ESP light

I have a permanent amber electronic stability programme (ESP) alarm on the dash of my 2008 Ford C-MAX Zetec with 40,000 miles. There are no OBD alarm codes. However, the car is not fitted with ESP, which is confusing me. My web research has led me to believe that the fault lies in the ABS hydraulic unit, which is apparently a common fault with Fords of this age.

Is it a known issue? Is a unit replacement easy? What is the weakness in the unit? The part is expensive and I do not wish to buy a similar model unit.

Cliff Evans

This is a known issue and is usually caused by failure of the ABS pump/ecu assembly. You mention that there are no EOBD codes, but this may be because you are using an EOBD code reader and not a Fordspecific device. The European onboard diagnostic compatibility only covers engine codes and is not applicable to the brake, transmission and restraint system codes. If the ABS was read using a Ford unit, I would expect to find a code such as ‘C1288 brake pressure sensor primary/main circuit failure’.

The ABS/ECU assembly can be rebuilt by ecutesting.com and will be returned with a lifetime warranty for £198 plus postage. A similar service is available from bba-reman.com

Once the replacement unit has been fitted, the brake circuits will need to be bled out and you may have to clear the fault code to extinguish the warning lamp.