New ITV Ruling Regarding Your Vehicle’s ABS System

New ITV Ruling Regarding Your Vehicle's ABS System

New ITV Ruling Regarding Your Vehicle’s ABS System functioning correctly

With the latest change, on June 1, in the regulations of the Technical Inspection of Vehicles in Spain, (ITV), you need to be aware that your car’s ABS system is now an integral part of the inspection, and if it fails, it will be classed as a serious defect – even now including if the warning light should just come on – which is not the end of your headache, because fixing an ABS system can cost you anywhere up to €1000 depending on the fault.

Thankfully, as most mechanics will tell you, the ABS system is not prone to breaking down, but, it is always safer to take your vehicle to a trusted local mechanic for a pre-ITV check, which can help to save you a lot of money long-term, according to elespanol.com.

An ABS braking system prevents the wheels from locking in the event of sudden braking, having sensors on each wheel that provide information to the control unit as to the number of revolutions it makes, which prevents harsh braking that could lead to your vehicle skidding, and the possible loss of driver control.

ABS is a fundamental system for road safety, and all vehicles manufactured since 2004 in the European Union must have the system fitted, and there are several checks you can carry out to check the system’s functionality.

The first, and most obvious sign is when the warning light is not working, however, that could be just a faulty cable connection, which although it may save you the serious misconduct rating on the ITV, could be dangerous for you as a driver, but, as a mechanic will tell you, is not common.

This fault can of course be detected and fixed by putting the vehicle in a diagnostic machine, which will tell you what problem the ABS has, and can cost you as little as €30 euros, for the peace of mind.

Possibly, the fault lies only in dirt on the sensors, and although everything is working correctly in the braking system, the pilot is not receiving the necessary signal and warns us otherwise, a simple job that involves removing the wheel and cleaning the connection, which takes around an hour of a mechanic’s time, however, if the sensor is found to be faulty, then that could cost you between €100 and €150 for each sensor.

Then of course there is the worst-case scenario of a fault in the switchboard, in the software of the system, in which case, the repair can cost a lot more, if it maybe needs to be reprogrammed, but, it is a necessary repair as your life may depend on the ABS one day, and with the new ITV ruling, needs to be working.

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Written by

Chris King

Originally from Wales, Chris spent years on the Costa del Sol before moving to the Algarve where he is a web reporter for The Euro Weekly News covering international and Spanish national news. Got a news story you want to share? Then get in touch at editorial@euroweeklynews.com

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