ABS light

[Minivek]

Might as well take advantage of this and see if it works... I was wondering what's the reason why sometimes I start the engine and the abs light stays on, I here the poping sound of the brakes when I turn on the ignition (the last click of the key before the starter turns on) It's weird, the abs light stays on sometimes and other times no. It doesn't really have a pattern or anything... Thanks for the help.

 

[MONMIX]

That sounds fishy.
Unfortunately I have no guess.
There are code readers out there that read ABS codes.
You might want to make a few phone calls.

 

[DarkMan]

My ABS light acts the same way. I have always assumed that it was because I have a splice in the wire going to the pass. front wheel (the cable to the abs sensor snapped in cold weather).

BUT...

I read in another thread recently that the ABS relay (in the big fuse box on the pass front fender) can go on the fritz and cause intermitent ABS failure. I know this is true because the relay for the AC/Heater blower on mine has the same problem.

To fix my blower relay, I tried swapping it out with one of the other circuits (they all use the exact same relay), and it worked for a while, but what finally fixed my blower was bending the prongs on the relay a little, so they'd have better contact. I'm going to try the same thing on my ABS relay to see if that fixes it.

So, in short, check the relay first, before you start spending $$$ on abs parts.

 

[Minivek]

Cool guys, thanks a lot for the info I'll check your ideas out and post again if it works out or not.

 

[ChuckyD]

Dark man, did u ever try that?
I have the same problem and it is really starting to Piss me off now!!

Im going to jump under there tomorrow morning and check it out.
Thanks

 

[DarkMan]

Since the ABS light was so intermittent before, it's hard to say if I fixed it. I waited for it to come on, before trying the relay. With the truck running, pulling the relay and putting it back in, didn't turn off the light. However, after I turned off the engine and restarted it, the light did go off normally. I haven't seen it come back on yet. I do think the relay may have been my problem, but I can say for sure.

 

[bnichols04]

yea I have the same problem and I think it is due to either two things. If it happens in the morning I think the due from the grass and stuff might get under there or if it happens during the day it is from too much heat. I have found that if the light stays on just shut off the truck and restart it and it should go off normally.

 

[Minivek]

True

Yeah, I've also tried the bending the prongs and the light has only come on once in the last week. And it is also true that normally it turns of by restarting the engine, but there was a while there where it just drove me crazy, it wouldn't turn off! But I've also noticed that it seems to happen when the engine is hot... gotta keep lookin into that...

 

[Nate1]

I've had my ABS light go off while mudding once... and I figure it was probably one of two reasons. If all 4 tires spin at crazy various speeds, it probably freaks out the ABS system and makes it fritz out. Another thing could have been they were caked in mud. What if you just washed your wheels and brakes really well?

 

[ChuckyD]

Mine will go on when i start it and even if I turn the X off and turn it back on again before i start driving, it will stay on. As soon as i start driving, even a block, and I'll shut it down and turn it back on again, it goes off. :fire:

Since you guys are talking about bending the prongs on the old relays (which i did), do you think i should just try to get some new ones and see if that works? Or you think I would be just wasting my money....

I would think that if bending the prongs on the relay worked, it would mean that there is a contact issue in the relay box and not with the relay itself... I just want it to stop, I have to sell this thing in a few months!!!

 

[DarkMan]

Chucky, I think the relays are inexpensive. You might just get a new one. Then again, you may actally have a problem in the system. Maybe the light is trying to tell you something.

nweibley, I would think that mudding would definitly foul up the sensors. There are magnets in the brake disks and on a sensor on the caliper assemblly (I think) and if you got a lot of crud in there, it's not going to get proper readings. But a good power wash might set things right.

 

[ChuckyD]

I heard ya, but it seems like we all have the same damn problem...

Thats it, im just going to crash it on purpose