Everything you need to know: Continental / ATE MK100

More often than not, less is more. That certainly applies to the ATE / Continental MK100. This unit is the result of an alliance between two electronics superpowers. The MK100 entered production in 2015, replacing the ageing MK61. Now smaller and lighter, the MK100 offers a host of additional functionalities and integrations, including suitability for electric or hybrid-engined vehicles. 

The MK100 can be found fitted on cars from every continent. From Dacia to Nissan and BMW to Ford, you'll find an MK100 fitted in cars from every segment. There are lots of variants, meaning that a suitable ABS is available for every type of car. It's not just on four wheels; there is an MK100 developed specifically for motorcycles. The MK100's compatibility with electrification and regenerative braking makes it an outright sales success. 

What's the difference?

You could be forgiven for thinking little had changed between the MK60/61 and the MK100 if you purely examine the exterior. Of course, you can see the MK100 is a more compact unit, and that the pump motor cover is not painted. But vastly, the changes are minimal. 

The ATE MK61 (left) and the ATE MK100 (right)

What really matters is what's inside. For example, despite a smaller circuit board, the EEPROM is nearly double the size of its predecessor. An unfortunate by-product of the data processing within an ABS ECU is heat, and you can see that ATE addressed this with a metal plate backing the circuit board to help disperse heat. Showing that there are both hardware and software improvements throughout development. 

The PCB of the MK61 (left) and the PCB of the MK100 (right)

What common problems do we see? 

ABS issues are common, especially as vehicles age. The vast majority of them we can resolve with our innovative remanufacturing techniques. Problems include: 

• Wheel sensor complaints
• Pump motor complaints
• Communication complaints
• Locking wheel(s)

Which cars are we commonly seeing impacted?

Although the MK100 is common across nearly every prominent car brand. It seems, at least at the time of writing, that we see an abnormally large number of failures of units fitted into Ford vehicles. In fact, more than three-quarters of all MK100s that we address are removed from a Ford.

Some models affected include: 

Diagnostic Tips

In order to determine whether the ABS unit is actually defective, this part must first be diagnosed. That's why we've added the pinout for the MK100 with the 38-pin and 46-pin below. In addition, you will also find an electrical diagram for both versions below. This diagram is only intended to provide insight into the system structure. Always refer to the manufacturer's specific schematic for targeted troubleshooting.

Pin assignment 38-pins

STANDARD PIN CONFIGURATION, MK100, 38-PIN

Exception on CAN: Peugeot 208, Honda Civic IX

Exception on CAN: BMW Flexray

Electric scheme 38-pins

Pin assignment 46-pins

STANDARD PIN CONFIGURATION MK100 46-PIN (FORD AND OTHERS)

Electric scheme 46-pins

Want to have your ATE / Continental MK100 remanufactured?

Working on a car with a faulty ABS unit? ACTRONICS is always happy to help find a suitable remanufacturing solution. Our remanufactured products are a cost-effective, sustainable alternative to new replacements. Backed by a 2-year warranty, they're the logical choice. 

• ATE MK100 ESP
• ATE MK100 ESP (46-pins)
• ATE MK100 ABS (without ESP)