ABS 95 Windstar

[Rrey199]

No big issue this time....Yet.
My ABS seems to be getting squirley. Some times the ABS kicks in as if the veh were skidding. The brakes pulsate as if they are trying to adjust, but there is no skid, just normal slowing down. No ABS light yet. It seems to be only (or worse) when wet. Last night they went nuts & it was pouring, but the car stops ok. (Scares the bejesus out of my wife)

Sensors? I'm going to be doing brakes by next w/e, should I just swap the sensors out too?
Thanks for the help.
Rusty

[wiswind]

How are your tires?
I ask because I have seen people (all vehicles) with some pretty bald tires.
If your tires are worn, you may have one or more wheels actually locking up.
Also, I have found that Michelin tires, while they wear great, can cause problems after about 60K miles.....acting like they are bald, even though they have lots of tread. I think it is caused by the rubber becoming hardened.

The other thing that you should do, when you do your brake job, is thoroughly clean the gear like actuator at each wheel.
Use ONLY brake cleaner as you don't want to leave any residue on things.
Don't forget to do the rear ones, if you are only replacing the front brake pads.
It is normal for brake lining dust to build up on the actuators, particularly between the teeth.

Also, check the distance from the pickup unit (sensor) from the teeth.
I have read posts about the rear ones, sometimes being too far from the teeth of the actuator.

If one of the sensors is damaged, you can buy replacement sensors online from www.rockauto.com The replacement sensor comes with the wiring.
Check the wiring at each sensor to make sure that it has not become damaged, or had the clips rust and leave the wire dangling where it can become caught.

[DRW1000]

I was going to ask the same question as Wiswind "How are your tires"?

Your description of your wife's experience in the rain sounds like slipping tires and the ABS doing what it should.

[Rrey199]

Was with her the other night when it did it and I'm positive it wasn't skidding. Also did it today on dry road, no rain.

If I'm figuring it right, a bad sensor can have trouble measuring the wheel speed. If it thinks a wheel is stopping when the other(s) aren't then that will activate the ABS.

Is this how it works?
Rusty

[DRW1000]

Originally Posted by Rrey199

Was with her the other night when it did it and I'm positive it wasn't skidding. Also did it today on dry road, no rain.

If I'm figuring it right, a bad sensor can have trouble measuring the wheel speed. If it thinks a wheel is stopping when the other(s) aren't then that will activate the ABS.

Is this how it works?
Rusty

I think that scenario would cause it to disable the ABS. I am not sure how the ABS would know that there is a malfunction and not a sliiping tire but I imagine that if there is too much of a difference between one wheel and the others that the system would assume a fault. Under normal stopping one wheel would lock up and the other three would be rotating slowly.