Anti locks going off on dry pavement!

[SalmonSlayer]

I'm at a loss here...why do my antilock brakes actuate sometimes when on dry pavement and almost at a complete stop?

I had the front rotors turned as they were warped slightly...now the back ones are at the shop being turned. Could this have been the problem or am I barking up the wrong tree?

I DO have a "antilock brake" light that sometimes comes on. Then other times it doesn't come on. WHen the light is on...the antilocks never actuate and all 4 wheels will lock up. When the light is off...the antilocks actuate even on dry pavement...but ONLY when going 10 mph or less. What could be causing this? It seems weird to me...maybe it's electrical...maybe it's a bad sensor...

How do I diagnose this issue?

Thanks!

 

[EBInterceptor]

I've had that before too....never really got the problem fixed.

 

[stubborn1]

First - whenever the ABS light is on, your ABS system will not operate. You are basically driving a vehicle without ABS at that point.

I've had the same problem before. There was a bad section of wiring going to one of the rear wheel sensors. It was grounding out and causing the ABS to activate. Before paying for a dealer to look at it, trace all your ABS wiring and make sure it's in good shape.

Another possibility could be one of the wheel sensors is going bad. Your mechanic should be able to pull the ABS code and narrow it down fairly quick. I'm not sure if you can use a multimeter and check resistance on these sensors.

Good luck

 

[Lee S.]

I'm a little confused here. When the ABS is activated does the indicator light on the dash come on? Other cars I have owned show you when the ABS has been activated by flashing the ABS light on the dash.

I hit a patch of slippery road last night and had to hit the brakes hard. I'm sure this was a situation where the ABS would kick in but no indicator light came on. Now I wondering whether My ABS is working properly.

Anyone know how this is supposed to work?

Lee

 

[JDraper]

The ABS light on the dash only comes on in two situations. The first is when the vehicle is started, it comes on for about 3 seconds to indicate that the system is functional. The second is when there is a problem with the system. The light does not activate when the ABS is functioning normally or is operating.


Salmon Slayer, as stubborn1 said, you probably have an issue with either a sensor or the wiring since you are getting an intermittent code. Have someone with a code reader pull the codes. The only warning there is that if it's an intermittent wire short, the code may come back saying "bad sensor". As stated above, trace your wiring and make sure it's not damaged.

 

[Lee S.]

Thanks...That clears it up for me.

 

[bluevolume]

This is a 'fairly' common problem with some Explorers. The general idea is that the ABS system in engaging as if you were sliding, when you are simply stopping on dry pavement. I was never able to get this fixed on my '95 Sport -- the dealer said that it could be something like $250 to $1000 to fix depending on what was wrong.

In the meantime, you need to disable the ABS system before you end up rolling into an intersection that you don't want to be in. The fuse in the big fuse block under the hood. The diagram in there will tell you which one feeds the ABS. Once you remove the fuse, the ABS light on the dash will stay on all the time, but it will no longer cause the stopping problems.

Good luck in getting it fixed -- and let us know what you find out.

Blue