ABS Module DIY success story. Used the guide commonly referred to in the passat forums.
12-03-2008, 08:51 AM
#1
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ABS Module DIY success story. Used the guide commonly referred to in the passat forums.
Just wanted to confirm that we were able to repair my failed ABS module within an hour or so. Been using it for a week now with no issues or codes. Tested ABS on a gravel road and works well.
The guide was pretty much spot on. The only difficulty we had was removing the cap from the housing once it was out of the car. It wasn't as easy as the guide lends you to believe. I eventually got the cap off, and my brother did the repair. My tip for those doing this is cut inward, parallel to the surface of the cap, not downward in the seam.
Very small wires to be soldered though. My brother's an electronics tech and so he has the tools to do fine soldering (microscope specifically designed for such work, temp controlled soldering irons with ultra fine tips etc.).
His observation upon looking at the design of the unit is that the type of wire used for the connection that commonly fails was poorly selected. Whereas the other wires that are tacked on seem to hold up well (see photos in the guide), the wires whos connections fail do not bond well with solders. With the internals of the unit being gel coated for corrosion protection he saw no reason why a more suitable wire couldn't have been used instead.
We sealed up the unit with epoxy afterwards and reinstalled.<ul><li><a href="http://passat-b5.ru/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id= 296&Itemid=57">Like to the guide.</a></li></ul>
The guide was pretty much spot on. The only difficulty we had was removing the cap from the housing once it was out of the car. It wasn't as easy as the guide lends you to believe. I eventually got the cap off, and my brother did the repair. My tip for those doing this is cut inward, parallel to the surface of the cap, not downward in the seam.
Very small wires to be soldered though. My brother's an electronics tech and so he has the tools to do fine soldering (microscope specifically designed for such work, temp controlled soldering irons with ultra fine tips etc.).
His observation upon looking at the design of the unit is that the type of wire used for the connection that commonly fails was poorly selected. Whereas the other wires that are tacked on seem to hold up well (see photos in the guide), the wires whos connections fail do not bond well with solders. With the internals of the unit being gel coated for corrosion protection he saw no reason why a more suitable wire couldn't have been used instead.
We sealed up the unit with epoxy afterwards and reinstalled.<ul><li><a href="http://passat-b5.ru/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id= 296&Itemid=57">Like to the guide.</a></li></ul>
12-03-2008, 10:19 AM
#2
yeah, I was able to re-solder that one wire, but in the process, dislodged some of the REALLY small
ones, and threw it in the trash. =)
I've never been a fan of ABS anyway, so I'm not too upset.
I've never been a fan of ABS anyway, so I'm not too upset.
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12-03-2008, 06:10 PM
#8
If you still have it, I can fix it. I also have a bunch of cores sitting around.
I've fixed many where people have attempted and damaged a bunch of the gold wires or lifted pads.
Again, my advice to anyone without extensive electronics experience and special equipment is to send it to me! If you've never done it before, you will brick your first module, I guarantee it. I let one of the other techs I work with (with 30 yrs. experience) try one, and he ruined it.
This is not a normal repair for the average DIY'er with a soldering iron tucked somewhere away in the closet. Also, that guide is lacking in a few areas.
Again, my advice to anyone without extensive electronics experience and special equipment is to send it to me! If you've never done it before, you will brick your first module, I guarantee it. I let one of the other techs I work with (with 30 yrs. experience) try one, and he ruined it.
This is not a normal repair for the average DIY'er with a soldering iron tucked somewhere away in the closet. Also, that guide is lacking in a few areas.
12-03-2008, 06:12 PM
#9
This is the problem most people run into
Then they try to get the wires hotter to take solder and they destroy all the gold wires. Bad idea. If you have special tools and chemicals, it can be done - I do it every day. But I also have a bench full of $200k worth of equipment for my regular job 