Thread: ABS Issue

Originally Posted by m1sterb0b

Okay . . . I've had it!

I just bought my first Grand Prix. Its a 1997 Grand Prix GT Coup (3.8 non-supercharged). BEAUTIFUL car! I live in michigan, and its a kansas car, so it has little rust on the body. I've had some minor well-known issues with the car (such as a rear strutt going out/knocking, one of the cv joints just blew, and one of my window motors doesn't work well) all things I can fix. However, I have one issue that I can't figure out.

My ABS / Traction Control / Tire Pressure lights come on, and it seems random. Normally you can tell if its a sensor by when the lights come on, but they just come on whenever they feel like it. For instance: I can start my car, on a cool day, and within 1 or 2 seconds the lights will come on, while Other times, I can start my car, drive around for an hour or two and the lights will never come on. Sometimes I can be driving and the lights will come on a half an hour down the road, other times I'll be driving and my ABS will just go nuts (I actually went through a red light once because my ABS was going off so much).

I've had all 4 wheels off checking the links. All 4 connections seem solid, we unplugged them, checked for corrosion, and there was corrosion on only 1 of the connections, which we fixed, and plugged all back in making sure they were solid and connected to their clips. The front 2 wheel bearings look like they were recently replaced. The rear 2 look like they may be originals, but I don't hear any noise coming from them while driving. When we had the tires off, and we spun them, we didn't hear anything and they spun just fine.

What else can I do to figure out whats wrong?

When the ABS light comes on, it will set a diagnostic code that describes exactly what the problem is. So if you find out what that code is, you can troubleshoot the problem and fix it. This is very much like the service engine light and the diagnostic codes that it sets.

Now the issue is that only a select few scanners can check these ABS codes. Most garages have them, but the common backyard mechanic typically does not. So your best bet is to ask a garage to retrieve the ABS coeds and tell you what is wrong. Most place will charge like $10-$20 for this. Then, if you want to fix it yourself, you can.

Originally Posted by m1sterb0b

Does the light have to be on when they test it, or can I bring it in any time? Because like I said, I never know when it comes on!

Just make sure it has come on recently, like within the last week. It does keep a history, but it will clear out after so long. So make sure it was fairly recent that the light was on. But no, it doesn't need to be on when they scan it.