Peeved with the Teves?
With MIL lights being the theme of this month’s issue we dropped in on master tech David Hirst to learn about the troublesome Teves Mk60
ABS/ESP PUMP control module faults are very common for owners of VAG group cars (as well as a few Mazdas and BMWs) fitted with an ESP system controlled by the Teves Mk60.
The fault manifests itself by switching the ESP MIL on. Pressing the ‘ESP off’ button won’t have any effect. When scanned, the vehicle will in all probability display VAG code ‘01435 Brake pressure sensor 1 (G201)’, or it may have generated a code suggesting the footbrake is on.
The problem lies with the ABS unit – a Teves Mk60 and replacing the whole thing is likely to land your customer with a bill that could exceed £1,500.
Fortunately, it is just the hydraulic pressure sensor that invariably fails in these pumps and a kit exists that allows you to replace the part, leaving the expensive electronics alone. Alternatively, firms exists that can repair the pumps for you with a lifetime guarantee.
You can identify that it is the ABS unit at fault by then looking at the live data on your scan tool and looking at the pressure that the sensor is reading – very often it will be an implausible amount such as 200bar.
Once refitted, the unit will need readapting or recalibrating – most scan tools can do this. This must be done as the ABS pump needs to let the ECU know it’s base setting and this can vary from one to another – you need to teach the control unit what zero is. You’ll also need to do the same with the yaw sensor. While the unit will probably work without recalibration, the chances are you won’t be able to clear the fault code and put the MIL out – thus defeating the point of the exercise.
New kit for faulty switch
The pressure sensor fails on the Teves 60 due to a design fault. Put simply, the pressure switch was placed inside the unit to save a tiny amount of under bonnet space but it simply does not last. Kits are available to replace the switch without damaging the rest of the unit but a firm named Sinspeed has developed an external switch which it will fit to your customer’s existing unit inside of a week. The firm is so confident of the modification; it’s put a lifetime guarantee on the new switch.
More Info
Just because something has four legs and barks does not mean it is a dog. Master Technician turned diagnostic tool developer Mark Banks recalled.
A 2006 VW Touareg arrived in his workshop with the ESP and brake warning light on. The scan tool indicated fault code 01435 and component code G201 – the classic symptom of Teves 60 failure.
However, a call to ECU Testing, a firm that specialised in repairing these units, told him that the component code didn’t apply to the vehicle in question. This was puzzling but after scanning the vehicle, it turns out that it had in fact not been fitted with a Mk60 but an Allrad Mk25 unit. Further investigation revealed that the brake pressure sensor is inconveniently located behind a scuttle at the back of the engine bay. The sensor was a simple screw type and was priced at a much more wallet-friendly £71. Once fitted and the system calibrated and cleared, the lights went out and stayed out.
