NCT Fail: ABS light not illuminating at ignition - 04 Peugeot 206cc

MrDerp

Hi folks, hoping for a bit of advice on this one.

As the title suggests, MrsDerp's car, a 2004 Peugeot 206cc, failed the NCT this morning due to ABS light not illuminating at ignition. I verified this myself before driving out of there. Made a couple of attempts at getting it on and got nothing.

She got it serviced and pre-NCT-checked at a main dealer 2 weeks ago. Can I assume that a real ABS fault would have been picked up by diagnostics, and that the bulb would light up in the event of an error.

I'm loathe to go back to the dealer until I get some advice and do some research because I've no intention of playing the 'lets replace module x for 800 quid and see if that works' game with a main dealer. We played this game (thankfully under warranty after the purchase) to address some various issues.

So, a few salient facts:
- It passed the NCT two years ago, 3 months after the purchase, so presumably no shenanigans went on with bulb disconnection etc
- No ABS issues has shown up in annual service 2 weeks ago, and a year previously
- A new instrument cluster was fitted after the NCT as there was a faint glow at the battery light, without it being on. The (used car) dealer claimed to have had the alternator serviced and the battery replaced for this first. I have no proof of this, but I did insist on seeing an invoice for the instrument cluster, because they kept claiming to have solved the issue when we could see it wasn't within hours of collecting the car.
- The clock and radio were found to have reset themselves once, in recent months.

This mornings online research has found a couple of instances of this issues where people replaced everything and anything and nothing solved it. What I'm wondering is:

1. Is there any chance this is a fuse, or would a fuse be for the whole instrument cluster?
2. Is there any chance of an individual bulb being blown in the cluster, and can this be rectified without needing a new cluster?
3. Would a so-called BSI reset address this issue? Is it worth trying? Is there any downside risk to attempting this myself?
4. Could the reset of the clock and radio indicate that there is a weakness in the battery, and could that reset indicate an improper cut and reboot of the BSI unit? Could I end up wiping the odometer value if I do this? Should I leave it to the pros?
5. Should I bring this to a motor electrics expert and ignore the main dealer on this one?

Herself loves the car, but Jesus we've been through the ringer before getting stuff done and I don't fancy it again. We were under warranty last time, but it cost us about 40 hours each in dropping off, collecting, bringing her to get it, bringing her to work etc.

I'd like to do this in one trip if possible. Thanks in advance for any help and suggestions!

MrDerp

MrDerp wrote: »

............
2. Is there any chance of an individual bulb being blown in the cluster, and can this be rectified without needing a new cluster?............

Yep, but more likely is an ABS fault and the bulb was removed. Does the ABS actually function?

The main dealer are p1ss poor not to spot that in a pre NCT check.

MrDerp

RoverJames wrote: »

Yep, but more likely is an ABS fault and the bulb was removed. Does the ABS actually function?

The main dealer are p1ss poor not to spot that in a pre NCT check.

It was working last winter apparently, but I might verify with herself. I've never felt it kick, personally.

Any sure-fire way to get it to kick in dry conditions? Slam on in a gravel carpark maybe?

Yeah, main dealer was recommending track rod replacements, and that didn't fail, but didn't catch this.

MrDerp

MrDerp wrote: »

............ Slam on in a gravel carpark maybe?

Yep, or slam on anywhere that's safe, doesn't have to be gravel

MrDerp

RoverJames wrote: »

Yep, or slam on anywhere that's safe, doesn't have to be gravel

Good stuff, thanks. M50 left lane on the way home it is.

MrDerp

MrDerp wrote: »

Good stuff, thanks. M50 left lane on the way home it is.

:eek:

Row

If you know someone with Peugeot planet (peugeot diagnostic equipment) then they can do an actuation test of all the instrument gauges/ speedo/lamps etc to verify if your abs amp is lighting.

Does the instrument cluster that was replaced look any differant than the original ..?...(Thats if it was replaced)

I've have seen this before where an nct centre failed a 01 406 for the same problem....:rolleyes:
The abs lamp was not illuminating when the ignition was switched on...bulb/fuses etc were fine.
I ended up printing out a diagnostic report verifying that there was no faults logged in the abs ecu...:)

Nissan doctor

Any high end diagnostics system will be able to check the function of the light as well as check for faults.

The fact that the car passed 2 years ago doesn't mean the light was operating then as the airbag/abs light function wasn't a fail item then.

MrDerp

Nissan doctor wrote: »

Any high end diagnostics system will be able to check the function of the light as well as check for faults.

The fact that the car passed 2 years ago doesn't mean the light was operating then as the airbag/abs light function wasn't a fail item then.

:eek: so it was ripe for a used car dealer (or indeed the person selling it on to them) to pull a bulb before an NCT.

I'd better get to the bottom of this quickly. Is it possible that the main dealer kept a printout of the diagnostics?

If the ABS hasn't ever functioned I'm gonna be pretty pissed off with the main dealer for not catching this on two separate services.

Nissan doctor

MrDerp wrote: »

:eek: so it was ripe for a used car dealer (or indeed the person selling it on to them) to pull a bulb before an NCT.

I'd better get to the bottom of this quickly. Is it possible that the main dealer kept a printout of the diagnostics?

If the ABS hasn't ever functioned I'm gonna be pretty pissed off with the main dealer for not catching this on two separate services.

Are you certain they ran a diagnostics check on it?

MrDerp

Nissan doctor wrote: »

Are you certain they ran a diagnostics check on it?

We requested it, for another intermittent (cold/wet morning) airbag light issue. They said nothing showed up, and cleared the error codes, whatever that means.

I know very little about such things, so I have no idea whether or not they really did run diagnostics.

101sean

It's common on Discovery 2s for the LED to be taped over or even broken off to disguise failed abs, a lot of owners of all sorts of cars are going to get caught out now the warning lights are part of the NCT/DOE (they weren't before).