Do my brakes still work with an ABS pump fault?

Yes, in normal driving they work exactly as before. The pedal, master cylinder, pipes, calipers and pads form a hydraulic circuit that does not depend on the ABS pump at all. The pump only comes into play during an anti-lock stop, when the module needs to release and then restore pressure at individual wheels many times a second. Without it, the anti-lock function is disabled, so an emergency stop will lock the wheels as it would on a car from the 1980s.

Can an ABS module be repaired rather than replaced?

Often, yes, and it is worth asking before agreeing to a new one. A number of common ABS units fail through cracked solder joints or a failed motor driver on the internal circuit board, and specialist firms repair them by reworking the board. That is substantially cheaper than a replacement module, and it avoids the coding a new module usually needs to marry it to the car. The main cost is the time the car spends off the road while the unit is away.

Will C0110 fail an MOT?

Yes. A brake system warning device indicating a malfunction is a major defect with 85,196 recorded failures in the DVSA data behind this site. It is worth understanding that this is separate from the brake efficiency test: the car goes on the rollers and the tester measures actual braking effort and balance, and a car with a dead ABS pump will usually produce perfectly acceptable figures there and still fail because the lamp is on.

What is the buzzing noise from the brakes when I drive off?

On most cars that is entirely normal. The ABS module runs a brief self-test on the pump motor and the solenoid valves shortly after you first move off, and you hear it as a short buzz or grinding noise from under the bonnet, sometimes with a slight flicker felt through the brake pedal. It lasts a second or so and then stops. Its absence is more interesting than its presence: if a car that always buzzed suddenly stops doing so and the ABS lamp comes on, the pump is a prime suspect.

Chassis code · standard

C0110ABS pump motor not running

Standard definition: ABS Pump Motor Circuit Malfunction

Last updated 27 July 2026

Quick answer

The electric motor that pumps brake fluid during an anti-lock stop is not running, or its circuit is broken. Ordinary braking is unaffected, but the anti-lock system cannot do its job and has shut down.

How the car works this out

During anti-lock braking the module does not simply release pressure at a locking wheel — it has to put pressure back, and that needs a pump. The module tests that pump periodically, usually with a brief run at start-up that you may hear as a short buzz or feel as a flicker in the pedal, and it monitors the motor circuit for the current it should draw. C0110 is set when the motor does not run, draws no current, or draws a current that says the circuit is open or shorted. Without a working pump the module cannot restore pressure, so it disables anti-lock braking entirely.

What you might notice

ABS and stability control lamps on together
No brief buzz or pedal flicker from the ABS unit when the car is first driven off
Brake pedal feeling normal in ordinary use
No pulsing under emergency braking, and the wheels locking instead
Traction control and hill-hold not working

What causes it

Most likely first. A code names the check that failed, not the part that failed it, so more than one of these can produce the same number.

1A failed high-current fuse or fusible link supplying the pumpCommon
How to check: Check the large ABS fuse in the engine bay fuse box. It is often a bolted or cartridge type rather than a standard blade fuse and is easy to overlook.
2Corroded or high-resistance connections at the pump's power feed or earthCommon
How to check: Measure the voltage at the pump connector while the motor is commanded to run with a scan tool, and check the earth for voltage drop.
3Failed solder joints or a failed motor driver inside the ABS module, which is a well-known failure mode on a number of unitsCommon
How to check: Ask whether a specialist can test and repair the module rather than replacing it. Module refurbishment is a real option on many units and much cheaper than a new part.
4A seized pump motor, sometimes from a car standing unused for a long periodPossible
5Worn motor brushes on higher-mileage unitsPossible
6Damaged wiring between the module and the pumpLess common

What to do about it

1Check the fuses first, including the large bolted or cartridge fuses in the engine bay box. It is the cheapest possible outcome and it is genuinely common.
2Ask for the pump to be commanded on with a scan tool while the voltage at the connector is measured. That splits the problem cleanly into supply, motor or module.
3Ask specifically about module repair before agreeing to a replacement. Several common ABS units fail through cracked solder joints inside, and specialists repair them for a fraction of the cost of a new module, which usually also needs coding to the car.
4Have the brake fluid checked and changed if it is old. Contaminated fluid shortens the life of everything inside the hydraulic unit.
5Do not delay it because the pedal feels normal. The pedal feeling normal is exactly the point — the missing function only appears when you need it most.

Can you keep driving?

Briefly, gently

The hydraulic braking circuit is mechanically independent of the pump, so the car stops perfectly well in ordinary driving. What is gone is anti-lock braking altogether, along with stability and traction control on most cars. In an emergency stop the wheels can lock and you will not be able to steer around anything. Leave extra distance, be especially careful in the wet, and book it in.

Will it fail an MOT?

A brake system warning device indicating a malfunction is a major defect, recorded 85,196 times in the DVSA data behind this site, and DVSA applies the same wording to the anti-lock and electronic braking systems so a certificate may not say which. There is a second thing worth knowing about this particular code: the MOT includes a roller brake test that measures the actual braking effort at each wheel and the imbalance between them. A pump fault does not affect those figures, so a car can produce perfectly good brake readings and still fail on the lamp — the two checks are entirely separate.

The light this turns on

ABS warning lightThe anti-lock braking system has found a fault and switched itself off. Your brakes still work exactly as they always did in normal driving — what you have lost is the system that stops the wheels locking and the steering going light under a hard, emergency stop.

Common questions

Do my brakes still work with an ABS pump fault?: Yes, in normal driving they work exactly as before. The pedal, master cylinder, pipes, calipers and pads form a hydraulic circuit that does not depend on the ABS pump at all. The pump only comes into play during an anti-lock stop, when the module needs to release and then restore pressure at individual wheels many times a second. Without it, the anti-lock function is disabled, so an emergency stop will lock the wheels as it would on a car from the 1980s.
Can an ABS module be repaired rather than replaced?: Often, yes, and it is worth asking before agreeing to a new one. A number of common ABS units fail through cracked solder joints or a failed motor driver on the internal circuit board, and specialist firms repair them by reworking the board. That is substantially cheaper than a replacement module, and it avoids the coding a new module usually needs to marry it to the car. The main cost is the time the car spends off the road while the unit is away.
Will C0110 fail an MOT?: Yes. A brake system warning device indicating a malfunction is a major defect with 85,196 recorded failures in the DVSA data behind this site. It is worth understanding that this is separate from the brake efficiency test: the car goes on the rollers and the tester measures actual braking effort and balance, and a car with a dead ABS pump will usually produce perfectly acceptable figures there and still fail because the lamp is on.
What is the buzzing noise from the brakes when I drive off?: On most cars that is entirely normal. The ABS module runs a brief self-test on the pump motor and the solenoid valves shortly after you first move off, and you hear it as a short buzz or grinding noise from under the bonnet, sometimes with a slight flicker felt through the brake pedal. It lasts a second or so and then stops. Its absence is more interesting than its presence: if a car that always buzzed suddenly stops doing so and the ABS lamp comes on, the pump is a prime suspect.

Check any vehicle's MOT history

Free, instant, and straight from DVSA records. No sign-up.