Brake ans ABS lights are on

Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives

I did a search, but couldn't find anything that helps my situation.
My brake light and ABS lights are on all the time. Very rarely when I turn the car off then back on the lights go off for a little while. I haven't been able to get them to turn off since the last time they turned off. I have disconnected the battery and that doesn't help. I figured that I must have a short or bad sensor. I put a volt meter on each one of my sensors and all of them seemed to be working when I spin the wheels the voltage would go up the more I spun the wheel. Does anybody know the correct way to check the ABS sensors?
I have plenty of brake fluid. How would I check the master cylinder level sensor? I do have access to an OBDII scanner, but couldn't find the section that would check ABS.

Thanks for your help

Check your fuses, that usually happens with a fuse problem. Try disconnecting your battery and reconnecting just to reset everything and everything should be fine again. That's a quick fix as opposed to scanning.

Same thing happened to me on a Honda CRV I had, at first they replaced an ABS sensor, but afterwards I had a bad wheel bearing. Was the car sitting in one place for a few weeks by any chance?

Originally posted by OutlawdSVT:
I did a search, but couldn't find anything that helps my situation.
My brake light and ABS lights are on all the time. Very rarely when I turn the car off then back on the lights go off for a little while. I haven't been able to get them to turn off since the last time they turned off. I have disconnected the battery and that doesn't help. I figured that I must have a short or bad sensor. I put a volt meter on each one of my sensors and all of them seemed to be working when I spin the wheels the voltage would go up the more I spun the wheel. Does anybody know the correct way to check the ABS sensors?
I have plenty of brake fluid. How would I check the master cylinder level sensor? I do have access to an OBDII scanner, but couldn't find the section that would check ABS.

Thanks for your help

An OBDII scan tool that will read ABS systems start at around $1000....

A fault condition that illuminates the BRAKE light will also disable the ABS system and will turn on the ABS light.

Possible fault conditions that would turn on the BRAKE light are low fluid level, a faulty praking brake switch, a wiring harness fault, or the ABS control module.

To check the low level switch, just unplug it and see if the BRAKE light goes off. Same for the parking brake switch. Same to see if the ABS module is turning on the BRAKE light.

Steve

Originally posted by m4gician:
Check your fuses

x2

I had the same two lights. It ended up being an underhood fuse. Put one in and they were instantly gone.

Thanks for the advice. I have checked fuses and they are all ok. I unplugged brake fluid level plug and the light did not go out. I have a Ford CD and I'm not finding the answer. I guess I will keep searching.

Originally posted by OutlawdSVT:
Thanks for the advice. I have checked fuses and they are all ok. I unplugged brake fluid level plug and the light did not go out. I have a Ford CD and I'm not finding the answer. I guess I will keep searching.

Since you have the service CD, you have the exact diagnostic procedure in hand.

All you need to do is use it. Unfortunately, that probably means you'll need to have it scanned if you don't follow the rest of my shortcut tip above.

Steve

Robby,

Let me know what you figure out on this as I've got the same condition on my car. Add in the TCE brakes on all corners and it makes hard braking a bit wild considering the rears will lock up and cause a spin when the ABS fails to kick in. I actually had my car lined up to go to a dealer and have them run the diagnostic on it last summer when I had the hood/engine blow up at the same time.

My assumption was that I may have gotten air into the ABS module when I was bleeding the brakes and accidentally ran the master cylinder out of fluid. Any chance you recently bled your brakes and did the same thing? AFAIK, the dealer has to bleed the ABS module with a specific tool.

Rick

They use a scan tool (WDS or NGS) to cycle the ABS. I don't know if any of the aftermarket scanners will also do that.

I asked this question of Alex and don't think I got an answer??? I know it has the ability but the command has to be enter manually. Command line or software line?????
I understand Ford has new unit similiar to PDA???
Anyone have Alex's OBD II unit that has ABS. I don't have ABS in either of mind.
Go to test and enhance -I think- see if it gives you a choice?
To test. I've got a feeling that's was not available in the software revsion yet. So you have to manually do it. Back to the ? what is the command strings to cycle.

Paul
I'll be investigating.

I have not run my fluid low nor have I bled the brakes recently.