Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums General Troubleshooting Advice needed re: resolving ABS issues

ABS/TC lights in my 95 SE have been on for a few months. Car is at dealer today; advisor says mechanic told him it's often a bad ABS module. I think that's true, but it could just as likely be something else (sensor, wiring harness, etc.), right?

Currently: HVAC fan still blows heat just fine, although A/C is dead. The other day, I pulled these fuses and all looked fine: #7 (30 amps), #3 (60 amps), R11, and #9. Also disconnected/ reconnected battery. ABS and TC lights are still on.

What should I do/try?

1) Replace #3 fuse with an 80 amp fuse?

2) Flush/refill the brake fluid? Would doing that now have any chance of resolving an ABS light? What's a reasonable charge - 50 bucks or so?

3) How can I find out if the problem is a bad ABS wiring harness (which would fall under the 10yr/100k wiring harness warranty program)? So far, I have NOT asked the dealer to do the token wiring harness inspection-- want to save this bargaining chip until I already know a harness(es) is bad, to make sure dealer replaces them if/when I ask them to look at it.

4) Get someone to pull the codes for me? Running a scan tool would be informative, but I don't have one. I think someone in SE Mich could probably hook me up and someone offered a few weeks back, but it didn't materialize.

The car does NOT have an extended warranty, so if I can't resolve the problem cheaply, I guess I'll have to do without ABS and TC because I'm not paying the $2,200 the dealer quoted me.

Could a bad/damaged wiring harness cause the ABS module to go bad? If it turned out the wiring harness was bad and you could make a case for that being why the ABS module went bad, would a warranty/extended coverage program extend to the 'collateral damage'?

I hope I'm not talking out of my a%# here-- for all I know, it could be impossible for the wiring harness to foul up the module. Or maybe the ABS wiring harness is considered part of the ABS module?

/\BUMP/\

Feedback? Please? Am I being ignored for not reading enough of the old threads (I've read many), is this just a boring topic that nobody cares about, or do people just not like me?

Are you having problems with your brakes or clutch that would cause the light? My clutch was going bad, and caused a light. It also drove horribly... Is the TC connector by the passenger side headlight unplugged? I ended up unplugging mine to get it to drive right. Of course it gave it a permanent cel. It is all fixed now after a clutch change and brake flush.

Brakes seem to work fine, except for the ABS light (I'm assuming the ABS isn't functional now, but I'm not sure).

No problems with clutch. Car is running fine other than ABS/TC lights. Had a constant CEL a while back, but after injection cleaning and cat replacement it runs fine w/no CEL.

I'll look for the TC connector by the passenger side headlight and see if it's been disconnected accidentally.

Thanks.

IIRC the ABS module doesn't control the TC, but they do use the same sensors. I had this problem, and when i checked out the wheel wells, i found that the left rear sensor cable had come out of it's fitting in the plastic. The tire wore right through it. So instead of buying a new sensor (70 buckas i think) I just took some wire and reconnected them. She works good as new now.

Thanks for responding.

How were you able to identify the sensors? Basic automotive understanding? Haynes/Chilton manual? Shop manual/CD? Detailed instructions from someone else?

If you look at all of the wires or hoses that go into the knuckle/caliper assembly, the brake line should be the biggest and most rigid, and the ABS/TC sensor is like a soft rubbery line with the actual wires inside. If you're looking at the hub from the top, the ABS/TC sensor wire will be on the bottom of the assembly, to the right. If you still can't figure it out, let me know and i'll post some digital pics pointing it out. HTH

cliffgump, thanks very much. That should be enough to help this dimwit figure out where the sensor is.