Antilock Brake System...

If the ABS warning light on the instrument panel stays lit or blinks, and some one tells you that this would happen if either the anti-collision light (the cyclopes light above the rear window) lamps fails to operate or the sensor has failed was nothing to worry about, what would you think? This is on a 1991 Ford Explorer...

Reply to
Soul Bandit
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If it blinks a code, look it up... do I have to mention 'google'?

If it blinks evenly, or stays on, have the system code{s} read out.

Why would the center-high lamps have anything to do with it? If the center- high lamps are not lighting, why not replace them or trace for broken wire?

A sensor 'failed' is not 'nothing to worry about', though the ABS failing should just mean you have same braking ability as if the car never had it installed. Only you can determine if that is actually the case.

Reply to
Backyard Mechanic

When the antilock light stays on, it means the system has detected a serious fault and has removed itself from operation. IOW, your antilock system is now deactivated making the brake system conventional and much more suceptible to lockup in an emergency or on a slick surface. It has it's own controller which requires someone with an antilock scanner to read the stored fault codes to repair the system and return it to operation.

Lugnut

Reply to
lugnut

What would be the most likely cause to make that happen, the mechanic changing the master cylinder and then bleeding the brakes? How dangerous do you think it would be to drive without rear antilock brake functionality?

Reply to
Soul Bandit

the high mount brake light is not monitored by the abs system.....if your light is on get the codes read

Reply to
fireater

That is always a possibility if the RABS valve was not correctly bled after a MC replacement. If this is the problem, I should only take a short time to diag the problem and correct it. The danger of driving w/o the antilock is something you have to evaluate on your own. What happens if you are in a situation where the antilock could/would have prevented a catastrophe? How much do you value the life of yourself, your family and others who may be involved in a crash in this situation? The odds are not high but, how much of a gambler are you?

Lugnut

Reply to
lugnut

I have mine disabled for the winter on my Pontiac because in sloppy slushy weather, with ABS, it is almost impossible to stop (the tires all get onto a "lens" of slush and the brakes basically shut down). With the ABS disconnected they can slide enough to bite down through and get stopped. Yes, you have to know how to drive in the slop to keep straight when stopping, but I've driven in this crap for almost

40 years without ABS without hitting anything.
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Reply to
clare at snyder.on.ca

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