why does ABS light stay on ?

[scottgoood]

Hello out there, thanks for the past tips. My girlfriend's car is a '95 Beretta, 3.1 V6, auto. She had the brakes done last fall and ever since then the ABS light has stayed on most of the time, but not always. Some days it will go out while driving. Is the anything I can do to check it out ? Or does it have to be plugged in to an analizer ?

[jsgold]

Not sure if you can do much yourself on this. ABS systems are best left to a factory mechanic with proper tools. If the ABS light is on, then the ABS system itself is not working right. You can stop, usually OK, but your wheels will lock up etc. with the ABS not functioning right. It keeps your wheels from locking and this is supposed to make it safer, so I would get it looked at. has nothing to do with pads etc. these are sensors and other stuff that control the system. if you had a GM service manual you might be able to test this but I don't have one. I know on my son's Explorer (rear ABS) he had a problem with his and his truck had a separate control system(computer) that stored trouble codes and was accessed by shorting a special wire to make the system make the ABS ligh flash a certain number of times, and you then compared it to the factory manual. His problem was a sensor in the drive shaft, although this would not be your case. There would be though, a system that stores codes I am sure. What tool it takes though I am unsure. You might get lucky and it just be a dirty ABS sensor in one of the wheels, or just a easy to get to sensor. maybe the folks who did your brakes unhooked or loosened one of the wheel sensors. Might be best to contact them and have them look at it if the trouble started after they worked on it.

[scottgoood]

thanks for the reply GSGOLD, I have a Chilton's manual but I think the ABS system requires special dianostic equipment.