# 1998 Jetta, VR6, ABS issues



## bomberbob (Sep 19, 2004)

I posted this over in the VAG-COM area, but got nothing. Trying it here.

Bought this piece of junk off of eBay. Previous owner had removed the check engine light bulbs, brake warning bulbs, and the ABS indicator was burned out. Fixed all those, voila! Lights lighting up all over the place.
Fixed almost everything but the stubborn stains. ABS is the main worry, after I fix that I sell the car.
Fuses good. Good power at the connector of the ABS controller. Good ground at controller. I ohmed out all 4 of the sensors at the control module connector, all good. 
First I got this:
Address 03: ABS Brakes Labels: 3A0-907-379.lbl
Part No: 3A0 907 379 E
Component: ABS/EDS ITTAE 20 GI V00 
Coding: 03704
Shop #: WSC 00000 
VCID: 2C5D26FCF690

13 Faults Found:
00283 - ABS Wheel Speed Sensor; Front Left (G47) 
35-00 - - 
00285 - ABS Wheel Speed Sensor; Front Right (G45) 
35-00 - - 
00290 - ABS Wheel Speed Sensor; Rear Left (G46) 
35-00 - - 
00287 - ABS Wheel Speed Sensor; Rear Right (G44) 
35-00 - - 
00283 - ABS Wheel Speed Sensor; Front Left (G47) 
16-10 - Signal Outside Specifications - Intermittent
00283 - ABS Wheel Speed Sensor; Front Left (G47) 
04-10 - Mechanical Malfunction - Intermittent
00285 - ABS Wheel Speed Sensor; Front Right (G45) 
16-10 - Signal Outside Specifications - Intermittent
00285 - ABS Wheel Speed Sensor; Front Right (G45) 
04-10 - Mechanical Malfunction - Intermittent
01276 - ABS Hydraulic Pump (V64) 
16-10 - Signal Outside Specifications - Intermittent
00290 - ABS Wheel Speed Sensor; Rear Left (G46) 
16-10 - Signal Outside Specifications - Intermittent
00290 - ABS Wheel Speed Sensor; Rear Left (G46) 
04-10 - Mechanical Malfunction - Intermittent
00287 - ABS Wheel Speed Sensor; Rear Right (G44) 
16-10 - Signal Outside Specifications - Intermittent
00287 - ABS Wheel Speed Sensor; Rear Right (G44) 
04-10 - Mechanical Malfunction - Intermittent

Then I removed the connector on the control, looked for corrosion etc, and put it back on.
THen I got this autoscan-

Friday,28,October,2011,20:40:45:29652
VCDS Version: Release 10.6.5
Data version: 20110930



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Chassis Type: 1H - VW Golf/Vento III
Scan: 01 02 03 08 12 15 25 41 56

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Address 01: Engine Labels: 021-906-259-AAA.lbl
Part No: 021 906 259 N
Component: MOTRONIC M5.9 HS V03 
Coding: 00000
Shop #: WSC 00066 
VCID: 2045C2CC8A58

No fault code found.
Readiness: 0110 0101

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Address 03: ABS Brakes Labels: 3A0-907-379.lbl
Part No: 3A0 907 379 E
Component: ABS/EDS ITTAE 20 GI V00 
Coding: 03704
Shop #: WSC 00000 
VCID: 2C5D26FCF690

1 Fault Found:
00285 - ABS Wheel Speed Sensor; Front Right (G45) 
35-00 - - 

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Address 15: Airbags Labels: 1J0-909-60x-VW3.lbl
Part No: 1J0 909 603 T
Component: AIRBAG VW3 - V04 
Coding: 00084
Shop #: WSC 00066 
VCID: 3A7110A40CC4

1 Fault Found:
00532 - Supply Voltage B+ 
07-10 - Signal too Low - Intermittent

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Address 56: Radio Labels: 1J0-035-18x-56.lbl
Part No: 1J0 035 180 C
Component: RADIO 0002 
Coding: 00403
Shop #: WSC 06476 
VCID: 1F47C130B726

2 Faults Found:
00855 - Connection to CD changer 
49-10 - No Communications - Intermittent
00852 - Loudspeaker(s); Front 
36-00 - Open Circuit

End ---------------------------------------------------------------------


I ran the motor a little bit and took several autoscans, and some of the other faults started creeping back into the picture. I do not see any junk on the pins of the controller or the connector, but I sprayed some cleaner in there anyway.
Am I just looking at a bad ABS controller? The connector was firmly in place from what I could tell, I cannot see how so many things can be wrong unless the controller is tango uniform. 
I am going to remove the ABS controller, take it apart, and reflow the solder on the pins going to the connector and see if that fixes it. I will not have the E5 TORX tool to get it off till Tuesday.


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## bomberbob (Sep 19, 2004)

Acting on a tip from a Volvo website, I pulled the ABS controller off the car last night, and cracked the cover off of it. It looks like I have fractured solder joints on some of the pins (couldn't see very well with a magnifying glass). Taking it in to work today to put under a microscope. If its just solder fractures I can reflow the solder and fix the problem.
I will post the results so others will know how this went.


