Intermittent ABS light on '99 4x4 w/ RABS

[fixizin]

... and 3.0 Vulcan w/ 5-spd... as shown in profile.

Anyway, about once a week, for just a few seconds, the "ABS" light comes on. No pulsations or other diffs in brake pedal.

The only other time I saw this, it was on SOLID when VSS failed, but VSS and Speedo are fine.

Lamers at AutoZone say NO CODES on their cheapo Acton reader... (WHY haven't I gotten my own scanner yet? )

 

[Sprag-O]

Most scanners won't pull the abs code.

Mine does the same thing every week or so... I couldn't get all the metal flakes out of my diff after the spiders got chewed up, so occasionally a few particles make their way to the sensor and cover it.

Have you cleaned or replaced the sensor yet? It's a resonably easy to get to part, and cheap to replace.
May just need a cleaning

 

[fixizin]

Yeah, the VSS went totally out once, and has been replaced. Of course the speedo was dead, and IIRC, the CELight was on, along with the ABS light.

Speedo is now fine, and steady. No CEL.

Doing my homework here on TRS, it seems there may be other points in the system, i.e. the RABS valve on left frame rail, which can perhaps detect impurities in my *10-year-old* fluid...?? (OTOH, only 35k total miles...)

 

[fixizin]

PS: what letter/prefix do the ABS codes start with, and how can I make sure a scanner I buy online will read them???

Thanks in advance...

 

[98 ranger xlt]

JUst buy an abs scanner.

 

[Toms01PSD]

Do you have a UTI around? Or a local community college or something? Our's has an ABS scanner and read different codes for free. Remember, you have "normal" brakes whether the ABS light is on or not.

 

[fixizin]

PS: what letter/prefix do the ABS codes start with, and how can I make sure a scanner I buy online will read them???

Thanks in advance...

The answer is 'C' is the prefix, for Chassis, as contrasted with the usual engine-related codes, which begin with 'P' for Powertrain.


PS: I don't think there's such a thing as a dedicated ABS scanner(?), but rather a better grade of scanner that will pull both C and P (and other) codes... I'm IN THE MARKET! Silly of me to think I can rely on a 10+ year old vehicle with no diagnostic tools... I'll also make sure it can pull the older OBD-1 codes, since there's so many nice V-8s, Turbo 2.3L's, RBVs, and Mustangs in that era.

 

[fixizin]

... Remember, you have "normal" brakes whether the ABS light is on or not.

Please eh-splain... thanks in advance.

 

[Toms01PSD]

Sorry I didn't get back to you sooner! As you know, ABS helps when in "dangerous situations". If the ABS light is on you don't have ABS brakes, but you have "regular" brakes.

There are some ABS scanners made and some scan tools just have add-ons for scanning the ABS system.

 

[fixizin]

Thanks. You're my Ranger benchmark, i.e. same truck, but with SIX times the mileage of mine... I figure you're "psychic", and know EVERYTHING that's going to happen to my rig.

 

[Toms01PSD]

Thanks. You're my Ranger benchmark, i.e. same truck, but with SIX times the mileage of mine... I figure you're "psychic", and know EVERYTHING that's going to happen to my rig.

I'm not sure whether that's a smart ass comment or not. I'm not sure what is exactly going to happen with everything on your truck. I bought mine with 174k a little over a year ago. I've never had any issues with my ABS light coming on but I have on other vehicles.

 

[fixizin]

Nope, not smart-ass, more like hats-off-to-you... OTOH, I ass-u-med you'd owned it for more of those many miles.

Thanks, for real... I appreciate all help in resolving this (and other) repairs.

 

[fixizin]

D'OH!!... seems the brake fluid was a tad low in the master rez... Couple oz. of the clear stuff cured both the ABS and BRAKE lights coming on.

In my defense, the fluid level, even when new from factory, was never more than 2-3mm above molded midline seam... was never close to the "Max" line, which I just now noticed... my bad.

 

[Toms01PSD]

Nope, not smart-ass, more like hats-off-to-you... OTOH, I ass-u-med you'd owned it for more of those many miles.

Thanks, for real... I appreciate all help in resolving this (and other) repairs.

I wish! I would have taken better care of it than the last ass-hat who had it. If I had known the rear lines were cut at the wheel cylinders and there was a nail in the line running to the rear I would never have bought it. The only reason I found out the rear lines were cut was because when I had it up on a lift, the rear tires kept spinning. The only reason I know there was a nail in the line coming out of the master cylinder was because I wasn't getting any fluid out of the rear at all. Too bad I bought it from an auction, I would have gone to the guys house and run it through the front door.

 

[fixizin]

... If I had known the rear lines were cut at the wheel cylinders and there was a nail in the line running to the rear I would never have bought it. The only reason I found out the rear lines were cut was because when I had it up on a lift... Too bad I bought it from an auction, I would have gone to the guys house and run it through the front door.

BASTIGES!! Was it because the rear cylinders were leaking?

I've often thought of picking up a beater/runaround/2nd car at auction, but the opportunities for pre-bid INSPECTIONS are, as you found out, rather limited... gotta figure ANYTHING with an auto tranny is filled with sawdust/stop-leak/etc., and will need that trans swapped out.

Hopefully, even with repairs thrown in, you got a good deal.