Automotive · Tier C

ABS, transmission & body control modules

If the electronic module unbolts cleanly from the aluminium block and the connector pins are bright and uncorroded, it's a $60 core. Water-stained, cracked, or cut off with the pipes still attached and it's two dollars of aluminium.

Au 0.010–0.030 g per moduleAg 0.2–1.5 g in BCM relay contactsCu 40–120 g in the ABS pump motorBase 1.5–3 lb aluminium hydraulic block

eBay typical$3–8per lb

Refiner pays$3per lb

Metal in it$5.51per lb at 4 Aug 2026 spot

Confidencemedof the yield figures

How to spot it

ABS is a black module bolted to a machined aluminium block with 4–8 brake pipe ports and a motor, near the master cylinder or inner fender. TCM sits on the transmission case, inside the valve body, or in the cabin. BCM is a flat wide box behind the dash with several big connectors. Look for ATE Mark 20/60, Bosch 5.3/5.7/8.0/9.0, Kelsey-Hayes 325, Delco/Delphi, TEVES.

Metal content

Metal	Quantity	Notes
Gold	0.010–0.030 g per module
Silver	0.2–1.5 g in BCM relay contacts
Copper	40–120 g in the ABS pump motor
Base metal	1.5–3 lb aluminium hydraulic block

At 4 Aug 2026 spot prices that works out to $5.51 per pound of contained metal — Gold 0.03 g = $3.92, Silver 0.5 g = $0.95, Copper 60 g = $0.64. A refiner paying $3 returns about 54% of that, which is normal: refining costs money and the buyer takes a margin.

Safe removal

Working temperature: Cold

Battery disconnected. Crack the module off the hydraulic block with the brake lines still attached where you can — cores are worth more with the electronics undamaged, and the block is only aluminium. Use a flare wrench on the 10–12 mm unions. Transmission-internal TCMs will drain fluid.

Hazards

🧪 Automotive & battery fluids

NEVER pour any of these down a drain or onto the ground. They are all regulated waste streams.

⭕ Stored pressure

NEVER crack a hydraulic or refrigerant line without confirming the system is depressurised.

☠ Lead — dust more than fume

NEVER dry sweep or use compressed air on a scrapping bench. HEPA-vac or wet-wipe only.

Before you scrap it

Prime core item. Published buy prices run $60–75 for ATE Mark 20, Bosch 5.3/5.7/8.0, Delco and Kelsey-Hayes 325. Transmission modules go far higher — ZF 8HP and VW DSG mechatronic units reach $300–1,200. That's 25–500× scrap.

The common trap

People chase the aluminium block worth a dollar and bin the module worth sixty. Exactly backwards. Crash-damaged or corroded modules are worth zero as cores — buyers reject them outright.

Questions

How much gold is in abs, transmission & body control modules?

Gold: 0.010–0.030 g per module. Silver: 0.2–1.5 g in BCM relay contacts. Copper: 40–120 g in the ABS pump motor. At current spot that is about $5.51 of contained metal per pound.

How do you identify abs, transmission & body control modules?

If the electronic module unbolts cleanly from the aluminium block and the connector pins are bright and uncorroded, it's a $60 core. Water-stained, cracked, or cut off with the pipes still attached and it's two dollars of aluminium.

How do you remove abs, transmission & body control modules safely?

Battery disconnected. Crack the module off the hydraulic block with the brake lines still attached where you can — cores are worth more with the electronics undamaged, and the block is only aluminium. Use a flare wrench on the 10–12 mm unions. Transmission-internal TCMs will drain fluid.

Is abs, transmission & body control modules worth more working than as scrap?

Prime core item. Published buy prices run $60–75 for ATE Mark 20, Bosch 5.3/5.7/8.0, Delco and Kelsey-Hayes 325. Transmission modules go far higher — ZF 8HP and VW DSG mechatronic units reach $300–1,200. That's 25–500× scrap.

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