Kent Kimberlin
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Periodically my check engine and brake light for parking brake will come on for no reason. They will stay on for a while and then go off. Help?
2002 Tahoe - Check Engine and Brake Light
- Thread starter Kent Kimberlin
- Start date
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Tonyrodz
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Have you checked what the code is for?
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Kent Kimberlin
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Yup and no code! I am thinking short. Just wanted to see if anyone else was experiencing this. I have 2002 BTW I should have said that
Tonyrodz
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Weird. Did you scan it while the cel was on? Do you have a scanner that does abs/brake codes?
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Kent Kimberlin
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No I did not good point. I'll try the scan again (when the lights are on!)
your scanner must be able to read abs codes even if the light is illuminated, if there is no stored code for abs then it may be likely the abs module is/has developed a short (very common) the solder inside gets loose from years of rattling down the road, like if you hit a bump on the road and the light comes on and then when you cycle the engine the light is out again. if the scanner can read abs codes and you scan when the light is on it will say something to the affect of "abs circuit failure" if it is the module. they can be repaired by reflowing the solder points inside.
There is another post here that includes a video on how to repair this issue if it is the module.
https://www.tahoeyukonforum.com/threads/abs-brake-light-fix.47509/
I completed this fix years ago and have not had an issue since.
https://www.tahoeyukonforum.com/threads/abs-brake-light-fix.47509/
I completed this fix years ago and have not had an issue since.
merlin1128
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I am going to put up a post about this so it is fresh due to I have been on here reading about a lot of things like this with lights going on for no reason, Tahoe's with the message center popping up messages, weird things happening, codes for no reason when scanned, and people going in circles trying to figure this out.
I had this too where it started out so simple as my rear wiper just turning itself on for no reason, then lights like above going on for no reason and going off, then after about a year anything and everything was coming on my dash lighting up and messages galore if you have the message center on your Tahoe or Suburban.
It was a bad ground wire under the front coming down from the negative battery terminal starting to lose its ground until the bolt that holds it on finally rotted away and it fell off and lights and messages galore on the dash.
These Tahoe's are old and they are super rusty underneath and this is where some ground wires are located. Current will take the path of least resistance so when you get a dash light or a message something else took the ground. Then when it goes off it now picked up what ground is left and something else loses it.
My mechanic told me this many years ago due to he had a vehicle doing the same thing and i never thought about it until anything and everything was going on the dash. He told me that this is very overlooked by mechanics and even dealerships always relying on the scan tool looking for codes.
He told me how it can start out slow and then more and more and when he gets that first thing he checks is all the ground wires and usually finds one that has lost its ground or partially lost it. He cleans them all up and it is usually problem solved he told me and then scans it and finds many codes that stored because of this.
If he can get all the lights and weird stuff stopped just from cleaning and getting nice solid grounds he just scans it to pull all the codes then with the vehicle now being perfectly fine and just clears them out and saves them. He then tells the person to drive it around for about a week and come back so he can scan it again and usually no codes come up.
All this from a simple ground losing its connection can cause this much havoc.
I had this too where it started out so simple as my rear wiper just turning itself on for no reason, then lights like above going on for no reason and going off, then after about a year anything and everything was coming on my dash lighting up and messages galore if you have the message center on your Tahoe or Suburban.
It was a bad ground wire under the front coming down from the negative battery terminal starting to lose its ground until the bolt that holds it on finally rotted away and it fell off and lights and messages galore on the dash.
These Tahoe's are old and they are super rusty underneath and this is where some ground wires are located. Current will take the path of least resistance so when you get a dash light or a message something else took the ground. Then when it goes off it now picked up what ground is left and something else loses it.
My mechanic told me this many years ago due to he had a vehicle doing the same thing and i never thought about it until anything and everything was going on the dash. He told me that this is very overlooked by mechanics and even dealerships always relying on the scan tool looking for codes.
He told me how it can start out slow and then more and more and when he gets that first thing he checks is all the ground wires and usually finds one that has lost its ground or partially lost it. He cleans them all up and it is usually problem solved he told me and then scans it and finds many codes that stored because of this.