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## bomberbob (Sep 19, 2004)

Reflowed the solder on the pin field. Hooked up the VAG-COM and cleared the codes. I got this:
Wednesday,02,November,2011,21:08:52:29652
VCDS Version: Release 10.6.5
Data version: 20110930



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chassis Type: 1H - VW Golf/Vento III
Scan: 01 02 03 08 12 15 25 41 56

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Address 01: Engine Labels: 021-906-259-AAA.lbl
Part No: 021 906 259 N
Component: MOTRONIC M5.9 HS V03 
Coding: 00000
Shop #: WSC 00066 
VCID: 2045C2CC8A58

No fault code found.
Readiness: 0110 0101

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Address 03: ABS Brakes Labels: 3A0-907-379.lbl
Part No: 3A0 907 379 E
Component: ABS/EDS ITTAE 20 GI V00 
Coding: 03704
Shop #: WSC 00000 
VCID: 2C5D26FCF690

No fault code found.

Now all I have to do is seal it with some black silicone, and I am done.


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## waybux (Oct 24, 2011)

*Wow, so all you had to do was reflow some solder huh?*

I have a B4 (96) passat. Similar situation, just bought it, ABS light on, Scanned it, Got almost Identical read outs. I have been through every wire on that car. Testing resistance, output, surface voltage, everything.

I was wondering if i should send the ABS module out to been fixed. Sounds like that would handle it huh. 

Was it pretty obvious where the solder problems were once you had the module apart?


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## bomberbob (Sep 19, 2004)

You could send it out, but why? The hardest part was getting the doggon thing out of the car, and prying the cover off.
I did the same thing. If all the sensors check good from the connector, and there is a good ground and power at the connector, then the problem is in the controller.

Instead of duplicating what the volvo people have already done, I will paste the URL below.
I could not actually clearly see solder fractures, I could see crusty flux residue. There are four large connections (power and ground). Even my 100 watt Weller soldering gun had trouble melting those spots. I just did the best I could on those. I used a smaller Hakko soldering iron for the smaller pins. Melted the solder, used a solder sucker to remove all the old stuff. Took a toothpick and dug all the old nasty flux off, then re-applied new solder. Writing on the controller was in German, but it said made in the phillipines. I am a quality engineer at an electronics company, what I see is poor manufacturing quality. I would assume that from what people have posted on the Volvo website, that my unit is not the only poor quality ABS. They probably cranked a lot of them off the assembly line the same way.
Scroll through the pages, and see what you think. I initially doubted I had the volvo disease, but my unit looked exactly the same, with the exact same problem.

http://www.matthewsvolvosite.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=12651&amp;highlight=abs+module+repair


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## waybux (Oct 24, 2011)

*I will check it out*

i just got the socket to remove the module the other day. I am now waiting for a freeday to take the module out. 

After reading your advised volvo url, it appears that the biggest struggle was to get the cover off the module. I guess the trick is to use a dremel and score the siliconed areas multiple times. 

Did you struggle getting it off as that guy did or did you come up with a better system?

Thanks for getting back to me so quickly, I appreciate your time.

waybux


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## bomberbob (Sep 19, 2004)

Tips: there are 4 metal spring washers that are pressed over the metal tubes. Take a dremel, and turned at an angle slice it so you can pop it off. Doing it this way I had the 4 washer retainers off in about a minute.
I fiddled with trying to get the cover off, and then just busted the outer layer of the channel off. To explain, one side has a "U" channel, the other side (cover) fits inside the "U". Bust off the outer side of the "U", then you can take a screwdriver and carefully pry it up. You can hear the silicone sealant coming loose as you pry. 
I don't know what access you will have to get to the 4 tiny size 5 torx. I found the easiest to go up from under the car, and use a couple of extensions. That will get you to 3 of the 4. The last one is actually hidden behind the frame (on my car). I took out the 3 torx mounting bolts out of the top, twisted the whole module, and wedged a screwdriver between the module and the car frame. That pushed that last bolt out far enough that I could get to it from under the car.
Oh, one last thing. You will have a little difficulty getting the module off after you get the bolts out. There are these tubes that fit down in holes in the controller. With those upper bolts out (the ones that go through those rubber shock absorbers) pull up on the metal pump and manifold assembly, and push and twist the controller down and clear of the metal tubes sticking down. It will come off. After I got the hang of it, the second time I pulled it off it was a piece of cake.

Busting the outer surface of the "U" doesn't hurt anything. Liberally apply black silicone and let it dry over night. Then hook up your VAG-COM and clear your codes, and if you car is like mine, lights go out, faults go away.

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Address 03: ABS Brakes Labels: 3A0-907-379.lbl
Part No: 3A0 907 379 E
Component: ABS/EDS ITTAE 20 GI V00 
Coding: 03704
Shop #: WSC 00000 
VCID: 2C5D26FCF690

No fault code found.


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