NC/Mk3 ABS Light On after Rustproofing

Hi just collected my car after having Dinitrol rustproofing applied and the ABS and TCS lights are illuminated. I hoped it might be solved by the battery disconnection steering procedure but no dice. Unfortunately the rust proofers are a two hour drive away, so returning the car for them to look at is problematic. Read elsewhere that the sensors are magnetic and can be upset by rust particles becoming attached. As the car had some surface rust removal thinking this might be a possibility? Can I check which sensor (if any) is triggering the light using an ODBC reader? Don’t really want to remove them for cleaning on the off chance in case the bolts snap…

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They may have dinatrolled your abs sensors/ rings clean em up with brake cleaner

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As above, just clean them up, you faired slightly better than me.
I was wire brushing my whole chassis with power tool and managed to get tangled with front right sensor wire … its errr in pieces

May be a daft question but can I get at the sensors to clean with them in situ or will I have to unbolt and remove them?

So…connected a Bluetooth ODBC reader and the Torque app detects “C1165 - Right Rear Wheel Speed Sensor Input Circuit Failure”
So at least that has narrowed things down. Time to get my hands dirty I guess…

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That’s a wiring fault, open circuit somewhere. Could be something simple like it’s been left disconnected.

Ok had the wheel off and no loose connections…the first connector is in the boot anyway, behind the right side plastic trim panel. Checked that and was in good order. Also checked the sensor and ring not much Dinitrol around the sensor end or ring. Sprayed some brake cleaner on anyway. Stuck everything back together still got the warning lights. Presumably the next step is a new sensor?

One more thing I managed to get the sensor bolt out easily, but couldn’t budge the sensor itself. How do you get some purchase on it? Is trying to rotate it slightly an approach once the bolt is out?

Although I owned a Mk3, I never dealt with ABS sensors, I did have dealings with ABS sensors on a Mk2. Not only did I snar the two M6 (10mm head) bolts. I found its a common issue with Mk2. The sensors wouldn’t budge, ended up, as so. Many have, drilling the out… :sob:
Though if you are lucky, get caliper off and clean sensor?

I’ve got a new sensor and looking at the sensor off the car looks as though it should be easy to remove if the bolt is OK. In my case the area where it bolts to has been sprayed with Dinitrol so I do wonder if that’s effectively acting as glue. I will try and remove the coating and I’m fairly confident it should be easy to tease the sensor out.

Here’s a couple of pics of the new sensor which might help future searchers.


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So in the end I eat my words and I had to destroy the old sensor to remove it as others have said. I managed to pull out the innards using molegrips on the plastic bit (rotating) , the remaining “can” is rivetted through the bracket. The can is about 10mm OD so I (gently) drilled with a 10mm bit which got the bracket off and freed a shard of the can that allowed me to get hold of it with pliers and pull it out just leaving the plastic collar in the hole. After trying to scrape this out to no avail I managed to remove it using an M12 tapered tap (again carefully). Fitted the new sensor and bingo no warning lights. Reset the logged fault using the Torque app and ODBC reader. Jobs a good un. Only took me three hours.


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Where did you get the new sensors from. Been looking and seem to be a shortage right now.

Pretty sure it was MX5 Parts, they list them but don’t know about current stock.

In any case it was genuine Mazda, so have you tried a Mazda dealer?