If he can get all the lights and weird stuff stopped just from cleaning and getting nice solid grounds he just scans it to pull all the codes then with the vehicle now being perfectly fine and just clears them out and saves them. He then tells the person to drive it around for about a week and come back so he can scan it again and usually no codes come up.
All this from a simple ground losing its connection can cause this much havoc.
Man, I love the fact that my rig has been in Oregon it's whole life and has NO RUST ANYWHERE. I simply love that fact about it. In KC, Mo. I dealt with rust issues galore. I was on this form quite a bit when I joined and then off for a while because of personal decisions and now back. The stories ring true still. Intermittent lights popping on for no good reason, intermittent functions not functioning, systems not working at times.....etc. Seem to mostly lead back to ground/wiring/connection problems, except for the pattern failure of some components.
merlin1128
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I wish mine did not have all that rust and I sprayed it with truck bed coating underneath when I got it. My mechanic keeps cases of it in his shop and recommends it to people when they bring their vehicles in and shows them the rust and they usually want him to spray it. I know it is unbelievable that a simple ground wire can cause that much havoc as time goes on and it loses its ground.
Mine started as above with just the rear wiper going on by itself with no rhyme or reason, then the tighten fuel cap. This was all over the course of about a year as all this stuff progressed to more until that ground wire bolt completely rotted away and then all havoc broke loose with lights and messages. Then once I got it back on and checked and cleaned all the others and now problem free. Then when I went over by him and he plugged in his scan tool I could not believe all the codes that were on it. Then as above he cleared them all and went back a week later and not one single code showed up.
I would guess this all happened about 2 years ago or so and still problem free with dash lights and when I stop over by him no codes. I am of course fixing stuff with its age like the power steering pump went bad and my alternator the bearings were starting to go and squealing. Then of course the blend door actuators if you have not had that problem yet where the air will blow hot or cold on one side due to them failing or not blowing the air where it should be all mixed up.
Mine started as above with just the rear wiper going on by itself with no rhyme or reason, then the tighten fuel cap. This was all over the course of about a year as all this stuff progressed to more until that ground wire bolt completely rotted away and then all havoc broke loose with lights and messages. Then once I got it back on and checked and cleaned all the others and now problem free. Then when I went over by him and he plugged in his scan tool I could not believe all the codes that were on it. Then as above he cleared them all and went back a week later and not one single code showed up.
I would guess this all happened about 2 years ago or so and still problem free with dash lights and when I stop over by him no codes. I am of course fixing stuff with its age like the power steering pump went bad and my alternator the bearings were starting to go and squealing. Then of course the blend door actuators if you have not had that problem yet where the air will blow hot or cold on one side due to them failing or not blowing the air where it should be all mixed up.
My above comment seemed so self promoting if read a certain way and I know you are not saying that. I am talking about what I felt when I read it BUT, time and time again you will see that I have posted and will continue to post about starting ANY diagnostic with basics first. I have always started by checking as much related and non related wiring connections and grounds when electrical problems rear their ugly heads and seem to make no sense at all. That is why I mentioned what I read before and after my hiatus from the site. Sometimes someone makes a WAG and it is correct but I am from Missouri originally and I like to be SHOWN. Handing keys to a customer and assuring them their problem is fixed will cause that.
JonnyTahoe
Full Access Member
Check Engine lights are all the rage on many of the trucks on here. With so many sensors it's a common problem even when the truck runs perfectly fine. I have my ABS and BRAKE light come on together than go off together. I have a noise coming from where the rear heat and a/c are when I turn stuff on like blinkers. I had a rear wiper issue so I took the wiper off. Its a life long rust free Yukon from Texas that only has 165k on it. I removed all the seats and pulled up all the carpet and plastic to see if it might be a flood truck but it is very clean with no sign of water damage. The truck runs great and is fun to work on because of how clean everything is just a few electrical gremlins to figure out.
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