The Rover SLABS system is touchy and a bunch of things can set it off. ABS sensors and hubs come up around here a lot. I think the shuttle valve failure is a somewhat less common occurrence (?).

At any rate though, your unique selling proposition is that it's easy (sounds like), potentially a lot easier than even the shuttle valve fix. Price is important, but not HUGELY important when compared to a $2000 module replacement bill. That said, you are competing with a fairly well known DIY that's essentially free, but if you can keep the price reasonable you probably have a market. As time goes by you'll see if your module is a permanent fix or just a band-aid.

Storey Wilson has done something similar to you in developing the ABS Amigo that helps diagnose the SLABS ECU. It's a simple tool but is really great to have and sells for $198.

We definitely need more info and pics. Explain how it works in a little more detail (if you're comfortable) and show us how to install it.

Shoot I may get one if the price is right even though my ABS module isn't throwing any fits yet.

 

you reinvented Josh's fix by building some crazy box with lights!

 

I don't think it's josh's fix. It was a fix from a hummer forum, one of the hummers use the same wabco abs unit.

 

isnt it the same premise with the green yellow wire though?

 

Took some photos today:




Here's the box. The yellow light just means the box is getting a signal from the brake pedal. The red light (excuse the thumb in the photo) means it has detected a fault in the sensors, has relived them of their duties, and is sending the SLABS unit a signal based on the brake pedal sensor.

Before I had "The Crazy Box with Lights" (thanks to hilltoppersx for the name), I basically had 3 sorts of drives:

(1) No Three Amigos at all
(2) I would get the Three Amigos at some point during the drive, stop, restart the truck, and they would go away
(3) I would get the Amigos, restart, and they would come right back on

After the crazy box (with lights), I notice this same pattern, just instead of the Amigos, I just get my little red light.

(1) I won't see the red light at all during the drive (except when it comes on at startup)
(2) I'll see it come on briefly every once in a while (it engages for a minimum of about 8 seconds, so it's easy to spot even the smallest of faults)
(3) The red light will be on for the major parts of the drive

Either way, no Amigos, full ABS.

 

maxman...my offer still stands, $100 bucks, but I will sweeten the pot just a bit...since it is unproven and basically a beta, I will pay for the parts to manufacture...you provide exact instructions to install and I will be your first customer...remember, Bill Gates literally gave away his (stolen apple) operating system before it took off...

 

$200 fully assembled unit ready to connect in, or $100 kit with custom circuit board and all the right parts and easy instructions that just needed to be put together?

mwindth, I'd love to have you be a beta tester. Let's talk more about the details.

I'm not trying to get rich off of this I'm just thinking maybe my idea can fund the next tune up.

 

Help me out here so I understand what you're asserting this unit does.

So, this will reset the SLABS memory clearing the 3-Amigos? Does it work for all of the failures that trigger the 3-Amigos, or just the Shuttle valve failure? Will it also allow you to actually read the codes? (Just in case you actually want to fix the problem.)

Maybe someone else on the forum can confirm this for me, can you leave the ABS Amigo connected and have it do the same thing?

If this unit does everything, or nearly everything that the ABS Amigo does, but is half the price (for the kit), then I'm interested too.

 

The box doesn't clear or resets the codes. It keeps them from happening. When the shuttle valve sensors fail, my box steps in and sends a replacement signal to the SLABS until the shuttle valve sensors start working again, at which point it puts them back into service. The response time of the box is so much faster than the SLABS, that the SLABS never detects a fault and everything keeps working great. The reason I took this route, is I didn't have to touch the ABS module. After I designed/built the box, I hooked up it's five wires and was done.

 

Hey, Maxman. I think your idea has just the sort of ingenuity we need as shadetree mechanics. Thank you for your idea and execution.

I do have a couple of questions though. My 3 amigos have been on since I bought the truck a year ago. I have not diagnosed them yet. I would need to either go get them diagnosed at a LR stealership (if I remember correctly $125 to read and $125 to clear), at an Indie shop ($75 from a local brake place nearby me to read and clear), or buy an ABS Amigo for a single $198. How were you able to determine your fault codes were due to the shuttle valves other than spending money on one of these methods? Is your solution able to read and clear codes?

You see, unless you know that the fault is due to the shuttle valves and not a sensor or hub, you have to consider the cost of diagnosing the problem as well for your customers. When they tally your $100 solution with the cost of diagnosis, to me it seems to make sense to just purchase the ABS Amigo. Now if you could also read and clear codes to assist with non-shuttle valve faults then your solution would be the ideal, because it could combine diagnosis of the hub and sensor-related faults with the real-time diagnosis and correcting of shuttle valve faults.

Sorry for my rambling, just trying to make financial sence of the whole process. I'm interested in seeing where this goes.