Reluctor rings

[Steve Pen]

Help! I have experienced problems associated with cracked reluctor rings, cracking and solid brake pedal when moving slowly on a tight lock. I have spoken to numerous "experts" who suggested it must be a damaged reluctor ring. Had front rings changed no difference. Took car back to garage so they could check rear. No faults found but both front and rear needed a lot of cleaning. £360 later still have same issue. No ABS warning light. Any suggestions what to do next. The car is a 2005 3 door RAV4, lovely condition, only covered 40k so too nice to scrap ☹️

[Bper]

Hi Steve,given your experience with cracked reluctor rings mentioned it's important to acknowledge that in certain cases, such as the one described, a cracked reluctor ring could lead to abnormal braking behavior, including a solid pedal sensation, especially during slow speeds and tight turns. This is because a damaged reluctor ring can disrupt the ABS system, causing irregular signals and potentially affecting braking performance.While it's general that a faulty reluctor ring by itself wouldn't typically cause a solid pedal, in situations where there is evidence of damage or cracking, it becomes a significant factor to consider in the diagnosis.

It's important to investigate other potential issues within the mechanical braking system, such as a faulty master cylinder, seized calipers, worn pistons, or damaged brake lines, which can also result in a firm pedal sensation. I would get a second opinion from a mechanic who can thoroughly inspect the reluctor rings and other brake components to ensure an accurate diagnosis and proper resolution to your issue.It may take some time for the exact issue is found there is no reason why your car shouldn't be back on the road.

[Steve Pen]

Bper,

Thanks for the quick response. As mentioned the front reluctor rings were replaced with new but there was no damage found on the old rings. The rear rings have now been checked and no damage found but it still has the solid pedal and juddering at slow speed when on hard lock. Otherwise braking is fine. Do you think I would still get juddering from caliper or piston problems?

[Bper]

Hi Steve, based on the symptoms described solid pedal and juddering at slow speed when on hard lock, the most likely cause could be issues with the brake calipers or pistons. Specifically, sticking caliper pistons or seized caliper slide pins can cause uneven pressure on the brake pads, leading to juddering during braking, especially at slow speeds and when turning sharply. These issues can occur even if the reluctor rings themselves are intact. I would inspect the calipers, pistons, and slide pins for signs of corrosion, damage, or uneven wear would be a good next step to diagnose and address the problem.hope this helps 

[flash22]

petrol or diesel? auto or manual, You may be losing vacuum pressure at the servo at lower rpm, any loss in fluid? have the ABS sensors been changed, if it is on its originals the holes can swell (rust jacking) and cause sensor issues at lower RPMs (signal drop out) the only way to see this is with a mid/high end scan tool or oscilloscope

[Steve Pen]

8 minutes ago, Bper said:

Hi Steve, based on the symptoms described solid pedal and juddering at slow speed when on hard lock, the most likely cause could be issues with the brake calipers or pistons. Specifically, sticking caliper pistons or seized caliper slide pins can cause uneven pressure on the brake pads, leading to juddering during braking, especially at slow speeds and when turning sharply. These issues can occur even if the reluctor rings themselves are intact. I would inspect the calipers, pistons, and slide pins for signs of corrosion, damage, or uneven wear would be a good next step to diagnose and address the problem.hope this helps 

Bper, thanks for this, suppose it's worth a look. In the stage where you start thinking do I keep the car? ☹️

[Steve Pen]

8 minutes ago, flash22 said:

petrol or diesel? auto or manual, You may be losing vacuum pressure at the servo at lower rpm, any loss in fluid? have the ABS sensors been changed, if it is on its originals the holes can swell (rust jacking) and cause sensor issues at lower RPMs (signal drop out) the only way to see this is with a mid/high end scan tool or oscilloscope

Petrol, manual, no loss of fluid. Not changed the sensors as never had any ABS warning light. Would you get an ABS light from signal drop out?

[Bper]

9 minutes ago, Steve Pen said:

Bper, thanks for this, suppose it's worth a look. In the stage where you start thinking do I keep the car? ☹️

Hi Steve both @flash22 and myself have given possible issues that can cause these problems. IMO it depends on both your budget and technical ability in investigating this problem yourself. I would look at both comments and highlight the ones you can check yourself without initial garage costs. Eliminating these should narrow down where the problem lies. From your post you have considered scrapping the car but it may well be something that the garage has missed on the inspection. As flash has said ABS sensors and vacuum leaks are a possibility and as mentioned do you have a good scan tool.Hope this helps

[GBgraham]

I would investigate as Flash22 has said starting with a check on the servo and vacuum. Then if nothing found move on with testing for consistent and even signals from the ABS sensors. For this as mentioned you will need something that can take live data of the wheel sensors if the car carries this info or failing this prior mentioned oscilloscope but of course this will need technical ability🤔

[Steve Pen]

thanks for all your responses, need to have a good think about what to do next 👍

[Mjolinor]

Why do anything? Let it develop. You have not mentioned that it is not working so leave it be until it is obvious.

Unless of course it doesn't stop when you ask it to. 🙂