Thread: ABS and Traction Control Light on.

SO apparently I bought a lemon. I havn't had this car a week and so far, i have had a check engine light and now i have ABS and Traction control light on. My DIC is displaying SERVICE ABS AND TRACTION.

I took it for a drive, and when I slam the brakes the ABS is still working. You can hear it stop the wheels from locking up.

I wish i never saw this car.

Does anyone know what to do or check before I light a match?

A lot of times the ABS light is simply a wheel speed sensor in the hub, which would require hub replacement. It's very easy.
Other times it's wiring and the EBCM module itself.

Suppose it's worth mentioning to check all your fuses, namely the cig lighter fuse, seems it's linked to a few things.

An ABS scan will pinpoint which wheel sensor might be bad.

Calm down Bro. Get someone with a scanner who can use it, that should tell you which wheel it is. Replace the hub. Breathe. What is the error code?

The hubs were just replaced less than 10 k ago.. no lights came on until today. I have no clue what the code is, I just erased the codes yesterday after my engine light came on. Engine light never came back on, but now this.. It seems its going to be one thing after the other..

I find it wierd that my ABS is still working.. Usually when a light is oin, abs is disabled. Is there something I should be checking?

EDIT - ALright, i took it for anothr drive and the abs is not working.. Obviously a sensor is shot or wire is broken... just my typical luck.

ABS isn't working.. When i was driving slow to park in my spot, the ABS started doing somethign weird though.. No wheels locked up but it still made the pulsing in the peddle happen, and a noise..

Once ABS reads one error, the light stays on until the key is turned off, even if ABS starts to work again. If hubs were recently replaced, check the connections behind the rotors, clean them if so inclined. then follow the wires and make sure they're not injured in anyway.

What hubs were they replaced with? If they weren't decenct quality, try again and use the old ones as paperweights.

Originally Posted by Steel Armadillo

Once ABS reads one error, the light stays on until the key is turned off, even if ABS starts to work again. If hubs were recently replaced, check the connections behind the rotors, clean them if so inclined. then follow the wires and make sure they're not injured in anyway.

What hubs were they replaced with? If they weren't decenct quality, try again and use the old ones as paperweights.

OK, i couldn't find what hubs.. But the paper work shows that the front wheel bearings were replaced.. I assume that means the hubs, i would think. I will put it on the computer tomorrow and see what codes or sensors are acting up.

I was talking to a few guys, and they mentioned that if yo get the cheaper hubs, you'll get about a year out of them, and sure enough, the last hubs put on this car was the cheap ones and they were put on 1 year, and 1 month ago. So i'm going to replace both front hubs and hop that fixes the problem. I also got the o2 sensor replaced to fix my check engine light, so hopefully no lights on the dash soon. Lets hope I can get one full week out of it!

I never once said i expect it to run perfectly.. BUt when it was just certified and etested less than a week ago, and I have had it less than a week and had 4 things go wrong with it already.. i classify that as a lemon. ABS/TC failed, AC Failed, Crtusie Control Failed, and o2 sensor failed. All in a week. LEMON!

Don't say "you should be in my shoes" when you don't even know me. In the last 4 years I have gone through several cars due to the fact everythign i seem to buy is a POS or a garage won't take fault of a mistake they made. Thats why when gettting this car I made a thread asking is this car reliable as I seem to have bad luck. The replies were very positive.

Well seems this car has followed my typical luck. And if you were in my shoes, you would understand my frustration. I think in the past 4 years i have spent easily over 40 grand on cars, and all have seemed to be a problem. I have bought cars on lots, in private, with warranty, with out, and I still end up in the same boat. And its not due to lack of maintenance as I fix cars anytime they need it.. I have already done 2 oil changes on this car to give it a good flush, was in garage this morning getting 02 sensor done, its booked in for a tranny flush, and also to get my hubs fixed now.. I do not misuse my vehicles, but just when i thought i found something good, I get all these problems in 1 week.

