Bad EBCM or Abs Module

[kenwood guy]

Hey guys!!

Well Over a period of time I have had a problem with the ABS in my truck. The ABS light would come on and stay in once in a while. I decided to take my truck to the dealership Only for them to find that I now have a bad EBCM or ABS Module ($1200 parts and labor cost). I found out about Module masters and looked under my truck to find that I have a non repairable Module.. what do I do???

[j cAT]

Originally Posted by kenwood guy

Hey guys!!

Well Over a period of time I have had a problem with the ABS in my truck. The ABS light would come on and stay in once in a while. I decided to take my truck to the dealership Only for them to find that I now have a bad EBCM or ABS Module ($1200 parts and labor cost). I found out about Module masters and looked under my truck to find that I have a non repairable Module.. what do I do???

get the exact abs code post here what it is.

for now just remove the 60 amp abs fuse.

go to scrap yard for a replacement ebcm.

what abs control module do you have ?

what normally goes in this ebcm is a relay.


check the frame ground under the drive seat under the vehicle.this is where the abs is grounded .a bad ground with 90amps going thru this when the abs test cycle is made on start up will create this issue

[ukrkoz]

why don't you try simple fix first. have wheels removed, get to ABS sensors, take them out and clean them. clean as in sensor tip cleaning. they are very close to dust from brakes, plus dirt from road, it builds up on sensors, and starts causing ABS light.
been member in several silverado forums, and there have been quite a few owners that had success with this. of course, you'll have to have error codes cleared. a scanner at autozone or such can do it. if it stays, then look for plan B.

should take you only 15 minutes per wheel.

[kenwood guy]

Originally Posted by j cAT

get the exact abs code post here what it is.

for now just remove the 60 amp abs fuse.

go to scrap yard for a replacement ebcm.

what abs control module do you have ?

what normally goes in this ebcm is a relay.


check the frame ground under the drive seat under the vehicle.this is where the abs is grounded .a bad ground with 90amps going thru this when the abs test cycle is made on start up will create this issue

The Light goes out after I start the truck Ill might have to go to a junk yard now I belive I have A KH series 30

[kenwood guy]

Originally Posted by ukrkoz

why don't you try simple fix first. have wheels removed, get to ABS sensors, take them out and clean them. clean as in sensor tip cleaning. they are very close to dust from brakes, plus dirt from road, it builds up on sensors, and starts causing ABS light.
been member in several silverado forums, and there have been quite a few owners that had success with this. of course, you'll have to have error codes cleared. a scanner at autozone or such can do it. if it stays, then look for plan B.

should take you only 15 minutes per wheel.

Yea I guess I should try that next.. geez would the people at the dealer not consider doing this???

[j cAT]

Originally Posted by kenwood guy

Yea I guess I should try that next.. geez would the people at the dealer not consider doing this???

how much will they make on cleaning the abs module ground vs replacing the total abs unit ...

the ABS ground [I almost forgot] is the most common issue that has made abs replacing/repair of the module unnecessary..

do internet search you will find this quite common ..

where you live I would not expect the same corroding issues in my rust belt , but it is a task not taking much effort..

[j cAT]

Originally Posted by ukrkoz

why don't you try simple fix first. have wheels removed, get to ABS sensors, take them out and clean them. clean as in sensor tip cleaning. they are very close to dust from brakes, plus dirt from road, it builds up on sensors, and starts causing ABS light.
been member in several silverado forums, and there have been quite a few owners that had success with this. of course, you'll have to have error codes cleared. a scanner at autozone or such can do it. if it stays, then look for plan B.

should take you only 15 minutes per wheel.

dust can not get to these abs front wheel sensors ........

this is because the sensor is picking up the sensor wheel INSIDE the hub bearing housing..

now if this were a 1994 S10 with ABS you would be very much correct ..

[4x4junkie]

i agree with Jcat it would not be dust, the sensor is attached to the wheel bearing housing, therefore it would be sealed from dust entering the bearing, hpwever there is a known issue to have rust flakes from worn and defective wheel bearings to ause the ABS sensors to act up, but the most common issue is the relay going bad at the abs module.

[kenwood guy]

Originally Posted by j cAT

how much will they make on cleaning the abs module ground vs replacing the total abs unit ...

the ABS ground [I almost forgot] is the most common issue that has made abs replacing/repair of the module unnecessary..

do internet search you will find this quite common ..

where you live I would not expect the same corroding issues in my rust belt , but it is a task not taking much effort..

Is the Ground withen the Board itself?? Or do I need to trace the wires back to it??

[danielsatur]

The most probable cause is the Wheel speed sensors on the front wheels.
80% of the breaking is on the front breaks, this can cause dirty sensors and heat damage.

Caution-
If driving without ABS, you need to pump the break pedal to stop, so your wheels don't lock up.

Try cleaning sensors and connections with CRC electric cleaner and dielectric grease for protection on connections.

[j cAT]

Originally Posted by kenwood guy

Is the Ground withen the Board itself?? Or do I need to trace the wires back to it??

the ground wire[s] are at the frame rail driverside under the driver door...follow the wire to the unit to be sure you got the correct ground point..should be 3 ground wires there...remove battery ground cable first to prevent a possible voltage surge when cleaning / removing these grounds...

had the ABS LT on my truck come on for a time, and I cleaned this ground 3 yrs ago..had to do it again this year...

