Does this diagnosis seem right (and other questions).

[Dave7]

I am quite ignorant re car engines etc so this might be a "how long is a piece of string" query.
My daughters car is a 1400 petrol Corsa with only 20k on the clock.
It has started pulling to the right when braking at speed.
I assumed the problem was 'tracking' or similar so put it in the garage.
They have messaged to say it is the ABS but can't give me a price until they in turn get a price for the units(s).
Dilemma is...........
It's a lovely little car (top of the range when new) and runs very well but probably only worth £1K.
Questions........
1. IYO does the ABS sound right ?
2. Any guesses as to what I should expect repair to cost ?
3. IF we decide to sell it......how do we do so with ify ABS ?
Thanks
Dave.

 

[Oldhippy]

Tracking, uneven tyre wear, wrong inflation are where I'd start first personally. All easy fixes.

 

[Fastpedaller]

Clearly braking related. I don't know ABS in detail, but I'd suggest it's just the pads on one side aren't moving correctly, or more likely a similar issue with the caliper. My reasoning..... if the brakes aren't used hard enough to activate the ABS, it won't be operating (usually felt as a throbbing on the foot whilst braking. It takes a surprising amount of brake force (or a very slippery surface or both) to get ABS activating - I was driving on snow several years ago and tried it!

 

[Dadam]

Could also be worn suspension bushes, or track rod ends. Are there any knocking or clunking noises from the front under braking, accelerating or going over speed bumps? Does the steering feel loose? If you wobble the wheel side to side does it feel like there is some play?

 

[Profpointy]

I'd be somewhat skeptical, though I'd guess it is possible. The ABS normally only kicks in on hard braking when a wheel starts to lock up, noticeable by a pulsing or vibration. If it pulls to one side under more normal braking an ABS fault would seem less likely. Brakes sticking, loose linkages, wheel alignment or tyre pressures would be more likely.


I can just a about envisage an ABS scenario where the ABS has wrongly decided a wheel is locking and released the brake in error, but seems a bit contrived.

Caveat, I'm not a car mechanic but have a reasonable understanding of such things

 

[raleighnut]

Could be ABS but more likely to be a partially seized brake caliper, not on the side it pulls towards but on the other side. A good brake service and new pads should sort it.

 

[Vapin' Joe]

Could be ABS but more likely to be a partially seized brake caliper, not on the side it pulls towards but on the other side. A good brake service and new pads should sort it.

That would be my guess. Garages are very quick to replace expensive components rather than spend time investigating the real cause of the fault. I'd get a second opinion if it were me.

 

[fritz katzenjammer]

Pulling when braking is most likely a sticky calliper. Although I did have an ABS system fail recently which caused all kinds of odd behaviours and cost me a friggin fortune in the end, but in that case the ABS light came on.

Second opinion time, if there’s a fault with the ABS system I would expect a warning light. This sounds like a simple mechanical issue.

 

[Vapin' Joe]

One way to check if it is the caliper is to take the car for a drive and feel if the wheel is getting hot, which it will do if the brake pads on that wheel are rubbing

 

[Profpointy]

One way to check if it is the caliper is to take the car for a drive and feel if the wheel is getting hot, which it will do if the brake pads on that wheel are rubbing

They can get very hot indeed with a sticky brake. My old Yamaha motorbike was prone to rubbing brakes. It didn't feel quite right one morning and when I stopped to investigate and the hot disc burned my wrist and half way melted my watch strap. A strip down would fix it.

 

[Psamathe]

As a non-mechanic, two thoughts:
1. I thought ABS only did anything when the system detected the wheels locking (skidding) when braking).

2. OP could aways take it to a different garage BUT DON'T tell them about the other diagnosis (ie as though they are the first to look at the issue).