'03 ABS and Cruise issues

[huffditty]

I have my ABS light coming off and on anytime it wants too, and when it is on, it is not working at all. I tried it on some ice today, I had one of my wheel sensors replaced a while back, due to the light staying permanently on.

Also, I have been reading about a bad clock spring possibly. I don't know if they would be related in any way or not. But my cruise will also work intermittently. But usually now not at all.

Thanks for checking it out and any help would be greatly appreciated.

[shorod]

Welcome to the forum!

I doubt the clockspring would effect the ABS. Possibly the cruise, and possibly the airbag if you were having issues with that. However, the cruise not working could also be due to whatever is causing the ABS issue. The PCM and subsequently the cruise utilize the wheels speed sensors to determine vehicle speed unlike years ago when a dedicated vehicle speed sensor was used for the cruise.

Your best bet would probably be to have the ABS codes read. A typical consumer-grade scan tool will not have this capability though.

If you want to troubleshoot as much as possible prior to paying to have the ABS codes read, you can use a DMM or oscilloscope to determine if all of the wheel speed sensors are working properly.

-Rod

[huffditty]

Rod,

Thanks so much for responding, I have a dumb question are you meaning a Multi-Meter when you state (DMM)? I assume to test the voltage at the wheel sensors? It seems that when the ABS system has engaged the cruise will not work for a few days, are you thinking that this is related or not. One more question..are the wheel sensors pretty easy to change? Also what would you recommend for a repair manual to make an investment in to get my proper wheel sensor voltage.

Thanks for your help, it looks like you have been a great help for allot of people.


Merry Christmas!

[shorod]

Sorry, yes, DMM = Digital MultiMeter. The wheel speed sensors should show a small voltage when the wheel is rotated. The sensor will actually generate a square wave, which can be registered on a DMM as an AC voltage signal. The frequency of the squarewave will increase with increased wheel speed, and therefore, depending on the sampling rate of your DMM, so will the voltage. You should expect to see anywhere from 0.5 to 5 VAC as you spin the wheel.

Unfortunately, one thing the DMM won't be able to show you is if there is a bad tooth on the toothed ferrite ring or a crack in the ring. For that, you need either the professional scan tool or an oscilloscope.

The sensors are usually pretty easy to change. Most of the time they are held in place by a single 8mm or 10mm bolt. Once the bolt is removed, the sensor is usually able to be unplugged and wiggled out of the spindle. Depending on if your Mountaineer's been exposed to road salt, mud, etc., there may be a fair amount of debris that will want to hold on to the sensor and you may need the aid of a penetrant to get the sensor out.

As far as service manuals, by far the best bet would be the factory service manual. If you don't want to shell out the bucks for the full factory service manual, the same information can be found on the AlldataDIY site for a reasonable annual fee. You can also check the Repair section of Autozone's website, although that is not the factory service manual information (which is odd since they are tied in with Alldata) and they don't have some of the newer vehicles.

-Rod