ABS/ Brake light Question

[Blk00ss]

Our '05 with 175K on it has started doing this. Brakes work great, no change when this light comes on. Just did a front/ rear brakes a few weeks ago. I can disconnect battery and get the light to turn off for a few days, but then it comes right back. I went ahead and cleaned the two ground connections under driver side door. We don't live up north and our truck is quite clean, but I cleaned them up anyway. Light still comes on. Can this be a wheel sensor? Or is this definitely EBCM related? I don't solder (I suck at it), so I'd probably consider a new or reman one. But, do they require a reflash?

I'll just vent for a second...these vehicles now days run forever. Maybe thats part of the reason vehicles are so expensive these days. But as I've stated for many years...its not the mechanical stuff that craps out. Its everything around it.

 

[MassHoe04]

Most likely not anything to do with the ABS sensor. Since both lights are on.


Maybe it is the wandering chunk of solder issue that comes up time to time. Maybe not.

Before assuming the worst, Scan for codes would be the best place to start. Please post codes you see.

Could very well be a connection issue or bad ground. Start at the EBCM. Pull/inspect connector plugs and pins for corrosion or damage. Spray with electrical contact cleaner and reattach securely. Inspect wires in the area for any damage.

 

[Joseph Garcia]

Was the lights on before you changed the brake pads?

 

[Blk00ss]

Was the lights on before you changed the brake pads?

No, never, which I thought was odd.

But...I've done hundreds of brake jobs. I've done a few on this specific vehicle. I simply changed pads front/ rear.

I did have at driver front a mishap with one of the pistons and it leaked some fluid out of the rubber surround as I was pressing it back in. But we have no leaks, no loss of fluid and after we bled them, the brakes work better than they ever have. And no lights directly after that mishap. These lights just started coming on this past weekend

 

[Blk00ss]

I just thought of something else...I rotated his tires when I did the brakes, but I didn't reset the TPMS. Can that cause these lights to come on?

 

[Fless]

Best to get the code that is setting the MIL. It could also be the connection on the parking brake, but the code should narrow things down a bit.

 

[OR VietVet]

Since you rotated the tires and did brakes I would check every wheel speed sensor wire on the rig and also check the level float in the master cylinder reservoir and make sure is moving freely and I would check the connections and mount at the stop light switch. This is all to just cover your bases.

 

[MassHoe04]

Yeah... Really need to get any and all codes and see what they are. We all would be able to sort through the weeds to determine where we should focus our attention. If you don't have a Tech 2 scanner, do you have or can you get some kind of scanner to read the active and stored codes?

You don't have to drop a lot of money, but get the best you can for what you can afford. Something is a lot better than nothing!
My first canner was a Zurich from Harbor Freight for about $120. I got that one, because it could show live data and deal with ABS and Airbag codes in a little more detail. It was handy to clear minor codes to see if they were a fluke or if they came back and something to look into more.

 

[Blk00ss]

This is my son's truck. I told him last evening we'll need to get by Oreilly and have them plug into the OBDII and pull the codes.

I can't recall, but do the lights have to be on at that time? Or will the scan pull stored codes as well? I ask because ithe lights have been off since yesterday morning

 

[MassHoe04]

This is my son's truck. I told him last evening we'll need to get by Oreilly and have them plug into the OBDII and pull the codes.

I can't recall, but do the lights have to be on at that time? Or will the scan pull stored codes as well? I ask because ithe lights have been off since yesterday morning

Lights do not need to be on when scanned.
Most scan tools are able to see active (lights on) and the history of codes stored on the computer since the last time it was completely cleared out.

Clearing active codes (which a lot of people try to pull when selling a vehicle) does not clear the code history from the memory banks without doing a deeper reset.
There still should be a list of codes stored in there.