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ABS light!!!!!
Lately, my ABS light has been coming on and staying on….to begin with I could stop everything…turn it off for a moment and restart and most of the time the ABS light would be off. Now, it seems to be on all the time.
Any thoughts on something I might can check before turning it over to the pros?
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12 Replies
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It most likely is a sensor out of position. They have a habit of backing away from the exciter ring. They can usually be pushed back in, but you need access to the back side of the wheels. You also have to determine which one it is, unless you check them all.
If that isn’t it, it could be a failed sesnor, or modulator, or even the wiring. I had this happen on my 2006 chassis XLII and it was one out of position. Prevost JAX reset them all, and told me that was a very common problem.
Unless you have access to the underside of the coach, it is not an easy job to check or change sensors or associated parts.
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Btom, unfortunately your set up is most likely different than what Mark described. You probably have the same set up that we do which means that the sensor is internal in the rear end housing. It is in the thousands to fix and as far as I know does not affect brake operation, but we, as you are stuck with the light. For us it has just become a familiar little friend. Geo.
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Geo is correct in the respect the sensor location he describes does require an expensive fix. However don’t assume that is the problem. I suspect any shop with an ABS reader can plug into your bus and the reader will identify if it is a sensor problem (I think Mark’s analysis is most likely), and it could turn out to be on the steer axle. I’m not sure your coach has the differential mounted sensors either. If it turns out it is a rear axle sensor they might be at the wheel.
The fix involves a light tap on the rear of the sensor and the problem goes away.
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“A light tap on the sensor housing”, How about just a drive down I-40 between Little Rock and Memphis to knock the crap out of the sensor? I swear that section of I-40 will knock your fillings out!
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BTom…we have the same year bus but your production number is not on your message. Ours is # 591
I had the same issue with ABS light flashing on dash. Sometimes it would go off after moving a short distance. Other times on all day. We did hand held code reads on ABS system and confirmed as predicted the problem would be in one or the other rear axle sensors. Left rear 91 hits to flash dash light, right rear 3 hits.
The bad news on our year models is….the sensors are inside the differential. In order to fix requires the removal of the rear end differential from the carrier housing. The sensors then can be replaced.
I choose the fix which moves the sensors to rear drive axle disc brake assembly. Included items to upgrade this fix, new rotors, calipers, brake pads, axle seals, gear oil change over, and a wiring harness upgrade. Sensor now remounted on back side of rotors for easy access. Old sensor posts on axle housing are abandoned in place. This requires the wire harness up grade.
Couple of things to consider having researched this ABS sensor location… I can’t think of any kind way to say this ..An absolutely stupid place to put sensors in the beginning of ABS brake systems. Most of the time the sensor issue doesn’t show up until years down the road and high mileage. Maybe they did it this way thinking this was an ideal spot never to be a problem and then assumed sensor to be maintenance free…wrong on both. The 3ad member I believe was mfg by Rockwell.
Mark’s (Mr. Duluth) former bus had an issue with sticking sensors so the bottom line is inside or outside these sensors must have maintenance or service replacement.
The entire repair of our bus was done at Prevost – Dallas in one day which also included re-programing ABS upgrade.
Cost was $3500
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One thing to note is that an ABS fault is not going to impact the operation of your brakes under normal operation. The only time a fault becomes an issue is when or if a brake begins to lock up. In that case the ABS is disabled and the only way to deal with skidding wheels is to modulate the application of the brakse to prevent lock up.
Folks from the snow belt who have driven non-ABS equipped cars, trucks or buses know exactly how to do that, and in fact were doing it long before ABS became available. Not all our coaches are ABS equipped. Al probably could have saved $3500, but he did the right thing, which was to insure his coach was operating with all the safety features it was delivered with working as intended.
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Tom & Bill
Your comment on the I-40 drive from Little Rock to Memphis has me concerned. I am traveling that road on Sunday…. going from Catherines Landing in Hot Springs area to South Memphis to E Z Daze RV park… should I take another route?
I can go South from Hot Springs to Pine Bluff and then to Helena…..cross the river and work my way to the interstate….
If it is as bad as you say… I will do so in a New York minute….
Pres
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Oh no, take the route, just be aware of rough roads and make sure EVERYTHING is secure. I ended up driving mostly in the passing lane as did most of the trucks with me. It will give your shocks a good workout!
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Pres,
There have historically been certain roads that have been brutal to drive. Until recently rebuilt I-59 from about 20 miles south of the GA line until almost Birmingham was a mix of lousy to downright miserable. The worst part is now done and it is a much better drive, but another interstate will replace it as the nation’s worst until it gets fixed.
We crossed the George Washington Bridge once coming from NYC into NJ and there was a stretch of road while still in NY that was so bad it lifted our clothes off the hangar rods and dumped them on the floor in the closets, and that road in Arkansas doesn’t come close to that quality.
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Based on these statements, I think I will just reach over and put the tranny in “fly low”… the shocks do not need the workout…. I hate the bumpity-bump, bumpity-bump…. all the way to town… I believe we will take the road less traveled through PIne Bluff, etc….. more time spent but the trip is short from Hot Springs to South Memphis…
I assume the road out of Memphis towards Nashville / Lexington, Ky is of better quality… certainly hope so…
Thanks to all for the thoughts…
Pres
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Pres,
I-40 through to Nashville is in good shape. I was just on I-65 in July and it was good. I do not know about the Parkway from Elizabethton over to Lex.
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Al…I updated my signature to include the production number: 652EXV
Thanks for your thoughts on the ABS issue…ty
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