My ABS warning light has been on for a few months and when having new brakes installed today I was told my ABS sensor was bent and not working. This would explain the warning light. Appartently, the ABS sensor is from Bosch and costs $170. At this price, I can permantently live without ABS on this car. However, I don't like the idea of something not working right on the car. Does anyone know of a cheap source for these sensors. For $50 or less I would most likely replace it myself. Am I harming other parts of the braking system by not having it (ABS) work. Appreicate any tips! Thanks.

The Bentley Bible has an excellent chapter on diagnosing your ABS system
with a VOM. The wheel sensors are simply a coil of wire surrounding
a permenant magnet. A good coil should ohm out at 900 to 2200 ohms.
Since there are no moving parts in the wheel sensors, I would go to a junk
yard, or ebay, and buy a used one for no more than $25.
When the ABS computer detects a fault, it turns on the warning light and
reverts to normal, nonABS braking, so there are no safety issues.

Hi G, the only thing you may hurt over the long run would be trapping corrosion in the abs hydralic unit from it never actuating;unless you want to manually activate it while you flush the system w/expensive "DOT4" fluid. What "I" would do ,since I'm a cheap S.O.B. would be to either go to a junkyard+ get 1, which they are wise + you're still gonna pay 50% of $170, or ; remove the sensor,+ get one from any source possilby cheap domestic part"+ see if the distance is gonna be the same[mounted}=airgap,+ find out what the Ohm's resistance is supposed to be for your model volvo+ ck. the choices you have for the same rating,if you have a match,change the connectors = you're done! IF YOU don't have sorces for spec's- ie; haynes manual or something= ck. the resistance on you're "known good sensor+ compare. g.b.

I can't even imagine what would bend an ABS sensor, but I admittedly haven't "Seen it all" yet...

One thing I've noticed (but not yet proven) is that the 240 ABS and non-ABS systems seem to have a different front-to-rear pressure bias. I'm not sure what the story with it is, but if there is legitimately a different bias, it would be nice to get it working. The one pitfall of ABS systems is the cost of parts.
--
1992 940 wagon, 72k
make people envious; smile often.