'96 Explorer 4x4 XLT ABS System Issues

[jbarcus81]

I seem to be having an issue that can only be described as being with the ABS system.. When I slow to a stop, my ABS system starts. I hear this awful sound, and lose a little breaking power. I have a 1996 Ford Explorer XLT 4x4 with ABS and am puzzled as to a fix.. I had a previous vehicle that had a wheel speed sensor that was supposed to turn ABS on but it never did.. What gives?

 

[russosborne]

Not sure if it is the same thing, but on my 97 when I come up to a stop sign I can feel the abs cycling and it feels like I am not going to stop. It is really noticeable at lower speeds. What I was told here is that with having different brand tires on the truck there could be enough of a diameter difference to make the abs do this. Haven't been able to replace the tires yet to see.
Russ

 

[Blrob]

Tires have nothing to do with it. There's an ABS sensor on the rear axle on the pumpkin that is usually the culprit. The sensor is 10-20 dollars and only takes a few minutes to replace.

 

[jbarcus81]

Ok.. I yanked the 30 AMP fuse from the box in the power distribution center and the ABS system light displays, brakes work fine.. BUT, the issue is gone, no longer do I hear/feel the ABS system start at 5mph or less... Also.. I noticed on my battery gauge that there is ZERO pull on the battery now.. Could I have a bad fuse or relay or even worse, a bad ABS altogether?

 

[my98nnj]

As was previously mentioned to you in this thread, it's a bad sensor.
There are 3, one on each front hub and one on the rear pumpkin.
Clean the pick up areas and see if your problem goes away.

Put the fuse back in, that didn't fix anything.

 

[jbarcus81]

I think I may have bigger problems.. Something is wrong with the positive battery terminal or wire.. I haven't figured it out completely yet but something is going on.. I've noticed while idling the battery gauge will flutter and act as if something is pulling power but nothing is.. I jiggle the wire and all is well.. I hope that it just needs either cleaned or replaced..

 

[donphelps]

Here's where I started. If when you apply the brakes and it pulls to one side while braking it is usually the front wheel speed sensor opposite the side it pulls to. If it does not pull to one side or the other it is usually the rear sensor. If the sensors are good then it may be a broken (bad) tone ring which is seen through the sensor hole when you pull one out.
Many people say that you can just take a sensor out and clean it good, I'm not sure. The main problem with pulling a wheel sensor out is generally they will break and you have to fish the remaining plastic cover out of the hole which will mean you have to replace it anyway. You can tell right away if it broke as there will be a copper wire loom which is usually encased by the plastic cover that is still in the hole.
Mine has more issues than that though. I've replaced both front sensors and the rear
one and my tone rings are good but I still have an ABS issue. I am trying to figure out if I can install an ABS control module without doing any programming of it.
Hope yours is the lesser of the issues.

 

[Fordman999]

You need to replace your sensors, I had the same problem because I did not change my brake pads on time and it eventually wore out my brakes and also damaged one of my sensors. I grinded my brake pads down to the metal. Once I replaced my sensors I was ok. Did you let your brakes wear all the way? if you did that is what caused the damage.