89 Reatta front ABS sensor

[sosuzguy]

While getting some front end work done the dealership has told me now the car has an ABS code and I need a new front ABS sensor.

Anyone know where I might find one of them? I hope they aren't made of unobtainium like the Riv XX parts! Thanks in advance.

[DAVES89]

Jim Finn may have some used ones. There are some new aftermarket available but are pricey[$160.00 each]. I don't remember the number, but they are on ebay, or you could check your local auto parts house.

The rear leads are readily available and at a much lower price.

I have extras myself, but am only interested in selling in packs of 4 [2 front/2 rear]

[sosuzguy]

Dave what's your thoughts on paying $120 for a used one that might fail?

[DAVES89]

Sounds high to me.

It is a 5 minute job to remove one [they either come out easy or not at all] and all you need is a physical look over to see if the rubber jacket is intact and an ohm meter to see if you have resistance.

Right now you can buy on ebay a brand new ALS490 front brake sensor [fits Reatta and Rivs thru 1990] for $141.71. Seller has more then 10 available which tells me that the local parts house has them as well. Which is where you should go as the Ebay guy wants $12.00 each for delivery.

I offered to sell a set of four [two front and two rear] for $275.00 delivered to a guy on this forum. [still waiting on a decision]. That is a price more in line with what you should pay.

[DAVES89]

Or you can try what I did. Go to Car-Part.com--Used Auto Parts Market and look up 1989 Buick Reatta. Item search hub assemblies. Look at all yards on that list and eliminate everyone but 1988/89 Reattas [too hard to explain to the counter guy you need a Teves ABS lead]. Then start calling, explaining that you see they have Hubs, but could they check for ABS leads? You will find yards that will look and have the sensor lead. The lead you want is the one where the bolt hole is at a 90* angle from the lead, not straight across, or if they are still on the car, the front leads. Stress to the guy that they are easy to remove, all they need is a torx drive and a ratchet. No other tools needed.

I made up a short list of 10 yards [Ca., Wa, Id, Co. Moderate temperature means rubber should be good, no rust means barrel should come out of housing.] Called them all, got lucky with a yard in Co. [Fair Auto and Truck] they had 6 leads @ $25.00 per. All the leads tested good rubber was great. I believe I got 4 front and two rear

All the leads looked good/resistance good. The Headlight switches went to Jim Finn for reconditioning.

I am not saying all this to brag, just to tell everyone out there that you always don't have to "strike gold" at the local U Pick, you can also get lucky by being creative and calling around.

Sometimes a guy on this forum [Kitskaboodle] will send a free one, just because I tried real hard to buy two that he was selling on ebay and lost to someone else[on this forum]. I guess it was in appreciation for how much I drove up the price, because I wanted them so bad. [He had a third one he didn't need, and I only had 1 spare at the time]

I did get lucky at the local U pick [Gibsons where I got two front and two rear sensors and a Made in Germany Teves unit for less then... well that is another story.

Kdirk is coming up tomorrow Friday, we plan on junkin Sat. Hope we have good luck finding what he needs and he pays the prices I have been throwing out here.

[KDirk]

Dave,

Hoping to find a couple of front leads up there, but those are not the highest priority items on my list. Actually need to sit down and type up the wish list so I don't forget to look for something while we are there. In addition to ebay it looks like Amazon also still shows the Standard ALS490 front leads available for just under $150 (order them through the Reatta Store!), but the old thread here that discussed this indicates they didn't work for some reason and so they were returned. Maybe it was a defective pair of sensors, but that seems unlikely.

KDirk

[DAVES89]

When I was down to one sensor lead I went to Advance and bought a ALS490 sensor lead and put it in my inventory. When I needed it [better then a year later] it didn't work [checked with an ohmmeter]. I couldn't take it back as it was out of warranty and there was none available so I could buy one, then return the defective one as the one recently purchased. So I sent it to Padgett who may still have it. It was sent in the same package that had the longer barrel unit from a Cadillac. [for Padgetts reference].

[Ronnie]

Guys I want to add the Standard Motor Products ALS490 Wheel Speed Sensor to the Reatta store. I need help determining exactly what it will fit. Amazon only thinks it will fit a 1990 RIGHT side. They are not always correct. so if you know for certain please let me know what they actually fit.

[DAVES89]

Ronnie, I know the guys at the local Advance store pretty good. They only wanted my year and did I want front or rear. Based on that conversation it would be 88-90 Reatta, front, either side.

[padgett]

Fronts are the same, screw hole 90 degrees from lead. Rears are the same 180 degrees. Never tried putting a front on the rear but might work. Cad is slightly longer than Reatta but could work with a spacer/longer screw. Have'nt dug in to one for a while, removing brittle rubber and coating with marine liquid tape seems to be working (only works if braid is good).

[Ronnie]

Thanks guys for the info.