how to turn ABS light off?

edit---1/5/11
front sensor plugs have been cleaned, and the rear sensor in the axle has been replaced, still have the light on......

99 EB 5.0 awd
abs light is on on in the dash, abs does not seem to work.
it dosent bother me that is is not working, it annoys me that the light is on
i have cleaned the connections on the plugs and the light has not gone off,
is there plugs for the sensors in the rear? if so i didnt see them


is there an easy fix?
im not about to replace the hub, or anything like that, like i said i dont care if the ABS works, but short of pulling the bulb out of the dash, how can i turn the light off?
any tips or tricks would be great!

If you don't want to fix the ABS just pull the bulb out. There is no other way to shut the light off without fixing the issue.

1998Explodasport said:

If you don't want to fix the ABS just pull the bulb out. There is no other way to shut the light off without fixing the issue.

Click to expand...

pull the ABS fuse!

Which fuse do you pull out?

Rudy602 said:

Which fuse do you pull out?

Click to expand...

You will need to look at your manual. It has a diagram of what fuse does what. It is pretty simple. Get your manual out, take your time, and make sure you get the right one.

My ABS light was on. After reading other posts,I replaced the rear ABS sensor on top of the rear differential. One bolt,one connector,15 minutes and 17 dollars. Light off ,ABS works. I have a 99 Explorer Sport. I am not sure if yours has the same.

I repair cars here and there and the most common item to turn that light on is a failing unit bearing, the next step is usually the wheel "dislodging" from the bearing, Not anything I would pull a bulb over.


Anyway like the poster above when I had no unit bearing problems and my ABS light came on I came here read about the sensor on the axle pumpkin , replaced that for $9 dollars and the light went out.

Rich- said:

99 EB 5.0 awd
abs light is on on in the dash, abs does not seem to work.
it dosent bother me that is is not working, it annoys me that the light is on
i have cleaned the connections on the plugs and the light has not gone off,
is there plugs for the sensors in the rear? if so i didnt see them


is there an easy fix?
im not about to replace the hub, or anything like that, like i said i dont care if the ABS works, but short of pulling the bulb out of the dash, how can i turn the light off?
any tips or tricks would be great!

Click to expand...

One question.. Dose your cruze control work???

zecolleman said:

One question.. Dose your cruze control work???

Click to expand...

yes it does!!

i did not know there was a connector over the rear axle. i will give that one a look and hope for the best

why ask about the cruise working?

Rich- said:

yes it does!!

i did not know there was a connector over the rear axle. i will give that one a look and hope for the best

why ask about the cruise working?

Click to expand...

If it do not work it could be the sensor in main brake pump where you put your brake fluid in..it seems to be pretty common failure.

DonsFords said:

My ABS light was on. After reading other posts,I replaced the rear ABS sensor on top of the rear differential. One bolt,one connector,15 minutes and 17 dollars. Light off ,ABS works. I have a 99 Explorer Sport. I am not sure if yours has the same.

Click to expand...

I did the same thing. This is a very common issue with our trucks and it seems to be the reason why the ABS light comes on 9/10 times.

I replaced it with a $10 part, took me 5min.

1998Explodasport said:

If you don't want to fix the ABS just pull the bulb out. There is no other way to shut the light off without fixing the issue.

Click to expand...

If you pull the bulb out you will get 5 dings 5 times and it will do it again 20 minutes later. And every 20 minutes thereafter until you turn your X off but it will start right back as soon as you start it again.
Mine does it but I rarely drive more than 20 minutes anywhere so it's just a minor annoyance........

i finally went to the parts store and got the rear sensor for the rear axle
replaced it, it was easy, but the light is still on
whats the next step?

Well, instead of throwing even more parts at it, I would suggest using a scanner that's capable of accessing the ABS system and finding out what the trouble code is. If it confirms the rear sensor, you may have bad wiring, for example.

1998Exp said:

Well, instead of throwing even more parts at it, I would suggest using a scanner that's capable of accessing the ABS system and finding out what the trouble code is. If it confirms the rear sensor, you may have bad wiring, for example.

Click to expand...

do any of the large chain stores cary such scanners?
Advance, Oriley, autozone?

the sensor was only $15 i was hoping to score an easy fix

Did you unplug the battery for 20min?

None of the chain stores carry anything capable of checking ABS lights. Thats reserved for the people willing to spend a grand and up like a Modis or a Genesis. I don't know if some of the high end Acton readers have that function but I know a store wouldn't keep it as a regular reader

Steeda90GT said:

Did you unplug the battery for 20min?

Click to expand...

No, ill do it tonight

If the ABS light is on, it means there is a fault in the circuit. One of the three sensors are not making a connection. This can be from dirty sensors, broken wires, or a blown fuse.

Replacing them should be your last choice in this situation. By using a multimeter to each sensor, you can check for voltage. To weak a voltage can cause circuit failure. This will help you narrow down which sensor is the bad egg.

Multimeter can be had for a few bucks such as Harbor Freight, or Wal-Mart.

thanks, just put the meter on each of the pins and see if there is a connection between them?
or what are they sposed to read at?