Brake and ABS light on all the time

[CToney]

I was just driving down the road and my abs and brake like came on and stayed on. I have no codes that come up when I try to read them with my smarty JR. What is my trouble? I had this problem on my '97 and it was my sensor on the rear axle. Could it be the same or something different?

 

[Dbonzi]

This happened to mine when one of the front hub bearings got bad

I replace the bearing assy (which came with a new sensor).

This fixed it. The sensor was rounded off from rubbing.

Dennis

 

[CToney]

I have the Dyna trac free-spin kit so my bearings should be good for a long time yet. That is not to say that the sensor is rubbed off and is bad. Any way to check the sensors to see if they are bad?

 

[BIGNASTY]

My 04. 5 did almost the same thing mine came on when ever it got wet and went out when dry. I had just replaced the brake pads and must have done something to the sensor on the front driver side made sure its connection was tight and have never had the problem again.

 

[ksczesny]

Check your abs pump,if its running and not shutting down,pull the 40a fuse. It is most likely your abs module. Dealer will say 1700$ for module and a pump..... Module Masters did mine for 150$ 10 min job.

 

[Superglide]

Mine did the same thing but the sensor was packed with snow. Once it melted and dried, it was fine.

 

[Wingate]

abs codes may not show up with smarty... take it to autozone and let them for ya. . scan it

 

[Blakers]

My ABS light has been coming on most of this winter. It started out coming on everytime I made a left turn, then it would go out. Then it started staying on all the time. I thought it was probably from snow and frozen mud and slop under my truck.

I hate ABS so it's actually been better without it working, but now it's starting to work off and on. I'm in the middle of putting Dynatrac ball joints in, so pulled one axle out and checked the bearing on that side (one year old) and it looks ok. Probably get to the other side tomorrow.

Any ideas?

Blake

 

[DMather]

Brake light & ABS light, no codes... . especially intermittent

If you have hydroboost it is most likely a weak PS pump.

 

[Blakers]

Brake light & ABS light, no codes... . especially intermittent



If you have hydroboost it is most likely a weak PS pump.

Thanks, but I don't think it has anything to do with that. My brakes have plenty of power. It's just the ABS keeps kicking in and out. You don't even have to be touching the brakes for them to do it.



I just installed new Dynatrac ball joints, so had the hubs and axles out. Hubs are one year old and felt ok. Looked in the holes where the pickup coil goes and the tone ring looks fine. The wire plug connections also looked good, but there is always a chance the wire is broke or has a bad connection within the insulation.



~Blake~

 

[DMather]

I know it sounds weird.
My brakes had plenty of power. The ABS light kept coming on. During cold weather it would start without a light and a few miles down the road the light would come on. In cold weather it would come on about 1 mile under way but I could stop, shut down and restart after about 5 miles and it would stay out.

I thought a sensor, temperature sensitive. Changed the rear sensor, no change. Change all sensors. No change.

Changed all brake fluid including purging ABS circuits. No change.

Four months driving like this, trying to figure a pattern. The ABS was shutting itself off but I could not locate the reason.

Decided to upgraded the steering box and rebuilt vacuum pump seals due to leak. Decided to change the PS pump when I could barely turn it by hand. (new pump easy to turn by hand) Drained all PS fluid in process of pump and steering box change.

Brake feel like they were all overhauled and even after a couple of thousand miles I still sometimes stand the truck on it's nose by overbraking. Their is a considerable difference in the brake boost... . like "only use my big toe rather than my foot to apply brakes difference". (and of course the steering is "sweet")

The ABS and brake lights have not been seen since. (except during startup)

I have been meaning to go into the books and check but there just has to be a connection here.

 

[Blakers]

DMather, would your ABS lights go on and off while driving even when you did not touch the brake pedal?

As far as the power steering pump output, does anyone know what pressure it is supposed to run at? Maybe it would be a good idea to tee a pressure gauge in there and just leave it.

If these lights and dinger keep going on and off, and I can't remedy it, how can the ABS be completely disabled? I hate it anyway as it sometimes lets the truck runaway on snow packed hills.

