[awdxtc]

Ok I have a question about the three amigos, I am looking at a 99 disco and the owner says the descent light and ABS light are on, what kind of drivability issues would this cause? I am ok with the abs not working but is it going to cause some type of drivability issue?

 

[Chafero1]

No not at all I mean they are safety features but normal drivability shouldn't be affected at all, I drive with them on sometimes mine don't come on but when they do I just ignore I don't see nor feel any difference


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[awdxtc]

Good to know. has there ever been definitive fix for the 3 amigos? I have tried searching but it's like searching the net for "chocolate chip cookie recipe" about 1 million threads and I just don't have time to read through all of that. I figure if this has been going on for what, 14-15 years someone has to have come up with a solution.

 

[Chafero1]

Look at the stickies jycsalas has a thread for the ABS Modulator fix it's the first one , you would have to pull the codes before you can actually see if it is the modulator itself-.- I pulled my Wabco pos (abs module) out and there was fluid corroding from the bottom


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[awdxtc]

what are some other common causes for the lights?

 

[Chafero1]

Wheel sensors, someone told me that sometimes brake dust build up could set off the sensor but most of the time it's the module


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[wmsimpson]

What causes the lights in any particular incidence is right there in the trouble codes stored in the ECU, easily read read by code scanner with ABS/SRS capability. If you want to work on modern cars, you need a scanner, and these are now quite affordable and will save you a ton of money and time when it comes to troubleshooting. Even if you don't do the work yourself, knowing what you're dealing with is invaluable when it comes to being treated fairly. Climbing down off my soapbox...

Common causes for 3 Amigos are Shuttle Valve Switch failure caused by seal leakage, and wheel speed sensor issues. Sometimes just a little glitch in the sensor circuit will turn the lights on, ad all you need to do is clear the codes. (That's where the scanner comes in)

 

[Joe Btfsplk]

three amigos

And in addition to what wmsimpson says, (all 100% correct), you can still drive the car. However, if the TC,ABS and Hill descent lights are on, you will have reduced or no functionality for those features. You will not have ABS which is, in my mind, the worst to lose of the three. I drove mine for about two weeks until I cleared the codes, no harm done. However, you should get the codes checked out before too much time passes. Unfortunately, you only ever really need ABS in an emergency, and when that happens it is too late.....

 

[lowest bidder]

You will not have ABS which is, in my mind, the worst to lose of the three... ...Unfortunately, you only ever really need ABS in an emergency, and when that happens it is too late.....

I absolutely agree. On a vehicle with a high center of gravity like the Disco, I feel losing ABS is worst than losing it on a sedan because things can degrade a lot faster. One day, before I got rid of the 3 amigos, I happened to drive our Disco on pure ice with a fine layer of water on it, which is the absolute worst, and I felt relatively comfortable with it until I lost ABS. Then it became too much to handle, and I was VERY happy I was almost home.

In the case of the modulator, there is an absolute fix and it's found in the 3 Amigos sticky on top of the Disco 2 page.