It's been 4 years since I drove my FD with any regularity (other than each Spring and Fall, well under 100 miles each year). The ABS was working four years ago, but I recently went to bed the new rotors and pads I install on the car and locked up the brakes. The ABS warning light is not on while I'm driving. Anybody got a clue as to how to get my ABS working again?

Thanks!

 

Did you nail the brakes from a substantial (like 30-40mph) speed and just had the brakes totally lock?

Might try flushing the brake fluid, a solenoid might be stuck in the ABS pump or something.

Dale

 

Dale, you were right. Flushed the old ATE SB out with Napa DOT 4 with a Motive Power Bleeder and ABS now works. Funny thing is how different old-tech ABS works from newer setups, my DD is a 2006 Saab 9-3. On the Saab, the ABS seems to kick in if I apply the brakes semi-hard (and nowhere even close to wheel lockup) while on the RX-7 it kicks in only right on the verge and you can hear the tires chirping away...

 

Maybe the RX7 ABS is "tuned" different ... more of a high performance car = ABS kicks in closer to the edge. Did you check the ABS light bulb, I'm curious why it didn't light?

 

Probably a function of the RX-7 having a slow ABS computer that can't handle more nuanced algorithms, and solenoids with a lot of mass that don't move as fast as those in modern ABS pumps.