~Blake~

 

[KnightR]

Same problem comes on and off both ABS and Brake lite. Not into Brakes I deceided to buy a DRB III diagnoistic kit. Ebay has em' cheap. Around $7000. 00 LOL. Vehicle stops great so I guess I'll get out the black tape. Any suggestions. Also what diagnostic tool to I buy for a 2008 dodge diesel 3500?

 

[JFought]

both of my lights came on as well... . darn

 

[Blakers]

The truck is so much nicer and safer to drive without the unpredictable ABS. So how can the ABS be disabled so the lights aren't on all the time? Can a fuse just be pulled?

~Blake~

 

[Blakers]

Maybe it IS the power steering pump

My brake and ABS lights have been on all winter and I didn't want to mess with anything with the truck packed with snow, ice and frozen mud for months. I've been ignoring this problem because I don't like ABS brakes anyway.



Anyway, lately my brakes have been getting harder to stop, with more effort necessary to push the pedal. Today I tried to lock it up on a dirt road I travel everyday and, low and behold, the ABS worked even with the lights on. But there was not much braking power there.



Now my power steering has been ok all along, but maybe it should be better as well? I doubt I could steer the truck with one finger while not moving - should I be able to? Driving down the road it's ok, but then so would manual steering.



I'm thinking maybe this whole problem IS the power steering pump going bad like DeMather says. I wish there was a fitting I could stick a gauge in and check the pressure without a lot of fussing. I hate changing something that I don't know for sure is bad.



Where's the best deal on power steering pumps?



Thanks,

Blake

I know it sounds weird.

My brakes had plenty of power. The ABS light kept coming on. During cold weather it would start without a light and a few miles down the road the light would come on. In cold weather it would come on about 1 mile under way but I could stop, shut down and restart after about 5 miles and it would stay out.



I thought a sensor, temperature sensitive. Changed the rear sensor, no change. Change all sensors. No change.



Changed all brake fluid including purging ABS circuits. No change.



Four months driving like this, trying to figure a pattern. The ABS was shutting itself off but I could not locate the reason.



Decided to upgraded the steering box and rebuilt vacuum pump seals due to leak. Decided to change the PS pump when I could barely turn it by hand. (new pump easy to turn by hand) Drained all PS fluid in process of pump and steering box change.



Brake feel like they were all overhauled and even after a couple of thousand miles I still sometimes stand the truck on it's nose by overbraking. Their is a considerable difference in the brake boost... . like "only use my big toe rather than my foot to apply brakes difference". (and of course the steering is "sweet")



The ABS and brake lights have not been seen since. (except during startup)



I have been meaning to go into the books and check but there just has to be a connection here.

 

[Blakers]

Well the new power steering pump didn't help, but it did boost the pressure some so it steers a little better and has more power on the brakes.



Brake and ABS lights still coming on every time I make a left turn, then they go back out. But after coming on about ten times they stay on.



So what the heck could it be?

 

[DBottles]

Hi, don't know if you got this fixed yet, but my 2003 did same thing. The $50. 00 wheel speed sensor on top of the third member was and is the problem. Mopar sells a lot of these. Cheap plastic housing breaks and damages the very fine wire inside. Hope this helps.

 

[Blakers]

I don't believe mine could be anything to due with the rear sensor as it does it when the truck is not moving and I turn the front wheels back and forth. When it gets about halfway on the left stroke, the bell chimes and the lights come on.

I'm starting to go back to my original theory that it may be one of the wires that goes to the wheel bearings as it all started this winter when there was tons of frozen mud and ice under my truck for months. I didn't see any damaged wires when I had the wheel bearings out when I replace my ball joints, but there could be something I missed.

Thanks,
Blake

Hi, don't know if you got this fixed yet, but my 2003 did same thing. The $50. 00 wheel speed sensor on top of the third member was and is the problem. Mopar sells a lot of these. Cheap plastic housing breaks and damages the very fine wire inside. Hope this helps.

 

[Dbonzi]

sounds to me like you have a worn wheel bearing

mine did this for awhile and then I replaced the wheel bearing and found part of one of the sensors chewed up

Dennis