ABS Sensor lead success

Tried something else to rebuild sensor leads.

I took the two leads I had that had bad heads but good leads and snipped the heads off. Took the two leads I had that had good heads and badly frayed leads and snipped the heads off. I then used the coaxial connectors used in AV wire and connected the good heads to the good leads. The idea behind this is that I would only have one repair. The big risk was cutting the lead completely through and not have this idea work. In this case it actually was an easy decision to try as I had ordered a number of leads from a salvage yard and one arrived snipped in half. I got full credit for it so I had nothing to lose.

So moving on, I trimmed the sensor lead as one would do a coaxial lead repair using the crimp style coaxial ends. [if you take a close look at these leads you will see they are coaxial leads] I then used a double male connector to connect the lead back together, tested the lead with a ohm meter and had success. Took the lead back apart put some ATV silicone to "fill" the crimped edge and slid a heat shrink tubing over the "repair" reconnected the leads, shrunk the tubing down and read the resistance and once again everything worked. Did the second lead and once again had success.

The advantage of doing a repair this way is there is only one repair, rather then buying heat shrink to replace each frayed section. I have had success both ways, but think this is a better way.

For whatever reason, I find the sensor leads found in the cars at Gibson's are in excellent condition, they just have bad heads about 60-70% of the time. The salvage yard that I order leads from sends me good working sensors it is just that the leads are frayed.

An idea well worth trying.

I don't suppose you documented it step by step with pictures ?? (A picture is worth a thousand words)(I'am not trying to be a S/A )

No pics this time as it was an experiment. I will take some next time. I will post pictures of the finished product.

Remember it won't look factory fresh, but will look good and more importantly... work.

Keep in mind these front leads are no longer available. We have to keep thinking of what we can do to keep our cars in running original condition.

I like the "belt & suspenders" approach when attaching wires that might be in a harsh environment. Crimp then solder the crimp tends to seal the connection. Shrink tubing, tape, sealants all are secondary and cosmetic to getting a good electrical connection.

I agree with solder whenever possible, but what do you solder on a coaxial cable? Even the cable tv repair guys crimp.

So you are putting one of these on each cut end of the cable:

then using a coupler to connect:

and then sealing and covering with heat shrink?

Or are you using this coax splice kit?

I never saw a coax repair kit. I did the connectors/couplers/ATV in the end were the coupler overlaps the end of the cable then heat shrink over everything. Meaning rubber boot to boot.

Here a couple of photos of Dave's ABS sensor lead repairs:

Click on photos for a larger view

Thanks Ronnie!

For some reason the rubber just doesn't break down in Wisconsin like I have seen happen to leads from other parts of the country. As you can see this lead now has excellent rubber, only one repair with a heat shrink repair that goes from one factory mounting boot to the ABS sensor lead head. It is, in my opinion, as good as any used sensor lead found in any salvage yard.

I would recommend this repair to anyone.

Thanks for all your work on this Dave. I think I have a couple of spare sensors that you provided to me but it's good too know the sensor leads can be spliced if needed.

Dave,

Very nice work. Looks like we will all be facing the need to do this type of repair at some point, given the lack of new parts available. We can stretch the supply for a while this way, but I wonder how long. Have a feeling there will be a much greater need for ingenuity in the future for those of us who wish to continue driving Reattae. That need will not be restricted to ABS parts either I'm afraid.

Thankfully we have some sharp and resourceful people involved so will have an easier time than some other more obscure cars owner's do.

KDirk

Took it to another level. I have 3 front sensor leads that the rubber lead was badly cracked [and missing in some places]. It tested good just a badly frayed lead. So I spent some time and peeled off all the rubber leaving a perfectly bare lead. I will go to Advance and look at their rubber tubing to see if something might work. If I cannot find a working piece of tubing then I will have to build it up with heat shrink. What I have to watch for is that putting multiple layers of heat shrink I will lose flexibility.

Dave,

Nice work! Thank you for your efforts.

John F.

I have just stripped back the bad rubber and then painted the bare shield with marine liquid rubber insulation. Still working a couple of years later.

ps Florida, Texas, and California seem to be the worst about something in the air eating rubber. Either dries out and cracks or melts. Have seen both.

I have been considering going at this from a different angle. ATE (Alfred Teves Co.) made the systems, including sensor leads for each car maker that contracted with them for the system. In addition to GM and Chrysler, SAAB, Volvo Ford and a few others used a variant of the same system.

I am speculating that electrically, the sensor heads were likely the same irrespective of which company was using them as ATE also supplied the controller module. So, aside from differences in the barrel length, the mounting and the harness grommets and connector type, I theorize the sensors may be interchangeable in terms of sending the induced signal picked up from the reluctor ring.

Where I am going with this is that we may find other variants of the sensor from other cars that are still available new and adapt those for our needs. While Dave's efforts are commendable and will buy us time, I am of the belief that no patch applied (be it heat shrink, marine rubber sealant, etc.) will provide the longevity and protection from moisture ingress that the original molded rubber insulation could, especially at the entry point to the sensor head.

Those in more temperate climates will have better results, but I am wondering where we will be in say 10 years when there are no more good used ones to rework the failing insulation on. Simply put, new is better no matter how resourceful we can be in repairing old stuff.

The ATE supplied Volvo sensor has me most intrigued. It is just the barrel with a mounting hole, and a two wire socket at its rear. It has no harness of it's own, as apparently Volvo opted to make the wiring all part of the vehicle side harness. I presume the socket mates to a Volvo specific plug, so if I can source that plug I could mount one and rig up a harness for testing purposes.

What I don't yet know is whether the barrel is longer than the GM version. Seems to me that can be easily rectified with spacers to achieve the correct gap. If it is shorter, it won't work. It also looks like the mounting hole in the sensor body is in the right orientation.

At any rate, those are a possibility I'm kicking around at the moment. Next step is to buy parts and then test the theory.

KDirk

There are Volvos and Saabs at Gibson's, when you get here you can look to your hearts content.

In the meantime, I believe the heat shrink idea is a good one and could deliver 5-10 years of service. The hard part is getting leads. I think that pretty much anywhere in the country the leads are failing just because the rubber can last only so long. I used to think that California and Colorado were good states to get leads from, but the last ones I got from there had small hairline cracks in the leads. When you get here to also pick up your stuff, you can check out what my heat shrink leads look like and judge for yourself.

If one doesn't want to try removing their leads they can use what Padgett has tried. For a while I used a product called Plasti Dip. Plati Dip lasted 2 years almost to the month and then failed. So if one wanted to do ongoing maintenance that would work. It costs about $8.00 a can, can be bought at almost any hardware store, big box lumber yard and one can apply it with a poly foam brush and will do all 4 leads.

I have just stripped back the bad rubber and then painted the bare shield with marine liquid rubber insulation. Still working a couple of years later.

ps Florida, Texas, and California seem to be the worst about something in the air eating rubber. Either dries out and cracks or melts. Have seen both.

I had some leads from a "southern state" that had really bad rubber. So bad I could peel off all the rubber. What I did was go to the local hardware store and buy a small roll [25'] of 1/4" O.D. vinyl tubing. I first cut the tubing in 4' lengths and then sliced the tubing lengthwise leaving me the ability to put the vinyl tubing over the bare sensor lead. We then did the heat shrink procedure as stated before giving me more working leads. These leads look and feel very much like the factory original ones I have in inventory to compare to.

I now have 13 front leads [some factory original] and 4 rear leads.

The only thing left is how to restore a lead that is dead [no ohms resistance].

I must be crazy. I found two more front sensor leads yesterday and bought them [now have 15]. They will be here tomorrow.