Easier ABS repairs: ATE introduces new hydraulic control unit in the independent aftermarket

Frankfurt, February 2018. For the first time, brand-independent workshops in the independent automotive aftermarket are able to access an original part for repairing antilock braking systems. The technology company Continental has included the Hydraulic Control Unit (HCU), a major component of the ATE MK60 ABS controller, in its aftermarket portfolio. This makes ABS repair work easier and quicker. Continental’s range comprises products for models from BMW, Ford, Mazda, the Volkswagen Group, and Volvo. Workshops can order the MK60 HCU as a replacement part from their wholesale distributor with immediate effect. “The HCU lies at the heart of the antilock braking system and the MK60 is installed in many of the vehicles on the market. Replacing a faulty component with the corresponding new part also means ensuring the greatest possible level of safety for drivers,” explains Michael Rieth, the responsible product manager at Continental.

If the warning light for the antilock braking system starts to glow in the instrument cluster, this is often due to the pressure sensor in the HCU’s valve block. If this is not working perfectly, the system switches to emergency mode because the pressure sensor controls the correct braking pressure. In the past, there were two options: Either the costly replacement of the complete ABS controller – consisting of the Electronic Control Unit (ECU) and the HCU – or the time-consuming task of opening the pressure sensor which is permanently connected to the ABS controller and ask a specialized company to overhaul it. Thanks to the new extension to the Continental portfolio, vehicle workshops can now simply replace the HCU in the system. To do this, they remove the old ABS controller, dismount the old HCU, install the still functioning ECU with the new HCU, and mount this in the engine compartment.

“We recommend that workshops rely on OE quality,” says Rieth. “This is all the more important in the case of safety-related parts. That is why we are continuously reviewing and extending our aftermarket portfolio.”