Intermittent ABS.........

[Goose]

Yesterday the ABS light came on on my '05 Dodge Grand Caravan. I tried it on a slick spot, and the ABS didn't work. Since the OBD II scanner I had didn't do ABS, I stopped at O'Reilly's this morning and bought a new Bosch scanner that also does ABS. When I drove away from O'Reilly's, it dawned on me that the ABS light went out like it should. Hit a slick spot and the ABS worked. I ran several other errands that involved stop and start, and the light stayed out.

The last startup when heading home, the light stayed on. I went down to my shop and scanned it twice with my new scanner and no codes. I hit the button to erase codes anyway. When I drove from my shop back to my house, the light stayed off.

What the heck? Has anyone else run into this?

 

[glennster]

will your scanner pull history codes?

 

[rusty6]

(quoted from post at 16:40:13 02/23/18) Yesterday the ABS light came on on my '05 Dodge Grand Caravan.

What the heck? Has anyone else run into this?

Yes, I had intermittent ABS light on my 97 Blazer for quite a while. Finally I could tell my rear brakes were not working at all. Seems the wheel cylinders have seized up so I've got new ones to install. Fronts still work but thats not nearly enough on ice.

 

[JMOR]

(quoted from post at 19:40:13 02/23/18) Yesterday the ABS light came on on my '05 Dodge Grand Caravan. I tried it on a slick spot, and the ABS didn't work. Since the OBD II scanner I had didn't do ABS, I stopped at O'Reilly's this morning and bought a new Bosch scanner that also does ABS. When I drove away from O'Reilly's, it dawned on me that the ABS light went out like it should. Hit a slick spot and the ABS worked. I ran several other errands that involved stop and start, and the light stayed out.

The last startup when heading home, the light stayed on. I went down to my shop and scanned it twice with my new scanner and no codes. I hit the button to erase codes anyway. When I drove from my shop back to my house, the light stayed off.

What the heck? Has anyone else run into this?

o real help here, just sympathy. My 2001 Chevy PU has intermittent ABS & research & talking with other owners of same (near years), reveals that the circuit board in the controller has solder joints to solenoids (vibration?) that crack. There are even companies that will take them apart, re-solder, test and return them to me.........clearly a wide spread problem.

 

[Joe W.]

Yes, I have a 2001 Chevy S-10 and the ABS brake light comes on every now and then. Most of the time it's off. It comes and goes so I just ignore it. Except for the ABS feature, I know the braking system is working properly as it was inspected and replacements made where needed by my trusted auto repair shop. I really don't care for the ABS feature as it sounds scary when it works. If it was gone it would be o.k. with me.

 

[Steve@Advance]

Strange that there were no codes set with the light...

Check the obvious first, brake fluid level, park brake fully released. Look at each speed sensor, should be one at each wheel. Look for damaged wire, jack the wheel up and feel for loose bearings. Pull each sensor out and look for damage to the sensor face.

Sense there were no codes showing, the module may be failing.

 

[John M]

Not on a Dodge, but the wifes Lacrosse was doing the exact same thing. Wheel bearing was going bad.

 

[JDEM]

I have a 1998 AWD 3.8 Grand Caravan and a 2002 3.3 FWD Grand Caravan. They both do the same thing. Makes no difference to me. I think ABS has been a huge waste of money since it was invented anyway. I'd rather not have it on any of my vehicles.

I have one other glitch on both my Grand Caravans that maybe has not happened to you yet? "No charge" light will pop on once in awhile. One I turn off the engine and restart it is "off." Grand Caravan has no voltage regulator in the alternator. So I suppose it is a glitch in the main computer. I finally plugged in a voltmeter in the power-port to try to see what is going on. Sure enough - when the light came on again - it was because of too much charge, just for less then a second. Voltage spiked to 16 volts and then back to 14. When it hit 16, that light came on and stayed on until I turned off the engine and restarted. Another thing I no longer worry about.

 

[Bruce(OR)]

Try jacking up the wheel, move it in and out at top. Is one side looser than the other? Possible bad bearing causing wobble between the tone ring and the sensor.

 

[tomstractorsandtoys]

I have an 07 that has been that way for years. Shop said a bad sensor in a wheel hub. Replaced that and no change. They said it more than likely is a broken wire in a harness somewhere and almost impossible to track down. Tom

 

[4play]

I have 4 different scanners/code readers and have found between all of them that sometimes one will show no codes where others will. If you know someone that might have a different or higher end scanner it could tell you something.

I think you would have both the red brake light and amber abs light on if the brake fluid level is low, but it might be worth checking anyway.

 

[ASEguy]

Bosch has their hands in a lot of scanners. Just because it's Bosch doesn't mean it's the correct diagnostic tool. I would either go to a shop that has an advanced scanner or get a scope and back probe the wheel speed sensors. I have a cheap Hantek for home use that cost me $70.00 off ebay. It is a two channel and it works for seeing a pattern. You can use one for quite a few electrical things since electrical components leave an electronic signature. Set up is easy and Youtube has great video's from scanner danner.

 

[rustyfarmall]

The ABS on my 2001 Chevy 3500 malfunctioned. The same problem apparently showed up on several GM models, and GM issued a recall on those other models, but NOT for the trucks. I talked to the service manager at the dealer, and he basically told me that they would not honor the recall for a truck. I went home, pulled the fuse for the ABS, put black tape over the warning light on the dash and called it fixed. The truck now STOPS when I hit the pedal, and stops MUCH faster on dry pavement than it ever did when the ABS was working. I KNOW how to drive on slick surfaces. I do not need ABS, nor do I want it.

 

[K Effective]

I posted earlier about issues with a 2013 LaCrosse ABS. I had replaced the sensor/harness to the wheel that had raised the code. Did not clear the ABS, but no codes shown at OReilleys. Took it to a retired mechanic still working at home, his one scanner showed no code, his other one showed a brake pedal position sensor issue. We were able to clear the ABS light, spun the wheel with the new sensor and he saw it was working fine with his reader. I got less than a mile form his house and it came back. Three times we tried different things, came back each time. Last effort was a fan blowing on the driver's area overnight in case there was moisture in the brake pedal sensor. Took it to another shop, they just nailed me $395 for a new wheel bearing/tone ring. And, it's back. Grrrr.

 

[Eldon (WA)]

(quoted from post at 07:06:39 02/24/18)
The ABS on my 2001 Chevy 3500 malfunctioned. The same problem apparently showed up on several GM models, and GM issued a recall on those other models, but NOT for the trucks. I talked to the service manager at the dealer, and he basically told me that they would not honor the recall for a truck. I went home, pulled the fuse for the ABS, put black tape over the warning light on the dash and called it fixed. The truck now STOPS when I hit the pedal, and stops MUCH faster on dry pavement than it ever did when the ABS was working. I KNOW how to drive on slick surfaces. I do not need ABS, nor do I want it.

My 04 Dodge dually would not stop on slick roads with a trailer hooked up. I missed a snowy intersection once and held the pedal to the floor....and blew the ABS fuse, light came on. Trailer brakes then functioned properly, so I left it alone. Kept the blown fuse intact for liability reasons. Drove it over 130,000 miles that way. Got used to the light being on. When I sold the truck I told the buyer about it, he said his other Dodges were the same way, no problem....