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ABS Light is on constantly

Katman96

New Member
Joined
November 12, 2006
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City, State
Middlefield,CT
Year, Model & Trim Level
1999 XLT
What would cause the ABS light to be on continuously? Does that mean the ABS unit is engaging the ABS brakes whenever I press the pedal? Thanks..
 



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It more than likely means your ABS sensors need to be replaced. I had the same problem a month back as well as my 4x4 light flashing. 2 ABS sensors later and the problem was fixed.
 






So there is no way to tell which sensor is bad?
 






Your profile says you have a 91, but this is in the 95-01 2nd gen forum.

If your truck is a 2nd gen, this may be a sign your hubs are going out.
 






Sorry I have to update that, this is a 1999 AWD. How would I test the hubs, sorry for my ignorance..
 






lift your front end and spin the wheels by hand and feel any roughness, this mean you need new hubs. if it is the ABS sensor alone then you need at least one sensor and swap it in one side and se it the error goes away, if not then put it on the other side, if not then you might try a rear sensor too or add a second front. keep you receipts if at this point you need to return any of them
 






Also grab the tire at 6 and 12 oclock and try to wiggle it, it should not move at all. If there is movement it probably is a bad bearing in the hub
 






Thanks guys, Ill check this out this weekend..
 






Thanks guys, Ill check this out this weekend..

I recommend you check it tonight. Jack up the front and and try to move the top and bottom of the tire "outwards"


If a bearing is going out and allowing enough wobble to activate the abs sensor-( I have seen it often) it is soon to go out on you. This could be catastrophic. Imagine a front wheel locking up at 70 mph while a big truck is right next to you. It will rip off your entire knuckle and throw you at the mercy of inertia.




If this sounds scary, it is meant to --

Want to see pictures of a neglected hub and what it can cause? I would have to dig but I can find it if needed.

Last 2 friends who came by with abs lights had bad hubs. One of them fell into 2 parts when we pulled it, and he had the truck towed here. The only symptom was an ABS light.

Now I probably won't sleep until you check your hubs, and I am very tired. Please have some consideration--:D
 






In this thread there is a picture of the abs connector near the fog light connectors--under radiator support

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=165429

Hopefully there is a bad connection there. You might try re seating these connectors, but please check the hubs also.

Sensors themselves rarely go bad. But they do a good job of letting you know something is not "just right"
 












he is correct. i had an ABS light come on and off until Jully 3 2009..... luckily i was pulling into a driveway when the X completely stopped. wouldnt move. checked and sure enough the bearing had gone out. everything broke there wasnt a single piece that was together. its an easy fix take ya about an hour max to do. ask him about a trick to do it farily easy.
 






What would cause the ABS light to be on continuously? Does that mean the ABS unit is engaging the ABS brakes whenever I press the pedal? Thanks..

In answer your original question -

When the yellow ABS light stays on, it means the ABS brain detected a problem in the system. When the light is on, the ABS system will not engage - brakes will work as if vehicle was not equipped with ABS.

The light should come on for a couple of seconds when you start the engine. When the start-up diagnostic test is passed, the light will go out. Since you said it is on all the time, I am guessing that you mean it turns on when you start the engine and stays on until you stop the engine. That means it is not passing the start test.

The fact that it fails the start test should limit the likely causes. I don't know if the common hub problem would be detected until the vehicle is moving. I'd focus on examining for basic electrical problems first. Fuses, relays, loose/dirty connections, chafed wires. It might be worth it to have the fault code(s) read by a shop.
 






tis true but dont forget that all the ABS sensor is is a magnetic piece. i my case metal shavings from the bearing tearing apart caused my light to come on. so could still be the problem. but yes check everything.
 






i have the same problem with an 02 explorer, had the hub assembly replaced, just replaced all the brakes, rotors etc. now the brakes randomly don't work, mechanic can't find out what is wrong, any ideas? my abs light is always on,it was good for about 3 days after hub asembly replaced then popped back on one day. I have had this to 4 different mechanics and no one can see the problem, the computer doesnt read the sensor as being something wrong, I have 4 kids and am scared to drive for brakes failing ...please help@!
 






i have the same problem with an 02 explorer, had the hub assembly replaced, just replaced all the brakes, rotors etc. now the brakes randomly don't work, mechanic can't find out what is wrong, any ideas? my abs light is always on,it was good for about 3 days after hub asembly replaced then popped back on one day. I have had this to 4 different mechanics and no one can see the problem, the computer doesnt read the sensor as being something wrong, I have 4 kids and am scared to drive for brakes failing ...please help@!

If the ABS light is on the best thing is to get the system scanned. Otherwise you are guessing. An ABS light means a code is stored in the system. Bring it to a mechanic that has a good scanner and can read ABS codes.
 






I have a 95 Ford explorer sport and the abs light is on but it has no codes stored what could be causing it
 






95 Ford explorer sport

I have a 95 explorer sport and the abs light is on and no codes are stored what could be causing it
 






i have the same problem with an 02 explorer, had the hub assembly replaced, just replaced all the brakes, rotors etc. now the brakes randomly don't work, mechanic can't find out what is wrong, any ideas? my abs light is always on,it was good for about 3 days after hub asembly replaced then popped back on one day. I have had this to 4 different mechanics and no one can see the problem, the computer doesnt read the sensor as being something wrong, I have 4 kids and am scared to drive for brakes failing ...please help@!

If the ABS Light is on, there are codes stored, just not in the OBD module. They need to be read with the correct software.

A decent Bluetooth obdii module and Forscan Lite will get you the ABS codes. They should be specific enough to point you in the right direction.

If a mechanic tells you that there are no codes when the ABS light is on, don't go back to that mechanic.

As for the '95 with the ABS light on, I don't know how to get the codes without the old hardware/software. You could try watching to see if the light flashes when you first turn the vehicle on. It is supposed to flash out a 3 or 4 digit code (think morse code, fast flashes with a brief pause between numbers and a long pause between each code). It should flash out the list of codes twice before going steady. You could then try googling for the code meanings.
 



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Hi, I know this is an old thread…
2000 Explorer ABS light on, code reads “wheel speed sensor rear center input circuit failure”, so I’d like to assume I just need to fix some sensors and circuits. However, when I cold start and use my brakes for a complete stop after starting, sometimes they grab and grind. Do you think that’s the same problem with the ABS, or is that a whole new problem with just needing to replace my brake pads?
thanks
 






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