2000 Windstar - ABS Light On

[barbejoh]

Just had our 2000 Windstar repaired for an ABS light that stays on. They replaced the ABS Electtric Control Module. My question is this part cost $450 (or at least that was what I was charged) the repair cost $600. Just wanted to know if this made sense. The car has been in several times & the light kept coming back on. Hoping this is the final solution. Anyone have this done?

[StereoDave]

Not that you want to hear this but my ABS light comes on if the brake fluid reservoir is not absolutely full even though the fluid level shows to be in the normal range. Topping it off fixes this problem every time.
Hopefully they checked for that before all the replacement.

[ModMech]

Yes, low brake fluid AND wheel sensors are the two most common causes of ABS lights.

Failure of the control modules is RARE.

[JohnyChevyEG]

I just had my control module replaced on my 2001. They put the part charge on the invoice at a charge of like 380 something. I looked at the Ford parts list that I have and it is at least 50 bucks cheaper. I could get the same part online at fordparts.com for even cheaper. If I didn't get the work done for free, i would have complained.

[floridatgp]

once my ABS light was on, I cleaned all the dust off the rear wheel
ABS sensors and light has not been back on.

[DRW1000]

I tired to remove my drums to do the same type of cleaning but, I am embarrassed to say, I could not get the drum off. I think the shoes were close enough to the drums and there is a small ridge at the end of the drum that needs to clear the shoes. I struggled for a while then gave up.

I was going to go in through the back to the adjustment of the shoes but I did not want to crawl under a car that was on a jack. I thought of driving it up on ramps and adjusting them but i figured they would simply self adjust during the time I drove them off the ramp and stopped.

Any ideas? I also am not sure which way to turn them. I suppose they are mirror images from driver to passenger side.

[12Ounce]

To loosen the self-adjusting starwheel, you need to make the teeth that you can reach with a flat screwdriver --- go down. It's the same on both wheels due to different "hand" screws on each side. The action of loosening can be quite a trick as you're working against the adjusting lever.

This may not be the main concern. I would suspect that the drum and the hub have a good "rust bond". A good soaking of "Rust Buster", or WD40; on the hub, around the studs, etc will help. Some drums are provided with treaded holes, in the drum, that allow the use of a screw as a jack-screw to push the drum from the hub. Don't remember if Windstars have this or not.

[DRW1000]

12Ounce,

I was actually able to move the drum away from the hub a bit. Enough to know that it was not "rust Bonded".

Yeah I figured loosening the self addjuster would be a task. Definately something I was not able to do from the "outside" of the brakes and something I need to do from under thevehicle where I would have my "bearings"

[floridatgp]

Originally Posted by DRW1000

12Ounce,

I was actually able to move the drum away from the hub a bit. Enough to know that it was not "rust Bonded".

Yeah I figured loosening the self addjuster would be a task. Definately something I was not able to do from the "outside" of the brakes and something I need to do from under the behicle where i would have my "bearings"

The sensor is actually held in with bolts on the backing plate side,
you can remove sensor without removing drum. I didn't figure this out until after I removed the drum.

[DRW1000]

Thanks Floridatgp.

I suppose removing the sensor from the back will enable me to clean the sensor but not the toothed wheel that the sensor "reads"

[12Ounce]

DRW
The adjuster can be worked pretty good from "outside"... if the wheel is off. The slot is on the upper part of the backing plate.

I once was working on an old truck and had no idea how to get the adjustment loose so that I could remove the drum. Finally in desperation, I grabbed the "ziz wheel" cutter and split the drum into. The drums needed to be replaced anyway. The second side was no problem after the innards were revealed.