i went out in my escort cosworth earlier and it was fine, probably went about 6 miles in it. just gone back out to it (just over a hour later) and its got no brakes!

normally if u pump the pedal before u start the engine the pedal goes hard, then when u start it up it drifts down like all other cars ive driven.

BUT now the pedal just stays hard and u have to really stamp it just to stop it rolling!

please help, any1 else ever had this?

 

Sounds like the abs pump is not working.

You probally have the ABS light on permanently ????

To test this....
1) Turn the ignition fully off (keys out of the lock)
2) pump the break pedal 30 times.
3) Turn ignition on (do not start engine)
4) you should hear the ABS electric pump priming the pressure.
5) This will stop after a maximum of 2 minutes.


NOTE: The pump will NOT run if the fluid level is VERY low.

If you dont hear the abs pump motor running then either the pump is fooked
or a fuse has blown.

 

fluid is fine. i havent got any abs sensors in the front but its been that way since ive had the car with no problems! will check the fuses now and also do what u said.

big thanks for the comment

 

Sounds like someone has removed the abs sensors and warning lamp.
The ABS brakes will NOT work in this way.

Normal braking will still work. I recomend you get it completely fixed.
ABS is a MUST on a cossie

 

well all that happened was i bought it as a rolling shell and when swapping the bits over from a shaff the sensors were fucked and i havent got any replacements yet!

 

the sensors on the saff are different to the escort ones.

they have different bayonet fittings and cutting them off and joining them up does not work,tried it!


Dave.

 

Simon, you are an expert in many fields but I must say you are so wrong in this case...

In fact I would risk saying it's a must to get rid of ABS on a Cossie if you want to ever really drive it.

 

to have fun/drive it hard maybe, but for safety on the road, snow/wet roads!?

 

Yes - a number of times.


1. check the plugs to the pump motor and pressure switch, they are terrible quility and on mine they were both corroded and melted
2. check the pump motor socket for the plug - it had broken/melted wires on mine
3. check if pressure switch is not broken or similarly damaged - had this one on mine
4. check fuses and everyting related.
5. if all that fails I would take the fooker out and check everything one by one, motor, switch and so on, on RHD car it schouldn't be to much pain to check all those things

 

Escos is by now means a safe/easy to drive car. Lot's of unpredictebla behaviour of the rear end, needs quick hands and pricize throttle when slippery - not for people who don't have skill to drive it.

I'm thinking exactly oopposite - in dry conditions, ABS helps save tires - especcially when emergency braking form very high speeds I do accept that, but deprives you of control of the car - especially in slippery conditions,a nd in snow you just have no brakes with ABS... I know what I'm talking about - I do drive in snow quite a lot. I just came home from a ride around city and there are patches of ice everywhere... can't imagine driving 300HP homologation special with no possibility of left-foot braking it, "brake throwing" it into a corner or things like that.

 

if the pedal is hard and staying hard, it could be the sensor that fits in the abs pump, this went on my saff and the brakes went rock hard, you can pull the rubber boot back on the plug and feed a live straight into it for 30 secs to pump it back up and try it, this will last a while for you to try, don't leave the live permantly on thought, you'll over load the pump and blow the seals!

 

I had this exact same propb on mine, it turned out to be a relay after I'd chnged the servo and everything!
Good luck.
Andy

 

DUDE just a thought, cant remember if escos the same but once i had a 2wd that done the same, only done it when got hot, turbo was heatig up fluid etc, havent been playing with ya heat sheild etc have ya?

 

Azrael, This is only my opinion and does not mean I am wrong!!!!!

Everybody likes their car set up if different ways.

I certainly have been saved by the ABS more times than I can remember.
I do plenty of track days and am glad for the fact that I can slam the
brakes on without worrying.

If you dont like ABS thats your choice.

Having ABS certainly doesnt prevent me from driving my car to its limits
or reduce its enjoyment to me.

 

That's for sure. There were in the past even such strange rally drivers who had ABS on WRC cars.


I always thought thepoint of track days was to practise you skills having fun and doing it safe - why not learn to brake properly having the opportunity in safe enviroment?



It can spoil even a very good car (standard Ford Fucos is sevarly handicaped by the fact it HAS ABS, with use of LFB on deABSed brakes it can be much faster around corners and doesn't understeer at all) and is very dangerous in many situations. On harsh bumpy roads you basically hae no brakes with ABS, on snow you have no brakes, you can't use LFB to make it go sideways when you enter too fast, you can't lock your wheels on purpose...


It does prevent you from finding those limits at some places even tough it is very possible that you are faster driver then me.

About the enjoyment - I really do think you would like the feeling of control that normal working brakes give



Anyway - don't say it's A MUST because it isn't. I will quote Group N rally prep manual "disconnect ABS"

 

I may try this on the next track day.

If i crash my car, I will send you the bill

I suppose until I have experienced the braking limits without ABS I will never know which is really best

 

I always tought it's pretty hard to crash in the empty space unless you want to roll it.. anyway I'm not telling you to try it on nearest SS (which by the way would be more usefull and more fun )

Anyway you can send it, I would expect longer wait then even most unhappy of S8ECU buyers if I were you...




You wont. I wishi you could experience what people who first attend Subaru Driving School experience. After having their ABS fuse taken out or the first time they usually never put it back again. It's really shitty idea to put such things on sport cars :-/ especially rallycars.