With mine, you would get a sudden chatter and NO BRAKES, just a pulsating pedal with NO BRAKES. It had this condition when I first bought it, the lot I got mine from threw in a "Free" warranty for 3000 miles or 6 months or something like that, so I took it to Bobby Rahal (famous Jaguar Race Car Driver from the 50's) LR, they replace the brake ECU and two weeks later it did it again! I pulled the underhood ABS Pump Fuse and the brakes are fine. Just have the damn irritating light on.

 

Yes you will have NO BRAKES!!!
The ABS will do its thing BUT no brake fluid will go to the wheels and you will NOT beable t stop.
You will hear the chatter of the ABS and feel the brake pedal pulsate under your foot BUT you cannot stop.
If you are quick and dont panic if you release the brakes and then try again you can usually stop then.
This happens on dry roads or wet roads, it makes no difference.
When it happened to my wife it was a dry sunny day, she was standing on the brake pedal with both feet and she could not stop.
So she pumped the brakes and as soon as she released the brake pedal and pressed again she had brakes.
She refused to drive it after that until it was fixed.

ABS is only for panic stops in slippery conditions, if it is raining and you are stopping normal it does not work, but if you slam on the brakes then it does its thing to prevent the wheel(s) from locking up, and as we all know a wheel that is not turning has zero traction.
On a DI it goes bad because of one of two things, a bad wheel sensor or a bad ABS modulator.
Land Rover says to flush the brake fluid every 24months no matter the miles, this helps prevent gunk from building up inside the ABS modulator and causing problems with it.

 

Can you remove the ABS pump fuse until your next MOT and then put it back and then remove the fuse again after you pass inspection?

I am SO glad we do not have inspections where I live.

 

I've played with mine over the years. I like having ABS on snow/ice covered roads as they often are here. Worn wheel bearings will cause reluctors, wheel sensors to lose alignment. Sensor bushes weaken causing sensor creep. Last issue was ABS computer hard faulted. It's primitive but so are the fixes, easy once you poll the system. Mine works better now than when I bought the truck.

 

Sure, rub it in.

 

It's nothing to write home about. Over 35 on snow, forget it, your gonna hit something in straight line.....but it did keep me from taking out the largest bull white tail I'll ever see.

 

Even when the ABS control box went south it gave me the blink code saying it was toast. Just like the headlights the ABS was designed for a lorry (British truck). Keep clean fluid in the system, flush once a year and it will eventually flush the modular block clean. I had the same common symptom at first, the pedal push back, almost pulled out in to oncoming traffic. I would have been roasted sideways. I didn't panic (never do, why bother, death is peace). Same procedure as what Eric described. I bought my control box from Paul Grant and it's worked like a charm. Sensor bushes from AB keep the sensors from climbing. Open end a combo around the sensor and tap it down with a plastic mallet, done. It will space itself just like the Rave says. I'll open up the block sometime in the future to see what else is going on but my system works so I don't mess with stuff that works. On snow, the brakes need to be in tip top shape, no sticking pucks or else your gonna have the tail come around to the front and try to take charge. That is a sad characteristic of these trucks, short wheel base and too much glass.

 

Will this prevent the brakes from feeling crunchy and not brake when it's snowy.

 

Will this prevent the brakes from feeling crunchy and not brake when it's snowy.

 

Thanks for the insight guys. I do have state inspection to deal with. I removed the fuse and everything feels so much better. It is driving like a truck should again! The ABS warning light is illuminated so I will replace fuse for the inspection which does not include road test, it is simply checked in the station bay.
perhaps someday I'll get the itch to go through the testing procedure but its not next on the list.