Roadster ABS Unit Removal

Mod Details
PremiumNo Difficulty Mod ID1392 Creditevilution For452 Roadster Linkhttps://dev.evilution.co.uk/mod/roadster-abs-unit-removal.htm Copy to Clipboard

On the Roadster, the ABS pump is easy to access. You open the bonnet and remove the front boot bucket.

It has 6 pipes, 1 sensor and 1 multipin connector.
The outer 2 pipes on the top of the unit go to the brake master cylinder.
The remaining 4 pipes go to each wheel. The sensor is for ESP brake pressure.

Unscrew all of the pipes. Understand that as soon as you remove these, you will need MB Star to bleed the brake fluid through the system when it’s refitted. MB Star actively opens the valves and pumps the fluid.

On the back of the pump is the ESP controller. These have been known to fail due to water ingress. Grab the locking lever…

…and flip it up.

The multipin connector can now be pulled from the ESP controller.

The only thing holding the ABS pump to the car is…

2x 13mm nuts that can be accessed from underneath. They will be rusty as fuck.

With those sprayed in penetrating oil, a lot of swearing and eventual removal, you can lift the pump upwards.

It can now be removed from the car.

Fitting A Replacement

It’s just the reverse of removal.

Refilling The Brake Fluid

Unless you have a diagnostics machine like MB Star DAS that can activate the pump and valves in the ESP unit, you will almost certainly be unable to bleed this unit. You’ll be left with a soft or non existent brake pedal and a braking system full of air. The unit contains a pump and 12 valves, 3 for each brake. Gravity or vacuums aren’t going to help you.

You will have to fill the brake fluid reservoir with fluid and keep someone on stand-by with brake fluid to continuously top it up as you run the brake purge program.

MB Star DAS will talk you through each step and it will tell you which brake you are bleeding. It will complete them in this order:

Offside Front
Nearside Front
Nearside Rear
Offside Rear

It’s done in this order as it’s done by brake pipe length. From shortest to longest.

If you have removed the ABS pump and fitted a replacement, you may even need to run the bleeding program more than once. You are looking for a stream of brake fluid coming from the bleed nipple with no air bubbles.