this is long winded
Ok here is what I have found out about all ABS problems people have and hopefully this will help someone - I have a 2000 explorer 4x4
Only tool you MIGHT need is an Ohm meter
Ok.... ABS light was on - jacked up the car - took off the wheels -
Noticed the hubs were worn - But I still inspected the wiring for the both hubs -
You have to pull back the heat covering on the wires - one was completely cut in half (drivers side) - you would not know, you have to really tug on it to see it broke that's why i removed the sheilds.
I tested the wire that looked good with the Ohm meter and that one tested fine so i saved it -
I bought two new hubs - the cheap ones - it's all I could afford at the moment so cut me some slack....LOL
I stalled the hubs ran the wires - and plugged them in -
the next few days sucked but my misery will help you all because I had every problem you could imagine with ABS.
1st thing I will say - BUY THE BETTER HUBS - But the problem is when most people pick up a ford they don't know if the hubs installed are the cheapo's or the good ones.
Start up the car - no ABS light YEAAAAAAAAAA!!
took it for a ride it came on like 5 minutes later.
turned the car off, unplugged the new hub wiring - check the connections
plug them in YEAAAAAAAA no ABS light - take it for another ride - the ABS is back - I screw with the wiring for a while nothing.... ABS still on -
Come out the next morning - start it up - NO ABS light. kinda weird
YEAAAAAAAAA...... take it for a ride - it stays off ------ YEAAAAAA
I'm done I thought.
Start it up later - ABS back on.... what the hell is going on???
Here is where this will help you figure out the ABS problems
So I unplugged the passenger side and plug it back in to make sure it is seated correctly - start up the car abs light stays on.
I unplugged the drivers side and plug in back in start up the car and the light is off now...YEAAAAAAAAAA,
Take it for a ride - ABS light comes back in like 5 min -
So I had a brand new ABS sensor for the rear that came with the car - I figure why not - I change it -
Start up the car - ABS light off YEAAAAAAAA take the car for a ride - after a half hour
ABS light back on........
Shut off the engine and start it a few times hoping for a reset - ABS still glowing -
Pulled off the wires one at a time and reseated them -
Passenger side - re-seat the wire Start up the car ABS still on -
Drivers side - re-seat the wire Start up the car ABS goes off -
Take it for a ride - ABS back on
Ok i'm on to something here- -
Same thing -
Re-seat the passenger side - start up the car ABS light still on
re- seat the ABS unit on rear axle - start up the car ABS light still on
re-seat the drivers side - start up the car ABS light off.
Take it for a ride 5 minutes later ABS light on.
Had enough tomorrows another day.....
Got out the Ohm meter
Unplugged the passenger side tested the wire good readings.
unplugged the rear abs sensor tested that - fine
unplugged the drivers side - no reading at all - a bad wire on a new hub.
So I pull the wire off the old hub (yesterday) and test again - it's good.
take apart the drivers side again and install old wire after cleaning it good.
Start up the car - NO ABS LIGHT YEAAAAAAAAAA......
Took it for a ride - NO ABS YEAAAAAAAAAAAA
1/2 hour no ABS YEAAAAAAAAAAAA
I figure i would take her home - and really test the brakes
all good...... but then I notice the ABS is active when i come to a slow stop.... what the hell now -
No matter how many times i came to a slow stop ABS was active.
took the car home and gave it some thought.
So I said screw this - I put the old hub that was kinda good back on with the old wire that I used with the new hub.
Same problem. ABS active with slow braking
So I took apart the wire from the other old hub that i removed (the hub with the cut wire). That wire had NO shims where you bolt the sensor to the hub - And I did not remember seeing shims on the other old hub i removed the wire from - the new hub had two shims that I left on when I installed the old wire on the New hub.
Removed the shims - put i back together - (still using Old hub) ABS light out - take it for a ride abs light off - and NO active ABS when I come to a slow stop -
Take it apart again - put the new hub back on with NO SHIMS where the wire connects to the hub (still using the old wire)
Take it for a ride - PERFECT - it's now been 4 days with no problems and ABS is working as it should when it wet out.
Summary -
if you have an ABS light on in your truck -
you don't really need an OHM meter - but I would recommend one though -
It seems when you unplug the ABS sensor (with the car off) one wheel at a time and put it back together - and start the car,
If the light remains on - that wheel is good , if the ABS shuts off after you start it, that's where the trouble is - The wire or the hub.
again one wheel at a time with the car off, then start it each time.
If your ABS is active when you brake with NORMAL weather conditions -
most likely if you have replaced sensor wires or someone else did- they need shims or they don't need shims - That depends on which hub you have, the cheap hubs (use the shims) or the most expensive ones OR ORIGINAL ones used no shims. I know because I had a friend check an original hub and a more the more expensive replacement part.
Regardless of which hubs you install test the wires before you install them with an OHM meter
I also did notice there is a difference between sensor wires Some of the wires where it is pushed into the hub have a small piece of metal exposed on the bottom and some of them have the metal piece that sticks out on the side of the piece that pushes into the hub. I know this because I purchased a wire (which i returned) that had it on the side - the others i pulled off the care (old hubs) was on the bottom and the new hub had it on the side. this did not seem to make any difference in testing with the shims
I don't know where you get the shims if you need them.
I hope this long rant helps someone and if it does let me know
