Replaced missing/damaged ABS sensors, Compatible Parts - Camry ABS sensors work in 6GC Options

[phrax]

When I picked up my '94 the ABS light was on all the time. Found that the front PS sensor was missing and had been cut
leaving the bracket still attached in the wheel well. I decided to pull the DS sensor to start shopping for a visual match,
but managed to destroy it instead. So now I needed two sensors.

Looked at lots of part numbers and ebay auctions, craigslist postings but never found any solid information to go on.
Last year barterj posted his success with Camry sensors, so that's what I started looking for. Last week I dropped in at a
local wrecker just to see what was on the lot. Turns out in the 6 months since I'd been last, they'd brought in a dozen new Camrys.
Managed to pick up two sensors in great condition and didn't destroy them during removal.

The Camry sensor is not 100% the same. The wire that exits the sensor on the Celica goes up, through a clip on the lower
strut mount, through the bracket held on the body and connects to the harness at the top of the wheel well under the plastic shroud.

On the Camry sensor, the wire exits facing the ground. You can't reuse the strut mount clip and will need to tie the cable off yourself.
Thankfully zip ties are cheap and do a great job.



You can see how the wire exits facing the ground.



Loop it back up and run through a guide made of zip ties so it doesn't wander into the CV boot.





It then exits the guide and is tied against the base of the strut.



The original cable was run through a metal tube which was bolted (two 10mm head) to the wheel well. The original wire is well
rusted in the tube so I clipped the original wire leading into and out of the pipe, zap strapped the new wire against the pipe
and still used the clamp piece at the bottom. The orientation of this image is backwards as the other pictures above are from the PS,
this is from the DS but you get the idea.



It's hard to tell from this picture, but this loop of sensor wire from the bracket against the wheel well and where it's tied
against the strut needs to be slack. This is where all of the suspension travel and having enough cable length comes into play.
There is enough length in the Camry sensor cable if you route it behind the strut as I have done. I did try routing along
the front like the stock sensor/routing, but it does not leave enough cable for the suspension travel.

As for resistance or whatever factors are involved with hall effect sensors, it appears that Toyota didn't change the
electrical characteristics of their ABS/wheel speed sensors between the Celica and Camry.



Also, the profile of the sensors I grabbed did not fit into the sensor hole in the Celica knuckles. You will need to trim away
a little curb/bump from the sensor to get it to fit. The inner or smaller diameter is the same as our originals, but these extra
bumps are bigger than the hole in the cast iron knuckle. It looks like ABS plastic. Use a dremel or just a utility knife to
trim the shoulder away.

Since doing this I've tested the ABS a few times on dry and wet road and in gravel. Works perfectly.

-nils

edit: spelling.

This post has been edited by phrax: Jul 18, 2011 - 11:23 AM

[phrax]

Now that it's snowed here a couple times and the ABS has kicked in, I just want to confirm that this fix is working 100%

I wanted to post this as it's something that I'm sure most people wouldn't want to dick with, perhaps letting a shop do the work. So ya, ~6 months after the above repair the ABS works as it should.

[finalate]

can u send me a message of all the parts and model numbers and year of the camry u used the sensor from.

also, do you know where i would put the extra steel break lines if im converting a drum to disc in the rear?

Now that it's snowed here a couple times and the ABS has kicked in, I just want to confirm that this fix is working 100%

I wanted to post this as it's something that I'm sure most people wouldn't want to dick with, perhaps letting a shop do the work. So ya, ~6 months after the above repair the ABS works as it should.