ABS Light Help

[97ponygt]

Ok the other day I was backing out of my driveway and my ABS light came on and then it started blinking. I then hit the brake pedal a little harder then normal and it went off and hasn't been on since. The thing is I didn't think I had Anti-Lock brakes and if I do they don't work because I can feel them lock up if I press down too hard when it's icy out. Anyway where should I go from here?

 

[mygreengt]

if its icy then anti lock brakes dont really do the "anti lock" part

 

[danielson631]

if its icy then anti lock brakes dont really do the "anti lock" part

+1


i thought the same thing, and then i experimented on a wet road and the ABS kicked in.

thats about all i know, wish i could help..

 

[mygreengt]

ice and wet are way different

 

[97ponygt]

if its icy then anti lock brakes dont really do the "anti lock" part

+1


i thought the same thing, and then i experimented on a wet road and the ABS kicked in.

thats about all i know, wish i could help..

I should have been more clear sorry. I mean on like snow packed roads or roads where there is snow on one side and not the other I can feel one side locking up and not the other, is that the same with you guys as well? Another thing I notice is that my lights dim and my alternator doesn't charge as high, on the gauge it goes from like MA of normal to the OR and RM.

 

[danielson631]

if its icy then anti lock brakes dont really do the "anti lock" part

+1


i thought the same thing, and then i experimented on a wet road and the ABS kicked in.

sorry let me rephrase that. i thought the ABS would work on ice too, until i tried it and they didnt work so i thought i didnt have ABS. then one day i tried it while it was wet and thats where i discovered i had them

 

[duff daddy]

I dont have abs on my car so its hard to tell you exactly but

With a normal RWAL set up they will be less sensitive and normally wont kick in (think pick up truck). With a car that has 4 wheel abs will tend to give you a noise (during abs application) if it is activated by a different wheel speed left to right/front to back.

As far as what happend to you, it sounds like you may have had a pump failure. The abs light will come on for a sensor failure and brakes will be normal. If the light blinks, then most of the time that is a system failure.

Hope this helps, once again this is general knowledge that I gave not mustang specific Tech, this is going to the garge too!

 

[1996mustangGT]

Sounds like another good thing to remove....

 

[97ponygt]

Ok I've been a lot of attention when braking and I hear like a grinding noise when I break is that noise consistent with anybody else with ABS?

 

[danielson631]

Ok I've been a lot of attention when braking and I hear like a grinding noise when I break is that noise consistent with anybody else with ABS?

i have abs and never heard grinding noises. sounds like you have a problem

 

[Win]

Sounds like you might have Metal to Metal contact. Possibly a pad that is worn down and the backing is grinding into the rotor. Just one of the things that could cause that noise.

 

[97ponygt]

Sounds like you might have Metal to Metal contact. Possibly a pad that is worn down and the backing is grinding into the rotor. Just one of the things that could cause that noise.

Ya that's what I've been thinking I'll have to check it out this evening.

 

[mrdeep2001]

just another idea, check the rear caliper brackets, the slider pins on my car were rusted to hell and a pad fell out so the caliper piston was hitting the rotor...no bueno.

 

[stanger]

change your brakes. problem solved.

 

[mrdeep2001]

any news?

 

[ttocs]

you could make sure the connections to the abs computer are tight and see if plugging them in cleans any contacts. The computer is just to the right side of the accelerator pedal on the hump, a blue box.

 

[sn95gtvert]

check your sensors, i just had to repair mine. my passenger side rear wheel ate away at the wire for the sensor. you can also run a test on the abs system by jumping the test port next to the fuse box under the hood. it should have a red cover that says anti lock test. jump the orange/white wire to the black one then turn your ignition to the on postion without starting the car. the abs light will flash mine did 3 then 2 meaning right rear sensor.

hope this helps and i hope your abs issue doesnt cost much to fix. those sensors are about $65 for one.

 

[97ponygt]

check your sensors, i just had to repair mine. my passenger side rear wheel ate away at the wire for the sensor. you can also run a test on the abs system by jumping the test port next to the fuse box under the hood. it should have a red cover that says anti lock test. jump the orange/white wire to the black one then turn your ignition to the on postion without starting the car. the abs light will flash mine did 3 then 2 meaning right rear sensor.

hope this helps and i hope your abs issue doesnt cost much to fix. those sensors are about $65 for one.

Thanks for the advice I will have to do that. It's been cold as hell this past winter so I didn't have time to try anything out while it was still cold out but I'm going to be changing my ball joints this weekend or next or maybe the weekend after that depending on how The Masters turns out. I'll update everyone as to how it all goes.