[ukrkoz]

boys, don't even start me on sensors getting dirty. google this for yourselves. they do go dirty, they do go dirty with metallic dust from rotors plus dust from brake pads. they do work based on gap width, and that gap is accordingly changed when dirt bonds to sensors. i have already been bashed for this at DIY forum, so i dumped a bunch of photos on them, plus few solid articles, proving this. don't really want to do it again.

[ukrkoz]

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=...1t:429,r:2,s:0

http://www.team-integra.net/sections...ArticleID=1164
http://www.audipages.com/Tech_Articl...eshooting.html
http://www.google.com/images?hl=en&s...=&oq=&gs_rfai=



ABS Light "On": ABS Sensors/Wheels Dirty ABS Sensor Basics.
[Inquiry:] During the snow here over last couple of weeks (UK) our 1992 Volvo 940 2litre turbo started flashing the ABS light up, and even now the snow's gone it came on once but brakes are all fine and the light hasn't come back on for week or so does anyone reckon we have anything to worry about, I reckon it may have just been the cold weather and snow, and surely if the ABS was faulty the light would have stayed on all the time? [Response: Paul Grimshaw/Bob Dietz] A common problem with ABS is that the sensors and reluctor wheels, used to measure and compare tire rotational speeds, can become fouled by dirt and brake carbon. This typically occurs on the front axle where the sensors and reluctor wheels attract a considerable quantity of brake dust shed by the front calipers. As the wheel turns an analog signal is generated from each sensor and monitored by the control unit. If the amplitude of the signal decreases due to iron particles accumulating on the sensor the control unit cannot accurately compute the wheel speed and begins to modulate the brake pressure to the wheel whose signal has been lost. Since higher wheel speeds generate a higher voltage the problem does not occur at higher speeds since the differential value detected among the channels falls into an acceptable range. As accumulation of brake dust grows, heat fuses it into a carbon-like coating that attenuates the minute changes in reluctance measured by the sensors. This is interpreted by the car's ABS computer as a continuous difference in rotational speeds between one or more tires -- eventually exceeding a threshold value and triggering a "fault" light.
It is good practice to carefully clean the reluctor wheel and ABS sensors whenever the brake rotors are removed (usually during replacement of the rotors), as these parts lie inside the rotor "hat". Unfortunately (in this case), Volvo brake rotors last quite a long time. The result is considerable build-up -- and occasional fault light activation -- in otherwise functional systems.
Three-channel ABS systems employ a rear wheel sensor in the differential housing. These are very reliable and need not be removed nor cleaned unless a specific problem is encountered. A variety of Bosch and Teves systems are of the four-channel type employing reluctors and sensors at each wheel; these are not used on Volvo 200/700 or 940 cars.
Cleaning Sensors.
[Response: Paul Grimshaw/Bob Dietz] When cleaning the ABS sensors, it is best to avoid the urge to remove them from the dust shield as their plastic bodies can become brittle with age and crack if forced. A better cure would be to clean the wheel sensors by wiping them clean with a rag or soft brush. Another problem is the possibility of signal loss through non-waterproof connectors or cracks in the wiring or its insulation. I have seen cars where the rear wheel sensor anchor bolts were absent; with metal shavings on sensors that looked like a dead mouse (the sensor magnet is smaller than a pencil); or with broken wires inside intact insulation at the waterproof connectors both at the differential and shock towers. Most of the failures are very simple. The system isn't rocket science, which is probably why it works. But it needs to be maintained just as any high tech system needs to be maintained. [Chris Herbst] If you remove the sensors, make sure the o-rings are seated properly. I usually grease the O-rings a little bit on reinstallation.
Cleaning Reluctor Wheels.
[Tip from Chris Herbst] Usually there is a big buildup of garbage in the sensor reluctor wheels that obscures the sensor from reading it. The more junk that is on the wheel, the less defined the impulses will be. I scrape them out usually with a small drift pin and then blow compressed air at them. Some of the junk doesn't blow off of the wheels with compressed air and you will need to scrape it off.You could also use an appropriately sized dowel or something with an edge that will scrape the debris from the wheels. Try not to damage them by putting surface scratches in them. If you use compressed air on brake parts, use appropriate precautions so as not to inhale the dust!

[j cAT]

Originally Posted by ukrkoz

boys, don't even start me on sensors getting dirty. google this for yourselves. they do go dirty, they do go dirty with metallic dust from rotors plus dust from brake pads. they do work based on gap width, and that gap is accordingly changed when dirt bonds to sensors. i have already been bashed for this at DIY forum, so i dumped a bunch of photos on them, plus few solid articles, proving this. don't really want to do it again.

look UKROZ I have done these hub bearings on this vehicle...I have done the TSB concerning the rust issue on this abs sensor brake failure.

THE ABS SENSOR PICK UP IS INSIDE THE SEALED BEARING !

THIS MEANS NO BRAKE DUST CAN FOUL THIS SENSOR ...............

What can happen as mentioned by a knowledgeable forum member is bearing failure will cause this sensor to get damaged by the rusted/metal bearing particles as the bearing gets destroyed ...

when a new bearing is purchased it in most cases comes with a new sensor already mounted in it ..

on older gm vehicles like the 1994 s10 this brake dust and rotor rust can foul the sensor. this is why many of these defective designed vehicles don't have the ABS enabled too dangerous especially in this rust belt region..

I still have my old bearing I took out ..I could go thru the effort to show you this ..but if you look up this bearing for a 2001 silverado , you will find pictures showing the sensor mounted on the bearing all that is exposed is the wiring and connector ..the pick up is inside the 1/4inch hole where the grease and bearing goes rotating ..

[j cAT]

all those detailed instructions you gave are not for this 2001 silverado ..