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ABS module rebuilt

5K views 32 replies 11 participants last post by  540iman 
#1 ·
#6 ·
I had it repaired by BBA and I'll have it Monday. BBA is the #1 recommended repair on bimmerfest.
edjack, I did buy the service on eBay :D when they had a sale for $99 shipped both way :roundel:
 
#7 ·
Agree 1000% with EAC and Edjack. Your Ebay ad is ATE and they are the worst and I know this from ESXTENSIVE personal experience. Go new. If you must rer0-build, go MM or BBa only (my opinion, but based upon much personal experience). I would save if I had to and go new. You can drive with your module out of car for a long time with no adverse effect. Don't chance driving in winter weather without stability control or traction control however. If you use this Ebay seller, i can almost guarantee you pain, regret, and likely higher cost that if you just went new. Bosch modules were not meant to be re-built by ANYONE. MM and BBA have just done better that Bosch had ever hoped. You have a 10+ year-old module. They are heat sensitive. Go NEW.
 
#8 · (Edited)
BTW, you and I have same PROBLEM. You posted on 14th and made your move anyway in about 2 days, so why bother asking? Some don't read every day. Patience Grasshopper!
If you could not afford new, I would pick BBA for $99 second. ATE has terrible customer service, has about 30% success rate, and will fight you forever if you need a refund. I got a member here who has since left I am afraid a refund ONE YEAR after he first started with ATE and he was a college student who could not afford. ONE YEAR and 5 exchanges and he still did not have a working unit from ATE. nor did he get a dime back. I believe his name was "Fizaks"-great guy. I was lucky I got him his $$$ back as I have befriended the owner. Please wait for more replys as I have had to learn to do. Especially the ABS module. It is not a game breaker.
 
#9 ·
Thank you for the replies and ATE warning!

Any idea how often BBA runs that ebay $99 special, or is it completely random?
Also, when the car is cold sometimes the ABS and traction lights are off and odometer is working... until the car warms up. Also, the green "Break" light sometimes on, sometimes off. Is it some kind of culprit? Before sending the unit out would it be wise to check sensors, first?

Best, M
 
#10 ·
First questions first...BBA AFAIK is RANDOM with $99 specials. I did well by BBA. I just have changed my opinion about rebuilds vs. new. I was in the re-build camp as there is no re-coding, as long as you use a good vendor, and many have had good luck, but as many have had waste of time and money chasing re-build road. I have come around to new or forget it. I would get a new module regardless just due to age and if errors remain, then look at sensors using the test procedure rather than what scannher says. A new module will give you a peace of mind you can't get otherwise. So, I would do new module and if that did not take care of WSS errors, yaw sensor error, or whatever then just deal with those issues next.

Modules go bad due to heat. Their placement is terrible! That may explain why you start cold with no errors until heat from manifold gets to module. This is even more reason to suspect module itself. Get new module coded with an autologic if possible.

Look, for $99 you might as well try the BBA route, but I would no9t view the module afterward as repaired, never should be an issue again, done, forget it, etc. It would always still be somewhat suspect. They do not replace parts. They focus on solder connections. Biggest wires first. After repairing a wire or two, another even smaller wire can go bad. Good luck.
 
#11 ·
First questions first...BBA AFAIK is RANDOM with $99 specials. I did well by BBA. I just have changed my opinion about rebuilds vs. new. I was in the re-build camp as there is no re-coding, as long as you use a good vendor, and many have had good luck, but as many have had waste of time and money chasing re-build road. I have come around to new or forget it. I would get a new module regardless just due to age and if errors remain, then look at sensors using the test procedure rather than what scanner says. A new module will give you a peace of mind you can't get otherwise. So, I would do new module and if that did not take care of WSS errors, yaw sensor error, or whatever then just deal with those issues next.

Modules go bad due to heat. Their placement is terrible! That may explain why you start cold with no errors until heat from manifold gets to module. This is even more reason to suspect module itself. Get new module coded with an autologic if possible.

