1998 Ford Explorer with a brake problem.

[paddymor]

Hi. i am a new nember and i was wondering if anyone can help me. Every time i brake gently and just before i come to a stop, i get a kick back on the brake pedal. I have changed the brake pads, bled all the brakes NO air in the system, checked the calipers, all the pistons are working ok. Now i don't know what to do to solve this problem, HELP PLEASE

 

[BrooklynBay]

Welcome to this forum! I've moved your thread into the UK Explorer owners forum section.

 

[kevin p]

Quite a few members have expierienced this. Apparantly it will be a faulty anti lock brake sensor in the hubs.

Sometimes they just need a clean and will work again.

Kev.

 

[colingel]

If you pull abs fuses it should confirm if abs is the problem.
I have it with mine and have pulled fuses.Just waiting on better weather to try and find fault (suspect dodgy abs sensor)

 

[wickerman36]

I have the same problem on my 1998, i was told though if it was a faulty sensor it would cause a light to illuminate on the dash (not sure which one!)

 

[colingel]

I have the fault but no abs lights on.

Abs light is on now I have removed fuses but I dont have the judder now

 

[paddymor]

I never got a abs light come on until i unpluged the abs sensor under the front wheel arch and hey presto the kick back on the brake pedal stopped. so i now need to get a new sensor. so all i can say if you have the same problem unplug one sesensor at a time and it will tell you which one is faulty. pulling the fuse will tell you its the abs but you still won't know which one is the problem. Thanks guys for your help

 

[colingel]

I am confused if sensor can be replaced or if it is whole bearing that needs replaced

 

[my pos mounty]

When you purchase a new wheel hub/bearing, it comes with a new ABS sensor.
However, should you need just the ABS sensor, they are available seperately.

 

[colingel]

Is it a ford only part?

 

[my pos mounty]

I wouldn't think so because I buy timken bearings and not Ford.
I never throw the old ABS sensors away when I replace the wheel bearing/hub. I never had an ABS light, so I have never had to buy one. They should be available at a parts store.

 

[Howard]

I got hold of one a few years back from my local dealer. If I remember is was about £20 and they had them in stock. (same as ranger if my memory serves), but just cleaning them may help.

 

[captainslow]

HI there, this has happened on our '98 but same as Paddymor. Brake judder only when coming to a stop, but NO warning light on. One day the warning light came on and the symptom went away, but at MOT time the garage found a faulty sensor. sensor replaced and fault came back, though warning light had gone out again and weirdly the garage passed it as OK for the MOT.
So there you have it, no warning light and brake judder, or warning light and no judder.

 

[Ilikemice]

My garage passed the juddery brake at the MOT, though I drive with the faulty sensor unplugged and the ABS light on until I can afford another new hub.

I replaced the driver's side hub a while ago with a Timken unit due to bad bearings but narrowed the ABS problem down to the passenger side sensor, so I took the sensor out of the old hub with bad bearings, since that side had no ABS issues but the ABS is still dodgy in the passenger side with either sensor installed. Time for a new hub!

 

[dee1949]

I've been having the same problem. When coming to a slow stop the brakes would shutter and the pedal would go down to the floor. It would only happen occasionally so it was hard to tell someone else what was happening. It finally happened for my husband so we took it to CarX they couldn't produce the problem. Then we took it to Ford. (what a mistake). They said they couldn't produce the problem and they did a diagnostic test on it which cost $135 and said they couldn't find anything wrong. They thought it might me the master cylinder had an internal leak and they would also have to replace the power booster which would cost $1400. I told them to forget it and as soon as I was leaving the lot the pedal went to the floor.

After reading this forum I pulled the fuse on the abs fuse as someone said to do and your right - it stopped. I want to thank you so much for helping us to detect this problem that Ford and everyone else said I didn't have. We are bringing it in to have the sensors checked now. Again we'll see what they say but at least we know a point to start from instead of dismissing us or charging $1400 on the chance it might be the master cylinder. It's amazing that a 64 year old woman has to surf the internet to figure out a problem that Ford couldn't solve.

 

[dee1949]

Just wanted you to know I brought my car into a garage and told them what I found out. They checked the brake sensor on the right front of my car and it was very corroded and they cleaned it and replaced it. Works perfect for only $80. Much better than Ford quoting me $1400 to replace the master cylinder and the power booster which wouldn't have solved the problem. I will never go to a dealer again.