Fishtailed so easily? ABS and Brake Light on?

[MistahYebba]

Hey guys!

I just got my first car "truck"... it's a '92 Ford Explorer.

It has the Red Brake Light and Yellow Rear Antilock lights on at all times.

I've read online multiple times that this means something about being low on fluid? It appears to me that my brake fluid container under the hood is at just the right level..

Earlier I was driving in the rain. I've never really driven a heavier truck in these conditions... and needless to say, I took a right turn at about 15MPH and totally fishtailed.

It was all very slow, but still quite scary for me. The back end went wayyy left and the car kept going straight. Since I've never experienced this, I kinda slammed on the brakes.

Luckily, since I wasn't going too fast, the weight of the front right tire hitting the curb was enough to stop me. I simply reversed and continued down the road, taking it much much slower this time around.

However.. why did it do this? I wasn't going fast at all. I might be wrong about this, but I really didn't do anything out of the ordinary.

Does the Rear Antilock light being on somehow relate to this since it's a Rear Wheel Drive?

After that happened, I went to the gas station and checked the tire pressure. On the driver's side door sticker it said Front and Back tires should be 30 PSI so I did that. They were all filled to around 30PSI I believe.

The tires look fine and have decent tread.. but they could be a bit older and needing some replacement, regardless of how good the tread is, ya know?

But... I just wanted to know if the Rear Antilock light somehow related to this dangerous fishtail... I could have hurt myself or someone else!

Anywho... why are these 2 lights on and how can I go about troubleshooting them?! Thanks everyone!

 

[natenkiki2004]

Your '92 only has rear anti-lock brakes. With the light on, it means you have no anti-lock brakes at all. For some reason, the system isn't functioning. Typically it's just the tone ring sensor located in the differential. I have yet to do mine but will want to before winter comes around.

Being a new-to-you vehicle, I'd pull all the wheels and check the brakes (pad condition, leaks, movement of the calipers and wheel cylinders, etc...). If everything looks good, bleed the system.

For what it's worth, I know my brakes are good, aside from having the ABS light on as well. But when I'm on gravel and cruising pretty good and hit the brakes harder than I should, I get a bit of sliding out of the rear. If your tires are old, that will have a pretty big negative impact on the handling and control.

 

[murkinstock]

Were you on your brakes through the turn?

If so, you generally want to avoid using brakes while turning especially if it's wet. If it's a super wide turn you'll most likely be fine, but you said 15mph so I imagine it was pretty sharp.

If you didn't have your brakes on, then that tells me you simply slid out. Are your tires a reputable brand or cheap chinese rubber?

 

[MistahYebba]

Were you on your brakes through the turn?

If so, you generally want to avoid using brakes while turning especially if it's wet. If it's a super wide turn you'll most likely be fine, but you said 15mph so I imagine it was pretty sharp.

If you didn't have your brakes on, then that tells me you simply slid out. What are the condition of your tires? Are they a reputable brand or cheap chinese rubber?

It was just a normal street turn. A tiny slope downhill like a driveway.. and just a normal right turn from a side street onto a main road.

I was most likely on the brakes during the turn as I picked up that habit from driving lightweight cars.. so it's certainly possible..

As for the tires.. eh, previous owner said he got em replaced not too long ago. By the looks of them, they appear to have decent tread. I'll need to go out and look at what brand they are to get back to you on that one.

 

[Bobmbx]

Is this your first tall vehicle? Its a completely different concept to drive them. You can't burn through a turn, especially with a 1st Gen. They lean way over, and that lifts weight off the inside tire, reducing traction. On a wet road, its even worse.

 

[jester1023]

If you red brake light is on, this indicates a pressure problem. YES, the sensor could be bad, but it's not worth risking. Normally the sensor will pick up on low pressure that is a result of the master cylinder having an internal leak, or an external leak in the system somewhere. It could also be as simple as some air in the line. All of these cases mentioned would be accompanied by a spongy brake peddle. If the peddle is pretty solid, you most likely don't have a leak. A normal brake peddle with a pressure problem could be the result of a stuck wheel cylinder or caliper piston. You may even have front caliper slide pins that are no longer freely moving...which causes the premature wear and seizing of the front breaks. It is also possible that the proportioning valve or master cylinder are not allowing the fluid to return back from the rear wheel cylinders, which would result in premature wear of the rear shoes and the rear breaks dragging and locking. It would surely show up in a 15 mph turn.

 

[2stroke]

Make sure your brakes aren't dragging. Maybe go as far as hosing down the rear brake drums with water, and go for a short drive, maybe 15 minutes. When you come back, immediately measure the temperature of your drums. You would know if it was the fronts, it would pull one way when braking. Make sure your ABS is unplugged. Even when the lights on, they cans still act weird. Everything I have read said the red brake light does not indicate a mechanical problem. It is mostly there to indicate if your parking brake is on or if you are low on brake fluid. It could be as simple as air in the front brake lines causing too much bias for the rears. I think you just need to learn the truck. Brake drums grab when wet, its stupid companies didn't go to 4 wheel disk brakes 30 years ago. Plenty still come with rear brake drums. Brake before the turn, and gas through it.