1991 318is ABS - Option or Standard?

[craig2301]

Hi all,

I'm currently getting the car ready for an MOT after a few years of storage - it previously passed MOT's up until 2016 without any ABS warning light issues. The ABS warning light was always ON since I bought the car as far as I remember.

The ABS warning lamp is illuminated pre-ignition and once the engine is running, suggesting a fault.

The wiring for the front ABS sensors is tucked under the fuse box and the front hubs do not have sensors.
Likewise the rear wiring goes to the caliper holding bracket then there is no sensor installed.

I've not seen the ABS pump in the bulkhead or O/S Lamp area which I thought was strange, and since I've read that post '87 ABS in EUR O spec cars was an option, could it be that my car never had ABS? OR did someone delete it a while back - seeing as I have an ABS warning lamp in the dash. But I can't imagine anyone went to the effort of re-plumbing all brake lines etc.

Can anyone clarify whether all 1991 318is UK spec non CAT cars had ABS? If so, where is it?
IF it never had ABS then why is the light on in the cluster?

[flybynite]

IF it never had ABS then why is the light on in the cluster?

Swapped cluster maybe?

Wiki says it was an option, back in the day a mate's 318is did not have ABS I know that for certain.

You could put your chassis number in one of the VIN checkers to see if yours had the ABS option from new

[DanThe]

The brake pipes are usually a giveaway that ABS has been removed, there would be brackets where the pump was mounted also. Look above the glovebox for the ABS ecu

[rix313]

You're looking in all the correct places and it does seem odd. Someone re-doing the brake lines in standard configuration isn't out of the realms of possibility. You can always request the original spec from Cotswolds BMW and they send you a screen shot of what the car would have been ordered with. It was an option but never standard fitment. I take it there's no history suggesting an ABS system was removed?

[craig2301]

No evidence of brake lines or brackets in the engine bay. History-wise the car has had 4 owners in one family, where it started as a company car then sold to neighbour who scrubbed up a few detail items but to my knowledge didn't carry out any heavy lifting.

Considering there are receipts for labour which involved removing and re-fitting wiper blades I would be very surprised if they b*stardized the ABS themselves.

No previous mentions of ABS in MOT history as far back as I can find, other than 2008 comment of 'ABS warning light illuminated'.
Will double check above the glove box for the ECU though, if that's not there then its decided.
Also the cotswold idea is good to get an overivew - I can't seem to find much granularity with the online VIN checkers other than Colour/Engine/Transmission etc.

[rix313]

No those VIN checkers are often rubbish. The one Cotswolds supply are really good. Send them a PM with your reg and email address and they'll send you a screen shot .JPG of their proper VIN checker. Gives you the original dealer, build date, option codes etc

Considering there are receipts for labour which involved removing and re-fitting wiper blades I would be very surprised if they b*stardized the ABS themselves.

This made me chuckle

[craig2301]

Cheers all! I'll get in the gloveox at the weekend and have word with Cotswold!

[flybynite]

No those VIN checkers are often rubbish.

The one I use has been pretty dead-on with the build and options on the cars I have and a couple of others I have looked at ,

https://bimmercat.com/bmw/en/vin/decoder/online

Problem is some of them display the vin on the site for all to see, not really a problem but I would sooner not.

[craig2301]

No those VIN checkers are often rubbish.

The one I use has been pretty dead-on with the build and options on the cars I have and a couple of others I have looked at ,

https://bimmercat.com/bmw/en/vin/decoder/online

Problem is some of them display the vin on the site for all to see, not really a problem but I would sooner not.

Pretty good overview that thank you!
The only thing I'm missing is whether car had an LSD from standard, it's got a tag on the rear plate and drives like its an LSD but I've never had it on a ramp to check wheel rotation.
Will be getting it off next week for new seals and oil so I'll find out for sure then.

[rix313]

LSD vs open is night and day. Another common miss conception about the iS came with one as standard which they didn’t.