I have seen several Posts on the ABS System problems and at some point the cost of replacement parts exceeds the value of the gain or even the vehicle. Mine would lock and then release in slow speed sharp turns and the "release" was worse as it removed almost all breaking ability. We had a lot of near misses and white knuckles on the steering wheel. Occasionally there was a "sprong" noise under the dash under medium braking going straight. This noise would always happen when the low speed braking failure happened.

Many people disable the system and run on "normal power breaks". I do not endorse or recommend this to anyone as there may be some liability issue deviating from standard factory configuration. That said, I opted to deactivate the system on my 97 Disco I.

If you disable your ABS you need to really test your "new" braking ability in a large open area (in case you get a bad pull to one side). Ensure the brakes meet "ALL" vehicle drivers needs and make sure you inform other primary vehicle drivers of the change and allow cautious driving till all involved get use to the way the vehicle now brakes.

I pulled three ABS fuses and and the ABS Pump 60 amp fusible link but the ABS Warning Light does not get "power" via the fused circuits.

I decided to remove the ABS warning Light bulb from the instrument cluster.

If you don't have a reference source or owners manual turn you ignition on and make a diagram of warning light positions for reference when pulling the bulb. Turn key off.

Remove Neg Battery terminal.

RAV Manual Electrical Page 28 covers the following procedure with Illustrations.

Remove two screws in instrument cowling just above the steering column.

Pull cowling loose a few inches and disconnect the switch plugs on the right then the left. Right down the color connector positions as you remove them for re-installation.

The dimmer switch has two screw holding it in place from the back which are difficult to access and the mounting point is fragile. There is a long lead and a quick disconnect connection on the dimmer wiring. Yours may stretch far enough to get it out of the way. Mine was pinned under/behind the instrument cluster. Position the cowling so you can remove the four instrument cluster mounting screws. Lift the cluster vertically in the channel it rests in and free the quick disconnect for the dimmer and fully remove the cowling.

Slide the cluster vertically and pull forward slightly.

Remove the far right side electrical quick disconnect. You do not have to remove any other connections.

Rotate the cluster to gain access to the rear, top, center area.

Turn the offending bulb a 1/4 turn and wiggle it free. You do not have to remove the back panel on the cluster.

And of course reassemble in reverse.

My Instrument cowl switch connections were:

LEFT RIGHT
Blue Green
Black White
White Black
Green Blue
Dimmer


ABS Bulb location is shown in RAVE manual Electrical section Page 34 Item #6.

Top center cluster of four bulbs as viewed from rear:


O O O-ABS Bulb #6
O


Entire job took about 30 minutes and there were no difficulties. Small Phillips screwdriver is the only tool reqired.

Brakes function much better then before with plenty of pedal and great even braking force and I don't have that darn light glaring in my face all the time.

 

haha i just did the same thing a week ago when it got slow at work, good info. i was pissed i didn't pull the damn bulb before driving it 1800 miles, that light was annoying lol.

 

I am considering disabling ABS for offroading. I was on some loose scree at a high angle about a week ago and broke loose. I basically had no brakes the whole way down (about 200 yards). I stood on the brake pedal and steered (backwards). By the time I reached the bottom I had picked up quite a bit of speed. Fortunately the ABS sensed some traction in the dirt and applied the brakes before I reached a drop-off. In hindsight I might have tried the parking brake or driven the wheels in the opposite direction to my slide but at the time I was totally preoccupied with steering and hoping the brakes would start working. In a way, the ABS worked as designed by preserving my steering whereas if it were disabled I could have locked the wheels but may have had trouble keeping the vehicle pointed at the narrow chute that was the only "soft" way down.

 

The ABS on D1 doesn't work very well anyway. I slid through an intersection with a police car right DIRECTLY behind me once. He didn't even blink... just sat there. Maybe he used to own one.

 

Wildrider,

You come off like you are a real expert on the Discovery I ABS.

What makes you think there is any liability issue at all. Nothing requires any of us to have a functioning ABS.

All you accomplished was removing a light bulb.

Pulling the fuse will disable the system which if it is malfunctioning, it should be disabled. A few people have even gone so far as to remove the entire ABS WABCO contoller. Not really necessary, but if that floats your boat so be it.

Removing the fuses and the light will not improve the braking system, it will merely allow it to operate free of the ABS.

Also when off-roading, you do not want to stand on the brakes and go into a skid, forward or reverse. Use the gearing and drive in a reasonable fashion. Just because you are in a Land Rover does not mean you are invincable. If you drive like an idiot, you will get yourself in a bad situation very rapidly.

Have fun with your Rover.

 

Disabling ABS will not affect "normal" braking. ABS is not for "normal" braking. If you have problems such as the vehicle pulling to one side when braking, then you have brake system problems, not ABS withdrawals.

 

Agreed, but your technique depends on how your brakes work (ABS or not). With ABS, you do want to stand on the brakes so to speak -- in other words, push the pedal down and keep it fully depressed -- but the expected result is not going into a skid but rather to have the ABS pulse the brakes in a way that slows the vehicle as much as traction allows without locking the wheels. Without ABS, you will want to modulate the pedal, pulsing the brakes with your foot rather than the ABS controller.

The dilemma comes when you are on loose material, whether it is preferred to have the wheels lock and plow into the loose surface or to have ABS prevent the wheels from any braking at all.

 

Fulled my fuse and lightbulb and haven't looked back.

 

The dilemma comes when you are on loose material, whether it is preferred to have the wheels lock and plow into the loose surface or to have ABS prevent the wheels from any braking at all.

I do not think the ABS would prevent braking on loose material. If you are on loose material at too steep an angle, gravity will make you slide to the bottom every time regardless of ABS or not.

 

First you aren't supposed to pulse the breaks without abs.. There's no secret to abs, it's not the pulsing that saves you. It's keeping the tires on edge of lockup that does that. There's no way your foot can pulse as fast as abs, but it doesn't need to. All you have to do is break hard enough without locking wheels if you lock wheels come off slightly.

Second a locked wheel stops MUCH better in gravel because it digs in past the gravel
And builds up a ridge infront of the tire. Abs will not let your tire lock up, which on a rolling surface, (think bb,s on floor) is IMPOSSIBLE to stop without.. You'll just keep rolling onto more bb,s instead of getting them out the way and touching ground