Opinions and suggestions welcome please

[mac_rouser]

Ok, my neighbour has a Peugeot 206 Gti 2003, it failed it’s MOT on a rather simple issue.

001 Antilock braking system warning lamp does not illuminate (3.4.16)
002 Rear brake pads less than 1.5mm thick (3.5.1f)

So, we have a situation where when the ignition key is turned and the preliminary checks display on the dashboard prior to starting the engine. The ABS lamp does not come on.

This is the prime reason for the MOT fail.
Checking the wiring it is possible to light the lamp, but not via the initial ignition turn.
So it seems the associated wiring to the lamp is not faulty.

After some tests etc., the Peugeot experts suggest the fault lays in one of the two ECU’s one is the main ECU and the other is the ABS related ECU.
They opt to change the main ECU, this fails to rectify the problem.
The expert mechanics have changed and checked numerous sensors and as mentioned the main ECU, following this they then change the second ECU, to no avail, so far at a whopping cost of almost £2000 so far.

Now they suggest they need to change the instrument cluster, gods knows what cost this would involve.

My personal view is the garage is taking the proverbial Michael, and charging exorbitant costs to the customer, whilst they carry out a series of trials and errors. Hardly the work of an expert, more like a fledgling apprentice.

I think it reasonable he should perhaps pay for labour as they delve and investigate, but I don’t agree he should pay for various replacement parts when the fail to resolve the issues, to my mind if the replacement part does not cure the fault, then there was nothing wrong with the original part in the first place, they ought to put the original part back on the car and put the new part back on the spares shelf.
The garage say these are specialist parts specifically ordered in, this seems extreme and a little ridiculous since his car is a bog standard off the production line model of which there are thousands on the road. Specialist parts my foot!

Incidentally, they have yet to change the brake pads which quite possibly could have been the fault that flagged the failing ABS lamp, since the sensors are reporting they are below 1.5mm. To my view this would have been the first thing I would have done, before getting into the marathon of why the lamp failed to light.

A suggestion made via a forum says .. Seems there is a junction box at the bottom of the engine compartment which gets full of water?? I wonder what the junction box is and it's exact location.

Opinions and suggestions welcome please.

[jmkent]

I'm afraid all I can say is your neighbour must have plenty of cash, because you wouldn't get me spending £2000 on a car of that age just to get it through an MOT

[mac_rouser]

Originally Posted by jmkent

...you wouldn't get me spending £2000 on a car of that age just to get it through an MOT

Me either, not a chance in h311 - but it seems some folks are 'naive' and confused

[danthevan]

I'd have the instrument cluster out and wire a timed relay onto the abs light

[mac_rouser]

Originally Posted by danthevan

I'd have the instrument cluster out and wire a timed relay onto the abs light

hehe if it were my car I would consider the same thing
My poor neighbour now has a fight on his hands to get his car out of the garage and a dispute over the invoice thus far.