It appears the front left ABS cable has gone bad. Any tips on removal and replacement? My car is a 2000 XK8.

 

The cable connects to yhe harness on top of the wheel well. If you disconnect there and tie a string on the cable you can pull it out the wheel well and use the string to pull the replacement through.

Some members have spliced the connectors onto new wires and avoided the cost of the cable replacement.

 

That advice about using a string to guide the "new" sensor harness between the wheel speed sensors and up on the fender was terrific, so thanks very much for that. I bought a used sensor harness, I had already tried the ABS module soldering and had replaced one of the rear wheel harnesses. There are no pictures that I could find on the forum of how it looks, and I didn't think to take any myself. But to those trying it, on the passenger side, be advised that you have to peel back the fender liner / shielding and unscrew at least one of the fasteners to get to the hole where the harness comes through. That part has a rubber donut that you have to fit around the edge of the hole. To do so, it's pretty much necessary to also take off the air filter box---and I'd take it all the way off, there is only one 10mm nut holding it from the top after you unclip and remove the top part. I tried to just move it out of the way, and in putting it back, I snapped the breather tube connector. It's also best to unplug the sensors up there to be able to move the air box. Also you'll need a couple of zip ties to affix the sensor wire in place near the wheel, and a scissors to cut off the old zip ties. Spraying some electric cleaner on the connectors and using a wire brush to clean the reluctor wheel (the toothed gear that the sensor magnet picks up) and removing an cleaning the sensor since you're in there anyway, also a good idea. Of course you also need to remove the wheel to get access, but it can easily be done without a lift. Fortunately for me, I didn't have to replace the drivers' side as the ABS module may be in the way and it's going to be different from the passenger side.

The bottom line is it worked, though, and I can't believe what a relief it is after many months of staring at the damned ABS / Trac not available lights.

 

Thanks for the write up. In the future I’ll be doing this as full lock steering, on my 1999 XK8, sometimes causes the problem you’re describing Pretty sure it’s the cable harness you described.