Wire sheared off of ABS pump
 

Could really use some advice and ideas about how to fix this! A wire on my ABS pump is broken right where it goes into the pump.

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.f15...08c49d079b.jpg
Arrow points to where the wire broke.
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.f15...9636e7b962.jpg
My attempt at a close-up.

The area is a little blackened from my first repair attempt: soldering. I couldn't seem to get the solder to flow into it. Could be because the big aluminum block is acting as a heat-sink, plus there's not enough room to feed in the solder without touching the tip - so it's melting on the iron without sticking to the broken nub.

Next up I tried just grounding it (hence the yellow ring terminal attached to the bolt on the left side of the red wire). That didn't work either. I thought maybe it was just a ground sine there are only two wires - one red, one black. Most likely though, even if that is a ground, it needs to be grounded as it exits the pump, not from the plug.

My third idea - one I haven't tried yet - is to just screw a #6 self-threading screw into the nub and then attach the wire to that. I will only get one try at that repair obviously. I will probably need to file it flat a bit so it goes in straight.

Any other ideas?

Does anyone know what the wires do? If I knew for sure, that might help me figure out the best fix.

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.f15...2825fa8f5b.jpg

Have you tried taking the electric motor off and disassembling that ? You might be able to connect to that ground better further inside the motor housing.

I think I fixed it!

I took a rotary tool with a sanding pad to the ground to level it out - in preparation of using the self-threading screw like I mentioned above. I.e. right here:

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.f15...df0710183f.jpg

However, when I sanded it down a bit I noticed a bit of copper poking through... I thought: "Maybe I can chip away the plastic a bit to get a better piece of the wire to solder to and try that again. If it doesn't work, I can probably still sand it flat and try my screw idea."

I grabbed a small chisel and tapped around that area, chewing away the plastic all around the ground until I was left with a piece of copper (it's a thin piece of copper under the plastic by the way, not wire - almost like a tab terminal).

Since I had a protruding piece of copper to work with this time, I grabbed my solder station instead of the big soldering gun I tried last time. In my first attempt, I thought the higher-powered gun would help me quickly heat up the spot I was trying to solder without melting the whole area, but the smaller chisel tip I used on my solder station iron was a much better choice. Easier to control and had more than enough heat (once I turned it up near the max) to get the tab nice and hot. I pre-tinned the copper tab and the wire from the plug, then just held them together and heated the tab until the solder melted.

After reinstalling the ABS module, it was time for a test... NO ABS LIGHT on startup! Hurray!

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.f15...cc58ae2590.jpg

I'm pretty happy. The ABS pump is not a cheap part to replace. I still plan to remove the ABS module again and paint some liquid electrical tape on my solder joint to help insulate it. I probably should have used some adhesive heat shrink, but it's too late now and I'm not going to desolder the connection to add it now.

By the way 01-7700, I definitely considered trying to remove the motor like you described. However, visually it looks like maybe you have to remove the whole pump to do so? I.e. the bracket holding the pump on wraps around the end of that motor, so I assumed you couldn't easily remove that piece. Maybe I'm wrong though and it's not connected, just resting against the motor? If so, that would be a really good idea. It was really tough to solder leaning into the engine bay with my solder station balanced on the engine cover.
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.f15...3edbcbe8aa.jpg

Also I should add: I also considered removing the whole pump. However, it sounds like you need either a very expensive scan tool or a trip to the dealer to bleed the ABS system after you do. I was keen to avoid that.

good job

I saw your conundrum but didn't have any good ideas. Nice job with the fix. The only thing I might add is be sure you support it by zip-tying the wires together, or to the bracket, maybe, to relieve/eliminate strain on that solder connection.

Thanks guys. That's a good idea to see what I can do to support the wire. I have to take it apart again anyway. Might even be worth coating it in some epoxy putty (e.g. JB weld steelstik). Can't see a reason to ever take it off - unless it breaks again. I hope to finish the job tonight - I'll snap some photos of the repair too, in case anyone else comes across this issue in the future.

Odd fault though in my opinion. The wire is tucked away under the module and right next to the pump, so I'm not sure how it got broken in the first place.

I'm pleased to get away with a cheap repair though. The truck probably isn't worth much more in resale than Ford would've charged to repair it. My uncle gave me the truck after he couldn't get it passed an out-of-province inspection with the ABS light on. Quote for the repair (which included a new pump and module) was right around $2000. It's in pretty good shape though overall, especially considering it's age. The ABS issue was the only reason for the failed inspection - and the out-of-province ones are pretty intensive.

My current truck (a 1994 GMC 1500) seems to develop a new, albeit minor, issue every week, so I'm eager to get this one inspected and on the road so I can dump the GMC! That truck is a whole different story. 25 years old and only 130,000 kilometers on it.

That looks like a successfully dodged bullet. Do you have any closeups of your repair? I'd be interested in checking them out, if so.

The JB Weld idea isn't a bad one. That, and securing the wire should be good long term.

I'd be concerned with jb welding right there because if it vibrates it could crack the joint and then you basically have a weight on that wire vibrating too and that will shorten the life.

I like the above mentioned of liquid electrical tape. Just glob it in there