Abs/vdc failure - 147 Gta

[155 lover]

My GTA is throwing up a failure - abs and vdc - intermittently. When I restart the car the warning disappears and it only happens once every month or so. The ABS works fine when I slam on the brakes so there's nothing actaully wrong with the system. My brake lights are also permanently on when I get the failure.

After reading similar stories, it seems like a faulty brake light switch. Can someone please advise:
1. If this is likely
2. Where is the brake light switch located in the car
3. If it is easy to DIY as the part is cheap (i.e. How to change it)

I've already checked the fuses, which seem fine.

[Brad M]

These failures popped up yesterday for me
... might of had something to do with the end of the drive shaft shearing off under brakes during the 6 Hour

Don't think yesterday's experience is relevant to you, but hope to see some useful tips for you here.

[155 lover]

Thanks brad.

I just bought the part ($30) - I assume the switch is located behind the pedal, so ill probably have a crack at it later

[alfagtv58]

These failures popped up yesterday for me
... might of had something to do with the end of the drive shaft shearing off under brakes during the 6 Hour

Don't think yesterday's experience is relevant to you, but hope to see some useful tips for you here.

Aha....that was yours that I nearly ran over just before old turn 1!!  Thanks Brad, I had just cleared some traffic and was ready to put in a couple of quick ones when that happened and safety car came out (that is from race driver excuse book, chapter titled 'now your at the bottom of the barrel')

[Brad M]

Aha....that was yours that I nearly ran over just before old turn 1!!  Thanks Brad, I had just cleared some traffic and was ready to put in a couple of quick ones when that happened and safety car came out (that is from race driver excuse book, chapter titled 'now your at the bottom of the barrel')

Nope, not me (think it was a Toyota).

Mine went bang braking just before the corner before pit exit ... luckily. Calliper was holding the wheel on.

[colcol]

Before you fix it, by a workshop manual CD, they are about $15 of ebay, the switch is usually located at the top of the brake pedal, not an easy job, but do-able, the ABS- VDC failure can be a sensor at the wheel, they can be broken or covered with brake dust, if they are dirty, they can't see the 'choppers' on the wheel going round, so they throw up an error, they are about the size of a match head on the wheel hubs and they have a chunky wire coming off them, Colin.

[ChrisGTA]

...Calliper was holding the wheel on.

Wow - that sounds dramatic Brad, and the big brakes and calipers came in very handy!

[bix]

Not sure if this helps
http://eper.fiatforum.com/eper/navi?MOD_COD=190&DRW_NUM=2&COUNTRY=012&GRP_COD=331&CAT_COD=W8&SBMK=R&DRIVE=D&SGRP_COD=1&MAKE=R&SGS_COD=1&COMM_MODEL=147&ALL_FIG=0&LANGUAGE=3&PREVIOUS_KEY=SRC_BY_COD&NEW_HTTP=TRUE&ALL_LIST_PART=0&SB_CODE=-1&KEY=PARTDRAWDATA&SEARCH_TYPE=codpart&PRINT_MODE=0&EPER_CAT=SP&GUI_LANG=3&WINDOW_ID=1

[155 lover]

Thanks. I'm having a b!tch of a time getting to it.

[155 lover]

Just an FYI for other GTA owners. I changed the brake light switch and for two days, i've had no issues, although the abc/vdc failure was happening only once every few weeks so it might come up again. However just yesterday my battery went completely flat and when it goes flat on a GTA strange stuff happens - i.e. wouldn't start but the radio was on (without the key in the ignition lol) and immobilizer failure was coming up and the horn would, then wouldn't work etc. This is making me think the ABS/VDC error could have been due to low voltage even though my battery test was fine at my last service in July...

Anyway, I changed the battery to a Century DIN53LMF - Cold Cranking Amps 500 - for the princely sum of $180! (P.S. it is a pain in the ass to change the battery on these things, have do disconnect a million things with sockets and screw drivers to ge to it). It is higher rated than the one I pulled out, which was an Exide 54c, which has a cca of 470. This perhaps makes me think the battery in there wasn't powerful enough, which is why it went from having sufficient charge in July, to being completely flat in October. On the exide website the one recommended for the 147 range has a CCA measure of 500, so i think the original 54c that was in there was insufficient, giving me the error messages and going flat within 6 months of being fine (this was the battery already in the car when I bought it in March).

Anyway, I just thought this might be useful information for other GTA owners if they get error messages (fake) and don't know what battery is being used in the car. Looks like mine may have been a case of an insufficient battery being used.