intermittent ABS warning light 2000

[pcitizen]

Jeesh... still a newbie after being here for eleven years!

[pcitizen]

Well, my 2000 Windstar has been a very reliable ride. The interior temperature control mixer motor went out around 60k miles and the intake seals went (as expected) around 77k. That's been it until the ABS warning light started coming on intermittently. I have investigated this some and will post and success I might find. With the van, now on, 15 years old, maybe the success will be replacing it... a 2016 Fusion perhaps.

[tomj76]

I've had an intermittent ABS light for a while now. I replaced one of the front sensors, and it was better for a while but came back. The light is on almost 100% of the time. In fact I worry when it turns off because the ABS will malfunction during a stop before it turns back on.

This weekend I had both front sensors disconnected at the connector behind the wheel well, and after I reconnected them the light has been off since (though not a whole lot of driving yet).

I don't know what ABS codes are store although I have a friend with an ABS code scanner who may be willing to read the codes.

[scubacat]

Originally Posted by tomj76

I've had an intermittent ABS light for a while now. I replaced one of the front sensors, and it was better for a while but came back. The light is on almost 100% of the time. In fact I worry when it turns off because the ABS will malfunction during a stop before it turns back on.

Theoretically it could be something else, but .... it's the ABS ECU (EBCM/computer). Best thing to do is remove it and send it to a rebuilder. I paid a total of $50 for my rebuild and that comes with a lifetime warranty, too. They claim that their repair (resolder) is stronger and fixes the problem, or bad soldering job, that causes the problem in the first place.

There is no visible sign of this defect until you literally cut the plastic cover off to view the circuit board. Then, with a magnifying glass (or a really sharp eye) you can see the cold solder joint(s). I resoldered mine once, myself, and it lasted about 3 years, but my soldering skills are less than professional, and that's being VERY generous on myself

The rebuilder I used even sent me a rebuilt replacement up front for a core deposit and included a fedex return label. So, I was able to do the swap all at once.

A few tips on swapping out this part:

• Disconnect the battery and then wedge a prybar between the driver's seat and the brake pedal. That will hold pressure on the system and prevent the fluid from draining out of the master cylinder or anywhere else you're not working.
• There's an insane rumor flating around that will lead one to believe that it's possible to remove the ECU without disconnecting the lines from the HCU (hydraulic control unit.) That's complete and utter nonsense. You'll see what I mean when you pull the cover and look for yourself. You'll be removing two unions and 4 lines from the side of the HCU. (The top two middle ones can remain since you'll disconnect those from the unions instead.) If there's any rust, you may be cutting off the top of the 4 torx screws with a dremel and then twisting them out with vice grips after removing the ECU. That's exactly what I had to do. Then I just bought 4 identical sized/threaded hex-nut screws from Ace Hardware (bring one old piece to match it up). Coat the new ones with antiseize so that next time (just in case!) they come out easily.
• Get yourself a set of line wrenches (aka "flare nut wrenches"). Do NOT attempt to remove the brake lines with a standard box-end wrench or you'll be hating life when you round them off. I paid $8.99 for the set from harbor freight, and they're perfectly good quality and do the job well.
• When you reinstall the lines, start them by hand first, NO EXCEPTIONS! Start with the toughest to reach (upper right corner in this case) and work your way across. The HCU is ALUMINUM and you WILL CROSS THREAD AND RUIN IT IF YOU DON'T DO THIS!! Don't be me! I ended up replacing mine from a junkyard due to my trying to rush this step and jam one in there. Make sure they're started MULTIPLE TURNS BY HAND FIRST!!
• You need to get a shop to bleed the system with a scan tool after this is done. This is because you have to cycle the pump to each position with a dealer-level scan tool. If you have one, great, but not many people do. (Most independent shops have it, though. NO need to get robbed by a stealership.) I just told my trusted independent shop what I had done and what I needed and they just charged me $59 for a full brake fluid flush and bleed, and even sent a 'reprogram' to the new ECU to verify it was working for me. There is a "hack" for this where you short out pins in the connector in a certain sequence to cycle it manually, but that's really getting excessive in my opinion. My time is more valuable than $59 and I probably needed the flush anyway.

[Mustang_Driver]

yeah i just got my van booked in to get the ecu replaced they want 150 to re/re the HCU and ECU and another 60 for the Brake Fluid Flush they figure it will take 3 hours from start to finish so for 210 i save my back and i get someone that seems to know what they are doing to do it for me