LED'S in guage cluster

[Curious Hound]

While putting my dash back in, today, I decided to install LED'S in the instrument cluster. I had purchased the LED'S a while back, waiting for this project. But there was a glitch.

First, we're talking about a '93 Ranger Splash 4x4.

When I powered up to test everything, the ABS light came on and stayed on. I tried it several times, always same result. Put the incandescent bulb back in and the light now acts normally.

Has anyone else experienced this? Any easy solution?

I had a few others that didn't work, even when I switched polarity. So I will be revisiting this in the future. I needed to get the truck back to operational status by the end of the day.

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[4x4junkie]

Maybe a certain amount of current needs to go through the ABS light circuit for it to function correctly, perhaps a resistor across the bulb could help? I'm just guessing though. (my '94 still has all the factory original incandescent bulbs).

 

[adsm08]

Well a 93 should be RABS, which means if it works you are actually worse off than if you have no ABS, so leave that bulb out and kill the RABS valve would be the easiest, most effective fix.

 

[AllanD]

If the ABS/RABS is anything like EEC putting an LED bulb in the light socket
for the CEL light will cause the EEC to fail "Self-Test" and go into limiter strategy (aka "Limp home mode")

As far as RABS goes I was never so happy as when I discovered that my '87 Ranger DID NOT HAVE IT...

But Sadly the '93 I'm building does and I'll need to REMOVE it.

AD

 

[adsm08]

If the ABS/RABS is anything like EEC putting an LED bulb in the light socket
for the CEL light will cause the EEC to fail "Self-Test" and go into limiter strategy (aka "Limp home mode")

As far as RABS goes I was never so happy as when I discovered that my '87 Ranger DID NOT HAVE IT...

But Sadly the '93 I'm building does and I'll need to REMOVE it.

AD

I literally jumped up and down clapping my hands when I found the brake line in my dad's 250 that needed replaced was the one that went through the RABS valve and that I finally had an excuse to take it out of the system.

 

[Curious Hound]

Ok. I guess I need to find the "How to" for disabling the ribs.

What is so inherently bad about it?

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[Curious Hound]

On a side note; while I had the dash out, I found 3 "boxes" that I would like to identify for future reference.

One, is a metal box behind dash, between ash tray and where my right leg normally is.

One is a black plastic box, maybe 3-4 inches square just to the right of the metal box and below the ash tray.

Last is a small plastic box about the size of a relay. It is fastened on the left side, basically behind the headlight switch. I'm guessing this one might be the wiper delay circuit.

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[adsm08]

Ok. I guess I need to find the "How to" for disabling the ribs.

What is so inherently bad about it?

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There are two main issues that I have with the RABS systems between 86 and 96.

They give a false sense of security, and they are kind of pointless.

There is no fluid pump in the system like there is on a 4WABS system, so at some point you have to pump the pedal again, or you run out of ABS.

The other thing is that it only works for the rear. As far as I am concerned ABS is good for one thing, and one thing only. It is there to keep the front wheels from locking up, which makes you loose steering control. If there is no ABS on the front wheels they will lock up when you go into a slide.

Most people these days are expecting full ABS and don't understand the limits of a RABS system and so it ends up causing more problems than it helps with.

Also, since the valves get gummed up and stop working without setting a light off you can expect it to work and it won't, but you get no warning.

RABS systems are a lot like Henry Ford's first quadricycle. In their day they were an interesting novelty, and undoubtedly an important first step to getting to the advanced systems we have today that do help enhance vehicle safety, but their time has come and gone, and we are all safer with them not on the road.

As far as killing the system, it's easy. Find the valve and unplug the electrical connector.

 

[Curious Hound]

Thanks for that info. I learned to drive in Pennsylvania before abs systems showed up on cars. So I still sometimes pump the brakes out of habit, whether I have any abs system at all or not. My DD is a BMW with almost every bell and whistle imaginable. It's fun to drive. But I like vehicles from the cave man days, also.

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[4x4junkie]

Ok. I guess I need to find the "How to" for disabling the ribs.

What is so inherently bad about it?

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I was sitting here wondering the same thing...

I've had no trouble out of the RABS systems on either of mine.

The idea behind it was to prevent the vehicle from swapping ends when all 4 wheels are locked up in a panic stop (the rear wheels turning ensures the vehicle will remain pointed straight ahead). It's other purpose was to keep the rear from locking up prematurely when there is no load in the bed over the rear axle.

I do agree in today's world a lot of people are likely used to 4WABS, however one also needs to realize they are not in a "modern" vehicle when driving anything equipped with RABS. Expecting an older vehicle to have the same level of "bad driver corrective technology" as current cars would be where one's problem is.


As for the boxes under the dash, one is probably the RABS module, the other (plastic) one sounds like may be the door dinger module. Not sure about the one behind the headlight sw (wiper delay seems like would be a logical guess, I do recall hearing a click from that area when they are on).

 

[adsm08]

I do agree in today's world a lot of people are likely used to 4WABS, however one also needs to realize they are not in a "modern" vehicle when driving anything equipped with RABS. Expecting an older vehicle to have the same level of "bad driver corrective technology" as current cars would be where one's problem is.

But I am of the belief that you just can't expect that level of awareness from most people. I have come to this conclusion after dealing with person after person who think their fuel economy should go up if gas prices go up.

 

[Curious Hound]

however one also needs to realize they are not in a "modern" vehicle when driving anything equipped with RABS.

But I am of the belief that you just can't expect that level of awareness from most people.

Both good statements. Basically, having and actually using a brain are necessary for success and safety. Knowing your vehicle and adapting from one vehicle to the next is imperative. The majority barely know anything more than how to stop, start and refuel their vehicles and they don't care enough to pay attention to their driving. My daily commute is 30 miles each way. Anywhere from 16 to 25 miles of that (depending on which route I use) is on a very busy stretch of interstate through town. It is downright scary some days when I see what the other drivers are doing behind the wheel. Yesterday afternoon, there were no less than 4 major accidents in the first 6 miles of my drive home and it was a beautiful, sunny, dry day.