rusty bottom side bolts at the blower motor fan case if you don’t know some of the know-how.


    As mentioned many times in my blog and post, because of the high parts cost, I can only recommend this conversion if you drive your NSX regularly or if you can justify the cost for a specific reason like myself below.


    From what you wrote, your classic ABS seems to be in not too bad condition if you are only triggering the ABS pump after about every 10 – 15 start ups.
    On bad condition ABS, the pump will trigger almost everytime or every 2 - 3 start ups.

    The classic ABS controller will activate the ABS pump once it detects the pressure drop at the accumulator and if the wheel speed signal is above 5 - 6mph so that’s why you only heard the pump noise on pulling away.


    Regarding the brake performance, the upgraded ABS is only a part of the brake system and no one can exceed the performance of the tyre.

    Strictly speaking, the software/hardware are tuned for the later spec NSX with larger brake disc/calliper setup plus other factors such as the weight distribution, suspension, etc so you may not be able to achieve the maximum performance of the ABS upgrade without first modifying some of your existing components.
    Even the classic ABS has different tuning between pre/post 97 models.

    Still, having the ABS upgraded even if you may not be able to utilise its max performance is far better than running with the classic ABS or failed ABS.
    I don’t feel safe running without the ABS on public road.

    It also saves your time. You no longer require flushing the ABS every year or exercising it regularly.
    No more of that dreadful screaming and rattling ABS pump noise that makes the pedestrian to wonder what’s happening with that car especially embarrassing on leaving the display area after the car event or leaving any car park.

    On top of these, the biggest advantage is that you will never experience that scary moment of classic ABS of which the driver feels as if the brake pedal goes to the floor yet the car just doesn't stop. This was enough for me in making decision for the ABS upgrade as replacing and re-spraying the body panel would far more expensive than the ABS upgrade cost.


    You don't need to change everything in one go and you can improve your brake performance step by step.

    For your reference, there seems to be some misunderstandings about the usage of the later spec larger calliper bracket with the original smaller calliper at the front.
    You won’t get the same brake balance or the pedal touch that you would expect from the later spec larger bracket/calliper setup both at the front and rear especially if you are using the aftermarket pad. The ratio of the piston diameter between the master cyl and the calliper is not the same as well.

    Also, for the street usage, 99% of the time, the ABS is used under panic brake condition.
    Therefore, I don’t recommend using the ABS modulator from other Honda/Acura models or even the NSX-R one. As you can imagine, they have completely different setup and especially, NSX-R brake system has huge difference in brake pressure slope compared to other standard NSX models. At the test course with my driving skill, I couldn't utilise it enough but with the proffessional drivers, they clearly managed to control the brake pressure before the NSX-R ABS triggered. The standard upgraded ABS will kick in at earlier stage that is important under panic situation.


    Kaz
    Updated 07-06-2015 at 12:31 PM by Kaz-kzukNA1 (extra info on classic abs)