Three amigos reset tool

[GoodJava]

Hello Pot, meet kettle

I'm not talking about driving to Tuscon to get my oil changed or brakes done. However the folks at FW seem to have engineered a best approach to addressing the 4 amigos. My local shops have quoted MAX $$ to resolve the matter where the FW folks have sold me on their more reasonable approach. Certainly worth it if they can resolve the issue for ~$1K less than my local shop has even offered and I incorporate the trip with a family trip to SLC.

I'm new here and when folks I've not developed a banter with start inferring that I'm a numb nut (muffler bearings and blinker fluid) I'm gonna take exception. Chill out folks.

Oh and yes Java is very good and plentiful here...

 

[GoodJava]

If you were smart and do need to replace the modulator, you'd buy one from one of the guys here (Marty, Paul Grant, Will) who part out trucks and have the local shop install it.

Forgot to address this. So how much warranty will this second hand modulator come with exactly? I like the idea of spending $300 for a used working unit but not if it's gonna crap out on me within the year. Remember our Disco is an '03 so what sense is there in spending money on a (possibly older) used modulator if mine can be serviced?

 

[SDD2]

If you want to talk about making sense, take the time and money you would waste in driving back and forth to Arizona, and learn something about fixing your truck yourself ...

 

[rovercanus]

It the last couple of months a fairly easy inexpensive way has surfaced to fix the shuttle valve faults for the abs.
Just replacing the shuttle valve assembly doesn't always do it.

 

[jymmiejamz]

It the last couple of months a fairly easy inexpensive way has surfaced to fix the shuttle valve faults for the abs.
Just replacing the shuttle valve assembly doesn't always do it.

Just a word of warning with that, but I find it difficult to solder the pins in deep enough so that they do not end up bending when you put the shuttle valves back in the modulator. I've repaired a bunch of these, but I did fuck up the circuit board on one of them. Its not really a problem for me since we have a bunch of them laying around, but for most people it could be a problem if you damage it. I've only tested this on one truck and it is working so far...

 

[jymmiejamz]

If anyone would like to buy a shuttle valve kit that I have repaired and tested PM me. I'll guarantee it for 12 months.

 

[jycsalas]

......

For folks suffering the amigo problem read this ABS Mod post. Great information and they use the ABS modulator rebuild kit from Falcon Works. I have had alot of correspondence with the lead tech there and am convinced these guys know what they are talking about. I'm so convinced that I'm trying to work out a trip from San Diego to Tuscon to have them work on my Disco.

I wasn't able to reply sooner... let me clarify.

I DID NOT use any products from FW. In my write-up I simply have a link to their Shuttle Valve Seal kit. If you test your SVS and they no longer work then buy another one from where ever you like. If you buy them thinking that it will repair your 11.4 Shuttle Valve electrical fault then you are wasting your money. If your shuttle valves are leaking brake fluid causing the SVS not to work properly, then you need to replace the SV seals.

 

[jycsalas]

Just a word of warning with that, but I find it difficult to solder the pins in deep enough so that they do not end up bending when you put the shuttle valves back in the modulator. I've repaired a bunch of these, but I did fuck up the circuit board on one of them. Its not really a problem for me since we have a bunch of them laying around, but for most people it could be a problem if you damage it. I've only tested this on one truck and it is working so far...

i agree with you and it's good you are warning everyone and thats why after I messed up my circuit board I bypassed it completely. I updated the write up to explain that. So for those "most" people like me who DID mess it up, there is still hope...

See "OPTION B" in the write-up below

http://www.landroverclubvi.com/abs-mod.html

 

[KyleT]

i agree with you and it's good you are warning everyone and thats why after I messed up my circuit board I bypassed it completely. I updated the write up to explain that. So for those "most" people like me who DID mess it up, there is still hope...

See "OPTION B" in the write-up below

http://www.landroverclubvi.com/abs-mod.html

wow, i should have kept the bad ones we had.... easy peasy fix.

 

[jycsalas]

Yeah... who would have known you could bypass it completely like that... I'm never doing the "circuit board" fix again. No reason to.

 

[jymmiejamz]

Yeah... who would have known you could bypass it completely like that... I'm never doing the "circuit board" fix again. No reason to.

does it matter which wire goes where? I'm sure it would work either way but I think it would affet performance by switching the wires around.

 

[GoodJava]

Step 44. Take the second wire from your harness and splice, solder, and heat shrink it into the YG wire. Connect the ground wire to the ground bolt.

When the author says "splice" does that mean the YG wire at the original SVS connector is defeated (bypassed by new White/YG connection)? From the pictures it looks like the YG wire now goes only to the new white (trailer connector harness) wire. If so what is done with the cut end that comes from the original plug? Do you just tape it off or something?

 

[jycsalas]

does it matter which wire goes where? I'm sure it would work either way but I think it would affet performance by switching the wires around.

