Honda Car Forum

Well, last week the ABS light on my dash went on and it seems the ABS
pump needs replacement.

Can this be fixed or is a replacement the only option?
I'm asking coz replacing it with a new ABS pump is very expensive
(they say $1200-1300) and mechanics rather replace then repair coz
it's faster/easier work....


Daizie

Is this for the 1995 Prelude you mention in another thread?

Some ideas, based on my experience with shops and also doing much of my own
repairs and maintenance (on a 91 Civic):

Are you willing to do some of the work in diagnosing this yourself?

If not, then I would consider getting a second opinion and maybe even a
third one. All opinions should be from shops specialized in Hondas (dealer
or otherwise). If one of the opinions is from a dealer, then get the other
opinion from an independent shop. and vice-versa. You should be willing to
spend the $70 or so for the diagnosis. Check in advance whether this will be
deducted from the cost of the repair itself.

Have the repair done at the shop that gives you a guarantee that this will
fix the problem. Ask them whether, if the problem recurs, you will have to
pay them again to fix it (again). Get this in writing. Many shops will
provide such a guarantee.

A popular online Honda parts site (Majestic) quotes about $840 for the ABS
pump, so if in fact the pump needs replacing, then what they're quoting you
isn't entirely unreasonable.

If you're feeling adventurous, go to www.autozone.com, and follow the links
to the free repair guides for a 95 Prelude. There is a section of this that
discusses some preliminary diagnosis of the ABS system (once the warning
light is on), though at a certain point, the guide says:

"Diagnosis of the system requires Honda's ALB checker, a sophisticated test
tool available at dealerships. In the event that the warning lamp on your
car stays on during normal operation, check the simple things carefully. The
most frequent causes of signal error or loss are not the most difficult to
investigate."

Technicians often replace rather than repair for reliability and economy
reasons. The cost of repairing can often exceed the cost of a new part and
the labor to install it. Also, the reliability of a part tends to be higher
when it's new rather than just repaired. Not having to make a second trip
for the same part (only repaired vs. replaced) within a couple years (vs.
five years) surely is worth something, no? Not always, but sometimes. You're
right to be skeptical, but I wouldn't generalize too much. Some of these
folks are honest. In my experience, the dealers are the least honest and
pressure their technicians and managers to generate revenue and prey on
customers ignorant about cars.

Keep checking back. Others may post with suggestions.

"Daisy K." <daisy.kellogNOSPAM@gmail.com> wrote
> Well, last week the ABS light on my dash went on and it seems the ABS
> pump needs replacement.
>
> Can this be fixed or is a replacement the only option?
> I'm asking coz replacing it with a new ABS pump is very expensive
> (they say $1200-1300) and mechanics rather replace then repair coz
> it's faster/easier work....