23 replies to this topic

[kelowrath]

Just a quick word around Vxs in the snow, got to admit I was very impressed with mine, powered up hills, never felt anything other than well behaved. Unless of course I dicked about and put too much power down consequently leading to the arse having a jiggle. How are others finding them? Are you stupid enough (like me) to risk taking yours out in the snow? On a side note, on the way back from work, five minutes into the journey my abs light came on and low and behold my abs had gone. I hadn't really used my brakes at all in those five minutes and my abs had been working previously having had a little mess around in work's car park. Common cold weather thing? Or loose wire? Or maybe snow getting in through the grill short circuiting something? Either way bad time to lose abs lol.

[DarrylB]

I use my VX all year round, it's actually not bad in the snow at all is it. As for the ABS, welcome to the world of 'TADTS' It'll be a loose or broken wire I suspect and if your speedo is still working, then it's not the NSR that's the cause. After a quick visual inspection, There is a test you can do with a voltmeter, a jack and knowing the pin outs on the ABS plug and spinning the wheel (hence the jack) it's in the TIS guides somewhere. If no one else points it out tonight, ill dig it out tomorrow

[TheRealVXed]

Abs is shite anyway. May as well turn it off. Think the VXR has 4 channel as well. Which it also gash

[Sammyturbo]

ABS kicks in if you even think about braking in the snow check my YouTube channel for.videos of my VX in the snow ! I think they are perfectly fine to drive what ever the weather as long as you stay within your limits

[Paulinefairey]

As the Merc would not get its Ass off the driveway even let alone attempt my unadapted road to the main road, I removed the dust cover from the VX which hasn't turned a wheel since September, disconnected trickle feed, fired her up first time and off she went. Drive cross country , and I mean cross country where no fritter dares to go and took some supplies to a friend whose Merc also won't get its Ass off the driveway. Got a lot of peculiar looks from the 4wheel drive country brigade but had no trouble at all! It always makes my friends laugh when I call the VX my bad weather car, my female friends don't understand about rear/front wheel drive and I'm not about to explain it to them LOL. Drive the VX correctly and she it is just fine, hats off to all you who use it all year round more for the fact my feet get cold cos of the lazy heater......

[Andrew aka Stuwy]

The abs is sh*t. Just make sure the light is out for mot. Otherwise leave it off IMO

[Stevie Dubyah]

The abs is sh*t. Just make sure the light is out for mot. Otherwise leave it off IMO

How do turn the light off please?

[Nev]

ABS functionality is compromised if the rolling circumferance of your front wheels is different to your rears.

[mbes2]

I never had any brake problems before moving to 16" fronts. I keep my ABS on, as kinda become use to it but have a fitted switch to disable if needed.

[DarrylB]

Have a read of THIS to help with diagnostics and fault finding

[FLD]

OP-COM is useful for OE ABS fault finding. It tells you if its a wire or sensor failure (well mine does). Saves a lot of fannying about.

[siztenboots]

where is the latest op-com download

[DarrylB]

The abs is sh*t. Just make sure the light is out for mot. Otherwise leave it off IMO

How do turn the light off please?

You need to fix the ABS issue to turn the light out, that's the only solution I know of anyway.

[P11 COV]

ABS functionality is compromised if the rolling circumferance of your front wheels is different to your rears.

Abs is no worse/ no better with different size wheels back to front. That's with my many years of vx experience on 17/17 and 16/17 combos anyway.

[Andrew aka Stuwy]

The abs is sh*t. Just make sure the light is out for mot. Otherwise leave it off IMO

How do turn the light off please?

9 times out of 10 it's a broken wire and its the easiest thing to check. Look in your wheel arches if there are any broken wires, re connect them. Some times they snap too close to the hub and then you have problems.

[elwill]

ABS functionality is compromised if the rolling circumferance of your front wheels is different to your rears.

Abs is no worse/ no better with different size wheels back to front. That's with my many years of vx experience on 17/17 and 16/17 combos anyway.

Agreed. Can't comment on the 16/17 combo because I've never driven it but I've had ice mode kick in plenty of times with Mintex 1155s on standard wheels. There's a bump at the top of my road which kicks it in every single time.

[Ormes]

My undertanding is that the abs module measures that you are locking up, through the wheel speeds being different beyond a defined tollerance. Not sure if the difference in rolling circumference between 16/17 is enough to thow the wheel speeds beyond defined tollerance or not. I know somebody who's TC chucked a wobbler when Vauxhall fitted incorrect profile tyres to his Astra

[spuk87]

I've only had my abs light start intermittently coming in after switching to lower front wheel circumference (due to tyre profile), if I brake a lot in short succession, enough to trigger abs, then quite often my abs light then comes on.

[Gizmotron]

if I brake a lot in short succession, enough to trigger abs, then quite often my abs light then comes on.

I have had this before also, when i was on a walshy day. Best thing I done was fitted a switch and turned it off, Especially in this weather I didn't want it going in to ice mode.

[techieboy]

Then you've got a problem of some form. The ABS light doesn't come on to show it's in use/been triggered.