some advice before i go to the dealer

[DZink24]

i am looking to get my ABS and brake lights on the dash off, and i am planning on taking it to the dealer to have it repaired. i am already $140 into the fix, and the lights are still on, so even though it will be an arm and a leg to fix at the dealer, i will be able to hold them accountable if they do not make the repair. I am done throwing money into this to try and fix it myself. Last week i went to the selling dealer, with a safety recall, (L16, left tie rod) and wanted to make an appointment to have the ABS and brake lights fixed as well. the service writer was going to charge me $94 to diagnose EACH light. he didn't seem too interested in making an appt for me to have the recall done, so i left w/o making any appointments. So i got to thinking, would it make sense to only ask for them to diagnose and fix the ABS light? i have had the lights scanned, and they came back to an open circuit (sensors) on both sides. so i am hoping that if they correctly fix the sensors and get the ABS light off, the brake light will go off as well, or is there some way they can make it so they have to charge me to clear that code as well?

 

[rscurtis]

If you have a VOA meter, you can ohm the sensors out yourself. It's possible that only one is bad. If you don't have the service manual, I'll look up the wire designations in mine. The test can be done right at the ABS unit.

 

[jelag]

My BIL had the same problem and we found an open sensor on the left front wheel... . we found it with an ohm meter and as we moved the cable around with the ohm meter connected we could get the meter to sweep to a few ohm's and than go to infinite... a sure sign it was that wheel... we tore it down... . lubed the hub, replaced the sensor and than tore down the right side to lube it as well...

Hope this helps... . BTW I agree the service writer is taking advantage of you in your comments above... Do you know that some of the major auto parts stores... Auto Zone, O'Riely's will test your vehicle free with a scan tool...

 

[rashwor]

Probably just a bad / unplugged ABS sensor. I know for a fact that bad sensors will turn both the ABS and Brake light on.

 

[DZink24]

last summer, i changed the DS sensor, thinking that was the one that was the problem. the lights never went out. so last month when my fan belt snapped, i had the shop that fixed it run the codes, and it still came back to both sensors being open. the sensor i changed was purchased from Geno's, i really hope the ABS sensor isn't a part that has to be purchased from the dealership. when i went to the dealer parts counter to get a $, it was 3x what Geno's wanted, and they asked for my VIN. is that because the part has to be programmed to the trucks ECM?

 

[Bob4x4]

No the sensors are not programmed. They wanted the vin to aid in getting you the correct part for your truck.

 

[brods]

Not sure if this will help or is related to your issue. IIRC there were some threads on the abs connector corroding and causing problems. Here is one, though I think it was an older thread I had read: https://www.turbodieselregister.com...ler-connector-repair-otherwise-horriffic-cost