Thread: Traction Control/Service ABS

I've seen threads pertaining to these issues before, but my issue might be slightly different.

I was headed to work this morning and upon descending a downhill into a curve I hit the brakes to slow and as I did I got the Traction Control Off and Service ABS warnings. I know from reading other posts this usually has something to do with one of the hubs. I hit a redlight in the one town and when I did I decided to put the car in park and shut it off, then restart it to see if it was just a fluke.

When I restarted the car the lights were off until I hit about 15 mph. When I got in the car to leave work the lights never came back on again. Not in the entire 25 mile ride home and not on the 1 mile trip to the store later.

My question to you, is there an issue with a hub? Was it just a fluke? If a hub is in need of replacement how can I tell which one?

Thanks in advance.

find someone or someplace with a scanner that can read ABS codes and find out which wheel did it.

Also check all the connections at the hubs for damage or corrision

i don't have a solution for you... but i just want to add to yours that i'm quite sick of mysterious gp problems.

if the light comes back on get it scanned. and i think it should still have the codes saved from when they come on.

oh, and does the 07 have magnasteer/variable assist?

A buddy of mine has a shop. If he doesn't have a scanner, he'll know someone that does.

As for the magnasteer question, I honestly don't have a clue.

Appreciate the input.

yeah. and why dont you ask him what TYPES of shops have abs scanners? i know the few shops i've found have told me it's gonna take like an hour to test it. im like wtf... its only takes a minute or two to pull the codes?

but if your steering remains the same at low speeds then you're good to go.

Originally Posted by brandonl2000

i know the few shops i've found have told me it's gonna take like an hour to test it.

some places charge an hour's time, minimum for the littlest thing.
Any shop that has a TechII (typically dealerships/dealership hot rod shops) or a Snap-On (most respectable shops) scanner can do it for you. Show up, don't call. Might do it for free.

If scanning gets you nowhere, this might help... http://www.grandprixforums.net/abs.php

Originally Posted by stealthee

As for the magnasteer question, I honestly don't have a clue.

check the sticker on the under side of the trunk lid, on the RPO sticker, look for code FE3 thats the magnasteer code. all gt based w bodys seem to have it including regal gs's.

Originally Posted by scottydoggs

check the sticker on the under side of the trunk lid, on the RPO sticker, look for code FE3 thats the magnasteer code. all gt based w bodys seem to have it including regal gs's.

what about GTPs? mine is GTP and when that abs light kicks on you better be ready to work them arms in a parking lot.

check under the truck for the code, or call the dealership with your vin# they can and will tell you what you have.

like i said, all gt based w bodys seem to have magnasteer.

i thought it was that all GTPs had the whole magnasteer deal...

ABS, TCS OFF & SES Warning Lights Troubleshooting Guide - GM Pontiac Grand Prix Anti Lock Braking System & Traction Control System Problems

if you read down into it, it says "I also noticed that after the ABS & TCS OFF lights came on, my power steering became stiffer and the car was harder to turn in parking lots...Then I took the car for a test drive, did some online research, and realized that the power steering problem was due to the ABS/TCS issue. Since the vehicle's computer could not read the WSS (wheel speed sensor) a.k.a. VSS (vehicle speed sensor) in one or more of the wheel hubs, it disabled the Magnasteer (speed sensitive power steering feature). I've also read that on some GM models the computer may also disable the cruise control feature."

Soo...yeah idk. but perhaps that link will be of some use to you, stealth. It kinda outlines what the potential problems could be.

i my self didn't have that problem with my regal, the abs light was on for a few months after i bought it,(on solid, no off and on stuff for me) and i had no problems steering till the rack and pump both went dead, but the abs light was fixed by then. on a side note my trans does shift a hell of a lot better since i did the rack, so gremlins are all over the place when one thing goes wrong it seems to affect other things.

you can always look for the wire that the rack has, it plugs in under the rear head on the drivers side, and leads to the rack by what would be the steering box. try unplugging it, maybe that will help till you can get the abs light off.

well idk. from what i understand with the magnasteer variable ratio equipped GPs, when abs light comes on, you can forget about variable ratio steering at low speeds. it works fine while driving. and i KNOW its not the pump or rack. because if i mess with the wires and get the light to go out, i can steer in a parking lot with my pinky. lol

for the life of me i cant tell the difference, if i even have variable assist, my wheel turns like butter full time. lol and i most defiantly have magna steer.

i understand that if you go to a dealership they can tune it to any one of 3 settings of firmness. but of course they want money to do it and from what ive read up on most people say its not worth messing around with as they cant tell the difference from one setting to another.

and if you can diddle your wires and the lights go off, you have wire problems, and most likely not a hub sensor. if you haven't tried to clean up the plugs and/or the wires, i'd look at that stuff first. make sure the wires are in good shape too, no cracks or missing insulation.

well, i would replace the whole harness, BUT the harness comes out of the main harness, it just doesnt plug in. and ill be damned if i create a short in the main harness.

so yeah, i have a splice in my abs wires because some dumbass at one point ripped mine out. so anyways, im working on a better splicing system, which should be coming in the mail today or tomorrow. so yeah we shall see how it goes. gonna use posi-locks, since soldering is such an epic fail.

but we have totally thread jacked. stealth..i bet it's a hub sensor starting to go. get it scanned and im sure it will tell you which one it was.

Originally Posted by brandonl2000

since soldering is such an epic fail.

siriusly, don't use anything but solder, go to radio shack, get rosin core solder, it has the flux in side it, 3 bucks for a tube, and some shrink wrap tubing, 5 bucks, if you don't have a soldering iron, use a lighter. it will be the last time you mess with it, those clips suck dog balls in every way, and fail big time over a short amount of time.

think about all the water and dirt and crap those wire will have to endure.

well, i got out there with a lighter and we had some solder that said "rosin core" and the sh*t just melted right off the wires and hit the floor. i was like fvck it and put tape back on it. then the light was off for about 5 miles then come back on i was like sha la la la BLOW UP DEEES KARRRR!!!

the wires them self need to be hot, you cant just hit the wires with the lighter under it, and touch the solder to it, when the wires are good and hot the solder melts right into them. i did my maf pig tail and ait pig tail this way and they are solid and working just fine 9 months later.

Originally Posted by scottydoggs

the wires them self need to be hot, you cant just hit the wires with the lighter under it, and touch the solder to it, when the wires are good and hot the solder melts right into them. i did my maf pig tail and ait pig tail this way and they are solid and working just fine 9 months later.

i did this. the wires started smoking and shrinking and everything. and the solder just rolled right off. i got like one little tiny blob of solder to stick. im like greaaaaat.

granted, this solder come in the pack of the "cold heat" thing so who knows if it's good solder.