No it doesn't matter which way the wire goes. At least I don't think so. I tested it both ways initially and when i did the write-up I just put it all together with no regards as to which wire went where. if you look at step # 38 you can see how the SVS wiring is and how the two ends i cut into can go either way. i have been driving for a week now with no amigos and TC, HDC, and ABS are working normal. Without the fix the amigos would have come on at least 5 times last week.

i hope this answered your question. later i will clarify the write-up addressing your question.

Josh

 

[jycsalas]

Step 44. Take the second wire from your harness and splice, solder, and heat shrink it into the YG wire. Connect the ground wire to the ground bolt.

When the author says "splice" does that mean the YG wire at the original SVS connector is defeated (bypassed by new White/YG connection)? From the pictures it looks like the YG wire now goes only to the new white (trailer connector harness) wire. If so what is done with the cut end that comes from the original plug? Do you just tape it off or something?

You are correct, the YG wire coming from the connector just gets some tape or just leave it alone if you want. It is not being used and because it was bypassed entirely you could just leave it hanging anywhere as it is not making contact with anything at the other end (the connector end)

The YG wire that you see connected to white wire from the "trailer connector harness" is coming straight from the SLABS ECU.

 

[Urban Panzer]

It's a good mod to "bypass" it, done 1 board fix with success "so far", but if Im honest if I had bypass it, I would also find the "ground" wire in the original loom and simply splice into that aswell, would look a little neater and you could then keep your "new loom" tied up nicely with the original one,

come to think of it, if you keep the trailer socket / plug on the outside of the shuttle switch, and then splice the other half into the YG and ground wire on the original loom, then you could easily unplug it to if needs be, without having to cut wires or remove the shuttle switches

 

[jycsalas]

It's a good mod to "bypass" it, done 1 board fix with success "so far", but if Im honest if I had bypass it, I would also find the "ground" wire in the original loom and simply splice into that aswell, would look a little neater and you could then keep your "new loom" tied up nicely with the original one,

come to think of it, if you keep the trailer socket / plug on the outside of the shuttle switch, and then splice the other half into the YG and ground wire on the original loom, then you could easily unplug it to if needs be, without having to cut wires or remove the shuttle switches

yeah i should add in the write-up that splicing into the actual ground wire in the loom is another option. i however didn't want to even touch that wire. luckily the setup i have does allow to unplug the "bypass" without having to cut anything. there are many ways to set up the bypass and I wanted the option to unplug it if need be.

Thanks for all the feedback!

 

[kennith]

I honestly hadn't really paid much attention to amigo fixes, as the buggers never seemed to do anything beyond light up the dash, but that seems like a darned good idea. I didn't know there was a connection in there that could be faulty. Looking at it, it doesn't seem like good design.

I've got a box of weatherpacks over here I could use to make a nice harness. Unless someone has a point supporting the contrary, it seems to me that running wires like that is superior to the way it is fitted to the factory, and it may be worth my time.

If that is indeed the case, that would make it more of an improvement, or update, rather than a "mod", which can be interpreted as somewhat of a hack job.

Is there some reason that I cannot see that would suggest that running wires to eliminate this connection would be a bad idea?

Cheers,

Kennith

 

[jymmiejamz]

Make sure that a shuttle valve failure is actually your problem though, thats not the only thing that causes the three amigos.

 

[jycsalas]

If that is indeed the case, that would make it more of an improvement, or update, rather than a "mod", which can be interpreted as somewhat of a hack job.

I am confused, do you mean the link being
http://www.landroverclubvi.com/abs-mod.html?

I meant to it to be short for ABS Modulator. It is under the Repair section on my site as I think it is more of a repair than a mod. Even though it is a "modification" to the unit and an update/improvement to the factory design.

but as said before, make sure that is your problem first.

 

[kennith]

Make sure that a shuttle valve failure is actually your problem though, thats not the only thing that causes the three amigos.

That was my issue before, and I replaced it. That worked for a while, but then the seemingly random episodes popped back up. It didn't make much sense, and seemed like a waste of time since I didn't care for ABS anyway, so I just ignored it. I'm going to figure out a nice way to pull the system entirely when I get around to it, anyway.

Looking at it as an electrical fault, however, causes the whole situation with my particular amigos to become clear. I'll have her scanned again just to be sure, but I'll bet that's what it is. The new one could have wedged in there just right at first and then become dislodged later on one of my excursions. Looking at the innards in those shots, I'd be willing to bet that's what happened.

If it didn't, it sure missed a damn good opportunity.

I don't see it as a waste of time or money if I can simply fix the darned thing that easily. It's worth looking into, either way. Like I said, I've just been ignoring it. It hasn't caused any annoyances beyond those lights, but if this will work, it's worth it to turn them off until I get around to whatever I end up doing with the system.

Cheers,

Kennith