Traction control...

[josephk300]

After less than 5000 miles, the problem with the ABS light is back after replacing both fronts with with BCA hub bearings. Dealer scan shows right from throwing the code. Not looking good for BCA bearings. A new one has been ordered. Will post update once thats in an some miles have been covered.

[richtazz]

2 factors to consider before blaming the hub bearings.

1. Was the new bearing installed with an impact wrench?
2. Was the axle nut torqued to the proper spec provided in the box?

ABS sensor equipped hubs are fragile, and cannot be installed with impact tools, especially the axle nut. The hammering action either cracks teh abs sensor, or imparts microscopic dents in the bearing race causing high frequency vibrations that destroys the ABS sensor. Many aftermarket hubs require a different torque spec than the factory bearings due to changes in design. Failure to follow the torque spec supplied with the hub (when different from the OEM spec) will cause premature failure of the hub bearing.

[josephk300]

Guilty on all counts, your honor. Thanks for the heads up - I'll be adjusting my tactic for the replacement bearing. Thanks again.

[josephk300]

BCA replacement is in, and hub nut put on without air gun. No torque spec with new bearing, so 159 ft lbs was used per the number in the Haynes aftermarket manual. Anyone with factory spec knowledge know if this is correct? After two weeks (about 1000 miles), the trac lite, service traction control lite, and track off lite are all on. I am at wits end. For what seems like a simple replacement, this is becoming a nightmare. Haven't had the codes read yet. I notice that the wheel hub nut is warm on the front right (bearing that was replaced) vs left front (also replaced in Nov 06) which is barely warm to touch. I'm wondering if problem is due to bearing quality (not OEM) or if some other issue is causing the problem. Any suggestions greatly appreciated.

[richtazz]

You need to get it scanned to be sure the bearing is the issue. You can grab a digital multimeter and ohm check the connector coming out of the hub, it should read around 1k ohms.

[non-mechanic]

I am having the same problem with my 2002 Impala for the last six months. The dealer said it gave a generic code which meant either it had a bad wheel sensor or a bad modulator for the entire system (cost of that part $1000). They could not fix it until it gave a good code that would tell them what was wrong. It worked okay for about a month. Next time I tried a national brake shop. They drove my car which was getting the error message and the brake would pump into the driver's foot when being applied plus the car made "RRRR" noises. They got an excessive wheel spin on the left wheel and replaced the hub. 500 miles later and it was back but worse. The brake shop said there was no code this time but thought perhaps it was thin, warped rotors. Front brake job even though the pads were only 60% worn. The back brakes are in great shape. Car has less than 53,000 miles. One week later the "Service Traction System" and ABS lights were back along with the noises. Had the tires rotated. The car was fine for a couple of days and then the problems were back again. Two people have suggested a bad computer chip but the computer was replaced sometime in the last 16,000 miles. Any additional suggestions?

[la1]

Mine went away. I have a power tunner by hp tuners. The last time I uploaded my changes to the cars OS I selected re-link VATS. I think that re-establishes the link with the other onboard computers. Anway now when i accelerate no trac off and have traction unit serviced.

[josephk300]

Inquire as to what company manufactured the wheel bearing that was installed if you don't already know. Anything produced by the Federal Mogul group will likely cause problems. They sell under names such as National or BCA. There are also other aftermarket NOS that would also be in the avoid category. If anything other than Timken or AC Delco was used, my suggestion would be to replace the bearing again with either of those names (the Timkens can be found for less $$ than the AC Delco, but they can still be 2x the cheap brands - money well spent!). I went through a period of several months putting up with the problem you describe (see my earlier posts). I tried the Federal Mogul made bearings twice - complete junk as far as I'm concerned. Each time the problem would be back in under 5,000 miles. The quality issue has been stated on this forum by those more experienced than me. If Timken or AC Delco were used, then the wiring harness to the sensor could be an issue. This solved the problem for someone from another message board. I found out from my local repair shop that he chased down a wiring issue on a 2001 Impala that was causing the ABS light/Traction light combo to come on. Good luck on getting it fixed.

[non-mechanic]

Thanks for the posts. I'm going to take my car, along with all the responses and searches, to a very good local mechanic and have him check the wiring harness. The wiring sounds like it is the most likely culprit. What a relief to finally have a clue as to the possible problem. Will respond back by the end of the month if that finally fixes it or not.

[non-mechanic]

Finally got my car fixed last Friday.by a great but extremely busy local mechanic. He knew immediately the solution to my problem when I told him over the phone the make of the car and that the Service Traction Contol message and ABS light kept coming on. He said he had another Impala coming in that day with the same problem to be repaired. He has repaired several Impalas with this problem. He said it took him a while to figure out the problem on the first Impala he saw with the Traction Control/ABS problems. He is surprised Chevy isn’t doing a recall because he thinks it could be classified as a safety issue. Anyway, he said that the problem usually occurs on the driver’ side of the car. It is the wiring harness which is too short considering all the stuff that is on that side of the car. The replacement harness is longer (it looked like he indicated about a foot or so longer). The replacement wiring harness runs about $50. It cost me a total of $109 to get it fixed including labor, supplies, part, and tax. He also cleared the codes. When I got in to drive it, the pedal felt like I had hardly any brakes. The ABS system must have really been messing the pedal and I got used to a heavy feeling. It feels normal now and drives great! He did check out my car and the National Brake Chain did everything they said they did. Since I have a new left wheel hub, brand new front rotors and brake pads, this mechanic said my car is set for a long time. The problem is he is so good you have to make an appointment way in advance or leave your car for several days before he can get to it. He can not only repair normal things but he can track down wiring problems.

Bottom line – get the wiring harness replaced on the left driver’s side of the Impala.

[claytonduk]

I have an '02 impala and am having the same problems with the ABS and traction control. I Just replaced the hub bearing on the drivers side due to a slight wobble. Still have the ABS problem. What I noticed about the connector from the hub to the wiring harness was a little play. I took some electrical tape and taped the connector so it was tight and did not bend and I've been driving for 3 days now with not a peep from the ABS. the wiring harness itself looks to be in good shape.