SO don't tell me to calm down. I'm just stating its a lemon and i wish i never saw it. I like my money in my pocket, not constantly fixing a car. its not that i can't afford it, the fact is i shouldn't have too. Sure, cars will have an issue now and then, and require maintenance.. But if this is one week, i hate to see how much i'll have to spend in the future.

^^^Guy gets a little excited over simple statements.

Best to not poke him.

Sorry bout your luck.
The only thing that impresses me about mine is the **** eating grin it puts on my face under full throttle acceleration! Other than that it seems to always need one thing or another. In the 3 years I've had mine I'm about about 4 grand in! I would recommend having the tranny filter changed instead of having a tranny flush done. The tranny oil gets drained to change the filter anyways. Be cheaper than the flush to. Trany filter and gasket should run you no more than 45 dollars then the price of 5 or 6 liters of ATF. Instead of having a garage play with there shiney useless toys at your expense.
Thats the joy of spending 6 grand instead of 60. It's always a game of russian roulette when you buy used no matter the service or driven history. Before I owned mine it had all it's service and repairs done at the same garage. They even certified it. Two days after i started driving it the exhaust resonator pretty near fell out of it. When I put it on a friends lift I noticed a 300 dollar front braided brake line that was rotten and leaking as well as the obviously rotted resonator! Garages don't care, they believe that you will never go under to check there work. There all crooked only way to get things fixed right is to do it yourself!!!!
Currently mine is throwing the abs and trac light. Pretty sure mines from a rubbed wire. Seems the wire retainer clip that holds the harness to the wheel assembly by the caliper has rotted out allowing the wires to rub on the axle. Oh yeah, the master cylinder just started to leak too! I replaced the intake manflod and gaskets at 126k due to the design flaw. If yours hasn't been done budget for it. I don't think theres a 3.8 with the plastic upper intake manifold out there thats made it past 175k. Not to mention the mass airflow sensors that puke with no warning, valued at 150 bucks. Brakes and wheel hub assemblies are a constant source of stress too! Hence the profile name "The Moneypit"
Good luck with yours, your in the right place, there's a wealth of knowlege here on this site. I'd have burnt mine shortly after buying it if it weren't for this site!

The garage I go to said that they would drop the pan and change filter. I have done flushes before, i thought it would be better as it would be getting all the crap out the lines and cooler and not just what drains from the pan. I do agree with the filter change.

Back to on topic of this thread. I am hooking it up to the computer on tuesday. Friends on mine have the actual computer program for all lights, codes, trouble shooting, and programming. Now when hooking that up, if it is just a broken wire, will it still tell me what side would be a fault. I know the guy hooking it up will know, but i would like to know. Can it specify if its actually a broken wire or a bad sensor?

FYI x98seng, i'm moving to ottawa next month. i'm hoping to have this fixed by then though. But i'm sure i may need some help at some point. Also it is a 2004 with 241000k, and i bought it privately and after paying for it, trasnfering ownership, plating it ect ect, I paid $4120. Don't let the K fool ya, it drove back and forth from Manitoba to Ontario near me many many times. Alot of HWY k.

Sometimes people like myself get excited and lose it when things go wrong. After getting one after the other this week, i probably said more than I should have in this thread. No need to keep attacking me like it was the worst thing ever. People vent and I was pissed. Sorry about that.

Im not sure what the resistance values should be for the abs sensor on the hub assembly but if you unplug each one, one at a time and measure the values I'm positive that 1 will be considerably different than the other 3. Just a thought for quick trouble shooting!
Back to the filter change or flush, if the filters doing what it's supposed to there should be no reason for there to be anything in the lines or the cooler and anything metallic will get picked up by the magnet in the pan.

So today, I learned a very valuable lesson. To not over think something before jumping to conclusions. Like always, everyone was right on this site.. It may always be something simple.

I went to replace the hub today to get rid of my light, and the issue was the sensor was unplugged. They plugged it back in and everything is working great again.

So i'm a true man that will always admit when i make mistakes, and this time, i truly look like an ass.

Thanks for those who helped, had comments on the situation. Lesson learned.

Miles are miles yes, but in town bumper to bumper driving around, red light after red light puts more wear on the powertrain than on the hwy.