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[TestOmega]

ve read lot of posts on this matter as well as the guides to remove the Bosch 5.3 ABS EBTCM/ECU. I find my situation a little different hence the new post.

Scenario:
0. The Cadillac Catera 2001 is 253,000 Km + young 
1. All of a sudden while driving the RPM indicator, Speedometer, Odometer stopped working
2. Subsequently RPM Counter/Tachometer display returned and has stayed accurately functional
3. Steering a little harder and does not adjust with driving speed
4. I am using the GPS temporarily to work as a speedometer
5. No malfunction codes on the instrument panel
6. I smelled little smoke type smell intermittently afterwards during the next couple of times I drove
7. Now I have removed the ABS fuse from the fuse panel (so now the ABS and other codes are turned on) as some posts state that a malfunction ABS ECU/EBTCM can cause the ABS motor to run continuously and burn out!

Help Needed:

Any suggestions for what I should try before working in the ABS unit area! There are some issues on the left side of he instrument panel where some bulbs stopped working and at one time I could thump around the area and these will light up. So I do plan to remove the panel and fix the bulbs as well as properly reseat the instrument panel. My gut feeling is that the speedo/odo issues are not necessarily the instrument panel issues but I would hear from the wise and more experienced.

If I do need to get the Bosch 5.3 ABS controller/EBCTM/ECU replaced or repair can anyone guide to a reasonable resource. Mine is 3.0 V6 X30XE petrol. There are very few resources in Canada but there appear some who will repair the unit but quite expensive.

PS: I fu**d up  and added brake fluid to the Steering reservoir to top it up. I realized right away and did not start the car and siphoned off the Steering pump reservoir and added proper steering fluid. Could this be the cause of some smoke type smell that I observed las week whereas this incident happened more than two months ago and I did not observe any steering issues.

[TheBoy]

Its not clear, is the tacho now working?

What about cruise and the fuel computer?

[TestOmega]

The Tacho/RPM display is working even with the ABS module fuse in or out! So I assume it is either pass through or is not managed by the ABS Module. I did not try cruise but I suspect it may not work but I can try and see but I would have to re-insert the ABS fuse for sure as most state that Speed is processed through the ABS module but you can correct me on that.

I have been advised by one ABS builder shop (Modulemaster in USA) to check the Speed sensors in the rear gear box and I believe there are  two and only one is used for speed determination. I don't know which one. Is there a way to check resistance, etc., for these sensors or are these magnetic pickups?

It is Analog Instrument Cluster and does not have any fuel efficiency or like readouts. It looks like the following,

http://images.gtcarlot.com/pictures/47804830.jpg

Thanks

[Doctor Gollum]

Sounds like the Abs ecu is toast. Heavy steering is down to a failure within the abs ecu...

Everything in the car that has a blue wire with a red trace has a speed input. They all originate from the abs ecu.

Wheel sensors can be tested for even resistance just to confirm that they are sound, but 99 times in a hundred the fault lies with the abs ecu itself

[TestOmega]

Thanks Doc. I am going to re-install the ABS fuse and look for any codes that may be set after that. Originally there  was nothing lit up on the Instrument Panel in terms of ABS or TCS or TC.

Do you know anyone who can source and post to me near Toronto Canada a used module ABS EBTCM for this issue and my car is; Auto Transmission, Petrol with 3.0 X30XE engine? I will post on the progress regardless.

[Doctor Gollum]

Try Steve @ Omegaspareparts on ebay

BBA reman or similar should be able to test/repair your unit...

Car can be driven with it removed, just keep in mind that you have no abs/speedo, (already the case) and given your location, that the rest of the abs unit is well protected from and water/dirt ingress

Also check that the abs light bulb is still present and sound

[Marks DTM Calib]

What about here for repair:

http://www.cheap-abs.com/removal.html

[TestOmega]

So I put the ABS fuse back in and read the Codes. There were the following as I read these with my basic OBDII meter connected to the OBDII port nearer to the fuse panel inside on the driver side;

What I find related to my issues is as follows;

 - P1700 Transmission Control Module (TCM) Requested MIL Illumination (Probably related to U2108 below)

-  U2108 Lost communication with ABS/TCS control system (This is probably related to the fuse being removed. If it sets again then further digging needed to see if wiring or module issues)

-  P0500 Vehicle Speed Sensor A

I am not sure if any of these were setup based on me removing the fuse. There were no codes or lit errors on the Instrument Panel once I installed the ABS fuse.

