'96 Grand Am: I have a wiring or sensor problem that I can't find. I've gotten along fine all my life without ABS and traction control--is it possible to just pull a fuse or otherwise disable this system? Other than the annoying idiot lights the only other symptom is occasionally the system will activate & brakes will grab when slowly approaching a stop. This could cause a skid in winter.
Thanks for any advice...
"Mark" wrote
It's pretty common for these vehicles to have faulty front wheel speed sensors. If the light is off (intermittent) there is always the possibility that you will get that low speed ABS activation with a sensor that is going south. The system simply thinks that the particular wheel with the bad sensor is locking up and so begins to try to modulate that wheel.
If you pull the ABS fuse and force the ABS to be disabled, you will not get that low speed activation problem. You will simply have base brake operation. On that particular vehicle, I think it might be wiser though....to just fix the sensor problem.
Ian
Bad wheel speed sensor wiring can do that too - both my parents' '95 Grand Am and my old '95 had this problem. They would start to intermittently activate the ABS when braking, especially while turning, and eventually caused the ABS warning light to come on. In both cases it was due to broken wheel speed sensor wiring.
I recently heard someone pointing out a hazard with trying to disable a Delco ABS VI system by just pulling the fuse - namely, the controller can't ensure that the pistons are properly homed to the top of the cylinders in the hydraulic modulator. Consider that if the ECBM detects a mechanical failure that could prevent the pistons from staying in place during non-ABS braking, it will turn on the red brake warning light as well as the ABS light, one gets the idea that that isn't all that safe..
"Robert Hancock" wrote
Very true.
Again, true....which is why I think that these vehicles that use the Delco system you mention probably should just be repaired.
Ian
"Mark" wrote
Yes, if you have had the light come on, even intermittently, you will have 'history' codes stored. It will tell you which corner is the problem. Usually it is either an "open" code, or "excessive variation" code.
Ian
I think it's usually a break in one of the wires themselves in the harness - or more specifically a small break in the insulation which allows water to enter one of the wires and corrode it and/or short it to ground or to the other wire.
If the ABS light has come on, the trouble code should indicate which sensor input the problem was detected on. My guess is it's one of the front wheels..
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