Look, for $99 you might as well try the BBA route, but I would not view the module afterward as repaired, never should be an issue again, done, forget it, etc. It would always still be somewhat suspect. They do not replace parts. They focus on solder connections. Biggest wires first. After repairing a wire or two, another even smaller wire can go bad. Good luck.
 
#12 ·
FWIW, I have experience with both BBA and Module Masters. I would go with BBA. MM wasn't able to fully repair my module. It worked OK in the winter, but in the summer I was still getting random ABS lights. I probably could have sent it back to them or gotten an exchange, but I just dealt with it. BBA fixed my module the first time and with no recurring issues. BBA is cheaper as well, so it's a no brainer in my book. Not saying MM is bad by any means, just that you can't really go wrong with BBA.
 
#13 ·
Had BBA rebuild my '03 530's ABS module about a month or so ago. Didn't want a new one b/c of the re-programming required, so I sent mine in, they repaired it, sent it back out. Put it back in. works GREAT. They were fast and give a lifetime warranty on their work. HIGHLY recommend BBA.
 
#15 ·
If you read my posts, you KNOW I agree with who you sent it to, but you still have a 10+ year old module in there. Next time may not be able to rebuild. I had great experience with BBA, but needed new module ultimately. G/L as none of the re-builder replace any parts. Just redo bad solder connections. Could last another 10 years or a month!
 
#20 ·
I don't know what you are doing...you ask for advice, I spend a lot of time answering and then you do what you want anyway. You figure out why taking it to BMW is costing you $250. They did not sell you the module so screw you! No one takes to BMW for coding. You take it to a qualified Indy. Once I got it done by my Indy for free and the next time I was told to forget about it as I am a good customer, but I left a $50 on the desk. You are in such a hurry, bend over and grab your ankles. :dunno:
 
#26 ·
Thanks. Actually, it turns my mechanic can do it. The confusion came when I was talking to somebody from his shop the person told me they don't do it and I have to go to the dealer...
In any case, I wish that was the only problem with the car... but this is already topic for another thread.

Best, M
 
#27 · (Edited)
As a thought, maybe now is a good time to switch to the forum for your car being that it's not an E39, but just one question. How long have you owned this car and did you have at checked-out before you bought it? Is it your E39 that has the problem or the 6 series? maybe I misunderstood by the part you were looking at.. You are welcome anywhere, but this problem..it is with the 5 series E39 or the early 6 series? The module rebuild you were looking at ...well, I was not aware it fit all the cars you mentioned AND the E39??
 
#28 ·
As a thought, maybe now is a good time to switch to the forum for your car being that it's not an E39?
Wow. I didn't even realize this.

I think the OP has worse problems though, based on a new thread from him today:
> E39 (1997 - 2003) > Internal leak

I would fix the head gasket or cracked block before even touching the ABS.
 
#32 ·
Ah, but I didn't even KNOW that this error existed, as there was no engine light and nobody had warned me prior.

Plus, even if I had cleared it, I would still have had to wait for the FTP cycle to be completed, so that the monitors were filled (as California will fail you if too many monitors are not ready).

So that's why I'm warning the OP (I don't want him to have to pay twice for two inspections, like I did, because of a bogus failure).

Luckily, the bogus failure afforded me the opportunity to check emissions under two gasoline conditions (so I got 'something' out of my money paid for the bogus results):
 
#33 ·
Wow, I did not know you had an ABS error with no lights whatsoever. I lived in Whittier for 5 years and don't really know of the FTP cycle you speak of. When I was living in California, you could go to certain mechanics who were licensed to give the emmission test. I had a 68 Chevelle SS with a crate LS7 454 which ran on 100 octane LL gas and it passed so you knowe they would do a lot of stuff to get you through. In did not recall you did not have a SES light or maybe you had the brake lights, but no SES lights? Not sure I understand the FTP risk and so forth. You had no clue of an issue until you failed the test? What did you do between tests to pass? I'm sure you talked about it, but I forgot :-(
 
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