I cleared the codes and am going to drive to see which codes get set again. Any other thoughts in the mean time I appreciate specially which and where is Vehicle Speed Sensor A!

Regards

[DrAndyB]

Sounds like the Abs ecu is toast. Heavy steering is down to a failure within the abs ecu...

Everything in the car that has a blue wire with a red trace has a speed input. They all originate from the abs ecu.

Wheel sensors can be tested for even resistance just to confirm that they are sound, but 99 times in a hundred the fault lies with the abs ecu itself

I'll second that, as you well Know Doctor Gollum when you help me diagnose and fix mine (Big thanks again  ).  She is still going strong and clocked up 800 miles between last MOT now    be on 64k mls on clock if I aint carefull  - Not want to war out my new exhaust now !

[TheBoy]

Have you got access to any diags gear that can read the ABS ECU - if so, try it.

If there is no comms, its the well documented ABS ECU failure.  Which is what I am suspecting it is.

[TestOmega]

Thanks much everyone.

I drove her for about an hour and a half and when I checked it again the only code now is,

-  P0500 Vehicle Speed Sensor A

So there are two likely outcomes and for sure the ABS ECU is communicating towards the Central Computing module as the DTC P0500 is reported which is consistent with no speedometer and no odometer;

A. Speed sensor A is bad and the ABS ECU is reporting it correctly: Solution is to fix the Vehicle Speed Sensor A"

B. Speed sensor A is Good and ABS ECU is communicating incorrectly to the CPU and killing the Vehicle Speed Sensor A input: Solution repair/replace ABS ECU

I am going to stop by a shop tomorrow and hopefully we will have a definitive resolution and I will report back.

Thanks all.

[TestOmega]

Just came back from the shop today where I had the Wishbones (lower control arms) replaced. What wonderful tightness in the steering control. I replaced these with Moog control arms.

As the car was on the hoist, the damage to the cable connecting vehicle speed sensor was extensive. It was ripped with broken conductors except it was not in two pieces yet. The mechanic who did the wishbones kind of tried to repair it but watching from a distance I had little confidence in the repair as he himself stated he does not know much about electrical. On a good day I am going to go over the cable again and see if I can do proper electrical repair. While doing that I will test the Speed Sensor based on some information and the pointers people have provided here. If the sensors pan out and the cable repair is complete and it still has issues, I will focus on the Bosch EBTCM/ECU. The speedometer showed little life that it actually showed correct zero on the gauge when the car was running and the OBDII showed VSS value of 0 Km/h throughout driving. Still Error P0500 regarding the Speed Sensor A showed up.

I am not sure if the ABS ECU could be toast based on any shorts in the downstream wiring towards the sensor either from the ripping up of the cable or the bad repair. I hope there is some protection in the ABS ECU against downstream shorts. Any comments along these lines would be helpful.

Thank you.

[Nick W]

New ones are less than £40 from various suppliers here. If yours is as bad as your description, then I wouldn't waste any time trying to repair it.

[TestOmega]

Thank you for the response. I thought so too. I looked for it on eBay but could not find it. So the cable is not the one that connects as a pigtail/small extension to the sensor at the gearbox but the one that goes from the pigtail connector to the engine area. I don't know how it is routed and where it gets connected upstream towards the ABS ECU.

Is there a part number that you can flag for me? I live in Canada and have bought stuff for this derivative of the Opel Omega 2000 version from all over the place and have been trying to keep it going. Some people in UK have been very reasonable to ship to me with reasonable P&P. .

I originally bought it when it had 64 thousand kilometers on it. Now it has in excess of 253 thousand kilometers. Still drives lovely.

Thank you