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Newbie ques on ABS


bbqen2

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I've read everything I could find on a search for ABS probs. I'm kinda new at mechanics, but I HATE paying shop prices. I have a 93 Lumina and the ABS light stays on all the time. I've already paid $200 to get it fixed but it came back on almost immediately. This is my wifes car and she said at times she hears a "squishing" sound. I just replaced back rotors and pads the front ones were replaced about a yr ago. I've bled all 4 brakes as wellas the front and rear ABS on the master cyl. I read where you can just pull the fuse under the hood. Will this work on our 93? Are there any downsides to pulling the fuse?

 

One thing I noticed this morning, I jacked up the front end and started the car. The ABS light came on for a few seconds and then whent off. This is what it should do. I put the car in gear gave it some gas and hit the brakes. The ABS light stayed off. Could this be because there was no weight on the wheels?

Thanks for your help

Dan

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Sounds like a faulty wire for the ABS wheel speed sensor. There should be one in each hub IIRC. Locate the sensors, jiggle the wire and have the wife watch for the light. That will tell you which one is bad.

As far as pulling the fuse, there would be no harm in that. You'd just have to look at the ABS light in the dash all the time. The regular brakes will function normally.

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Sounds like a faulty wire for the ABS wheel speed sensor. There should be one in each hub IIRC. Locate the sensors, jiggle the wire and have the wife watch for the light. That will tell you which one is bad.

As far as pulling the fuse, there would be no harm in that. You'd just have to look at the ABS light in the dash all the time. The regular brakes will function normally.

 

:werd: abs makes w-body brakes more dangerous than they already are.

 

newer abs systems are much better though

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Sounds like a faulty wire for the ABS wheel speed sensor. There should be one in each hub IIRC. Locate the sensors, jiggle the wire and have the wife watch for the light. That will tell you which one is bad.

As far as pulling the fuse, there would be no harm in that. You'd just have to look at the ABS light in the dash all the time. The regular brakes will function normally.

 

:werd: abs makes w-body brakes more dangerous than they already are.

 

newer abs systems are much better though

 

My TGP w/ ABS stops assloads better than the CS w/o it :think: if I put the pedal to the floor, I STOP, not slow down..

 

CS will barely slow down when I first start out and they warm up, but I blame that on both the car and the pad choice, not just the car.

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Well I always pull the ABS fuse in the winter. When the roads become glare ice, the ABS kicks on- because the roads are slick, you can't steer, so ABS just extends the stopping distance tenfold. I had WAY too many close calls the first winter I had this car, so the ABS went out. I hate it.

 

But I'll use it during the summer.. last thing I want is flat spots in my new tires.

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Thanks for the replys. this abs thing is driving me nuts. To top it off I went to do the front pads and one rotor today. I took off the left front caliper and theres this carriage that keeps the rotor from coming off. It's held on by two T-60 star bolts. Do you think I could break them loose? Naw....busted the pin in the head of my breaker bar trying tho. I put the old pads back on. I'll take it to a mechanic friend and see if he can bust em loose with an impact wrench.

To top it off I had the wife drive it to check the pedal feel. She said the pedal felt better than before (new rear pads and rotors). We stopped at the local waly mart and when we started the car it died. It didn't want to start, had to give it some gas and then it sat there and shuddered at idle. My wife smiled and said 'what the hell did you do to my car'. Some days ya just can't win :D

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Sounds like a faulty wire for the ABS wheel speed sensor. There should be one in each hub IIRC. Locate the sensors, jiggle the wire and have the wife watch for the light. That will tell you which one is bad.

As far as pulling the fuse, there would be no harm in that. You'd just have to look at the ABS light in the dash all the time. The regular brakes will function normally.

 

:werd: abs makes w-body brakes more dangerous than they already are.

 

newer abs systems are much better though

 

My TGP w/ ABS stops assloads better than the CS w/o it :think: if I put the pedal to the floor, I STOP, not slow down..

 

CS will barely slow down when I first start out and they warm up, but I blame that on both the car and the pad choice, not just the car.

 

your TGP has the Powermaster III brake system, your CS has the same regular vaccum assisted brake system i do, which sucks.

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One method of hunting down ABS errors is to see if the light turns on when the car is started (if you can find the problem as to why it won't run :? ) or if it turns on once the car starts rolling. Wheel sensors and items that rotate won't cause the ABS light to go on until it sees the other three wheels rolling (the fourth being a bad whatever). If the ABS light turns on right away, then it's something not dealing with rotating parts...I'm not sure how the system would act if a wheel sensor was actually shorted or open circuit.

 

I did some digging about this when my 93 GP starting showing an ABS code...it only went on after reaching 12 MPH...come to find out, that means a wheel sensor is out. Good luck.

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:werd: abs makes w-body brakes more dangerous than they already are.

 

newer abs systems are much better though

 

My TGP w/ ABS stops assloads better than the CS w/o it :think: if I put the pedal to the floor, I STOP, not slow down..

 

CS will barely slow down when I first start out and they warm up, but I blame that on both the car and the pad choice, not just the car.

 

your TGP has the Powermaster III brake system, your CS has the same regular vaccum assisted brake system i do, which sucks.

 

I know.. you said w-body ABS is worse than vacuum assisted, and I described how I've experienced otherwise :shrug:

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:werd: abs makes w-body brakes more dangerous than they already are.

 

newer abs systems are much better though

 

My TGP w/ ABS stops assloads better than the CS w/o it :think: if I put the pedal to the floor, I STOP, not slow down..

 

 

CS will barely slow down when I first start out and they warm up, but I blame that on both the car and the pad choice, not just the car.

 

your TGP has the Powermaster III brake system, your CS has the same regular vaccum assisted brake system i do, which sucks.

 

I know.. you said w-body ABS is worse than vacuum assisted, and I described how I've experienced otherwise :shrug:

 

but, with the end of the Powermaster III system, abs-equipped w-bodies had vaccum assisted braking systems with abs. My CS has abs, but the brake system is vaccum assisted, it IS NOT PM III.

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your TGP has the Powermaster III brake system, your CS has the same regular vaccum assisted brake system i do, which sucks.

 

I know.. you said w-body ABS is worse than vacuum assisted, and I described how I've experienced otherwise :shrug:

 

but, with the end of the Powermaster III system, abs-equipped w-bodies had vaccum assisted braking systems with abs. My CS has abs, but the brake system is vaccum assisted, it IS NOT PM III.

 

I finally get it.. you have ABS VI, which was vacuum assist ABS and not nitrogen based or whatever the hell the PM3 is. Well, that's not what I have in my CS.. it doesn't have ABS, period.

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your TGP has the Powermaster III brake system, your CS has the same regular vaccum assisted brake system i do, which sucks.

 

I know.. you said w-body ABS is worse than vacuum assisted, and I described how I've experienced otherwise :shrug:

 

but, with the end of the Powermaster III system, abs-equipped w-bodies had vaccum assisted braking systems with abs. My CS has abs, but the brake system is vaccum assisted, it IS NOT PM III.

 

I finally get it.. you have ABS VI, which was vacuum assist ABS and not nitrogen based or whatever the hell the PM3 is. Well, that's not what I have in my CS.. it doesn't have ABS, period.

 

but, we still have the same vaccum-assisted basic system, which really sucks :thumbsdown:

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