[ABS] Two zip ties saved me $700

macklow

Well-known member
May 3, 2004
398
0
Las Vegas, NV
I've been having intermittent (at times constant) problems with my ABS for quite a few years. Every time I thought I had everything sorted out, a few days later, I would be reminded that the ABS system still wasn't happy. You know, the system engaging when coming to a stop (and not stopping the truck until it seems I'm halfway through the intersection), the abs pump kicking in when accelerating and hitting a bump, the ABS light being on constantly, and so on.

Well, since my grief was always coming from the driver's side front/rear, I took some extra care one day did a little sleuthing. I discovered that both of the sensors have bad wiring (or connection). Checking resistance and moving the wires caused a big change in the ohms. However, I also noticed that both front and rear sensor wires were no longer attached to the suspension with their zip ties. I moved the wires and zipped them down in a manner that keeps them from bending and losing their continuity.

A week later, and still no (wierd) ABS problems... no faults, no odd pulses at strange times, abs light stays off...
 

Robbie

Well-known member
Apr 20, 2004
1,463
1
NOVA
lol, my fuel pump connection is the same way! the connection on top of the fuel pump is lose and the little locking tab is broken. it would sometimes make contact and other times come loose. zip tied it tight and good to go. now just waiting to do the fuel tank recall to give the dealer the new harness to put in there.
 
B

BarryO

Guest
benlittle said:
You should short the fuse out.
And the next time he tries to stop on a patch of black ice, he'd really regret it.

So a new sensor is $350? Ouch. The zip tie 'fix' is probably just a temporary fix; if there's an internmittant break in the wire it will eventually fail.
 

mr_ed

Well-known member
Mar 12, 2005
363
0
40
Astoria OR
www.cardomain.com
BarryO said:
And the next time he tries to stop on a patch of black ice, he'd really regret it.

Just learn to read the road (black ice can be seen if you know what to look for) and learn how to brake properly on it, and you don't need ABS. Folks say you have to have it, but I've stopped everything from big lumbering 1970s pickups to mid 90s compacts (all w/out ABS) successfully and safely for years on every imaginable snowy, icy, black icy, or otherwise slick surface, while others around me who didn't know how to handle ice lost control and crashed despite their ABS systems.

No ABS just means that as the human in control of the machine you have to stay on your game a little better.

Also ya'll have probably tried descending a steep hill of loose rocks with an ABS equiped vehicle before, right? Scary as hell ain't it? ABS has never stopped me any better than I could myself in a high speed stop, but it came close to killing me once on a steep liitle mountain trail next to a 2000 ft drop up on the Idaho/Montana line...

Just my "I don't lak this hyar new fangled geeyajets" $0.02...:D

Ed