FAQ: Anti-Lock Brakes and/or Traction Control Light/Lamp On

There's nothing more unsafe than being in a panic stop or sliding on wet without ABS. I've owned six cars without it; only the Riviera has it. Riviera wins for safety hands down.

I dug it. it was my first vehicle with abs and tc.

jonly wrote:

AA wrote:

Whenever the ABS light comes on, the ABS system is disabled, so your brakes become unsafe in a panic stop or on slippery surfaces.

...or you have to remember what life was like before abs and pump your own brakes.

Actually, "pumping", at least at human speeds, is just what they teach neophytes in order to keep them from flooring the brake and holding it there. The correct approach for a properly trained driver is "threshold braking", a far more nuanced and effective way of manually braking (and you have to have sensitive tootsies.)

I pump like an idiot.

show us pics of the wildcat now.

jonly wrote:

show us pics of the Wildcat now.

Unfortunately, I have no digital pics of the convertible, and right now it's stored in my brother's barn until I find a house in Oregon...


This, however, is very much what it looked like before I repainted it burgundy (and I have a black interior):


7-Litre engine and a 100-litre gas tank... with about 7 cubic feet of trunk space!

i don't care what you look like, i'd do you in the back of that.

I grew up w/o ABS and my 68 of course doesn't have it. Hell, it's a power drum brake car. Driving w/o ABS, for me, simply requires paying extra attention to driving conditions and spacing to the car(s) around/ahead of me. I love ABS on slippery winter roads, but that's about it.

jonly wrote:

i don't care what you look like, i'd do you in the back of that.

Even with the top down??

1998 Riv wrote:

I grew up w/o ABS and my 68 of course doesn't have it. Hell, it's a power drum brake car.

Tell me about it... The Wildcat has huge 4-wheel drums, a new master cylinder, and a booster that seems to have 2 settings: nothing and lock-up!!

A clue to my TC/ABS lamp issue... after many straight days of the lamp illuminating immediately upon start-up (mine does not wait to 12 mph to turn on the lamp), I gave the car a quick 'wheel bath' involving a sponge and a bucket of soapy water. I then rinsed each wheel by soaking it with some water from the bucket. For the first time in over a week, the car started up with no TC/ABS lamp. It came back on about 5 hours later during the next start up.

Maybe I can isolate the wheel by soaking one at a time?

AA wrote:

A clue to my TC/ABS lamp issue... after many straight days of the lamp illuminating immediately upon start-up (mine does not wait to 12 mph to turn on the lamp), I gave the car a quick 'wheel bath' involving a sponge and a bucket of soapy water. I then rinsed each wheel by soaking it with some water from the bucket. For the first time in over a week, the car started up with no TC/ABS lamp. It came back on about 5 hours later during the next start up.

Maybe I can isolate the wheel by soaking one at a time?

Definitely worth trying. As soon as I read that your light comes on before the self-test, I figured it had to be a wheel sensor...

But wait, won't the codes tell you which wheel it is?

Eldo wrote:

But wait, won't the codes tell you which wheel it is?

If you have an ABS code reader, yes it will.

Rickw wrote:

Eldo wrote:

But wait, won't the codes tell you which wheel it is?

If you have an ABS code reader, yes it will.

Which is a subset of the main menu of a 'good' scanner, right? And I believe AA has a good scanner...

Not necessarily. Some of the better scanners still require either another module or a whole separate ABS/TCS code reader. (keep looking in the Cracker Jack Box, I am. First one wins)

Does yours read GM ABS codes.? If so, your lucky.
The Snap-On MT2500 that I've used in the past did not have the capability of reading ABS codes with out an additional cartridge, and even then, the cartridges were separate by manufacturer of vehicle because that is one area that they can choose what protocol to use.

My OTC 4000e has multiple cartridges for both the box itself, and the cable. However, once I'm set up correctly for my car, there are separate menus for OBD (standardized) and OEM (factory). Under OEM is where you find specialized things like the Boost Control Solenoid and the Fuel Pump speed control module. Beneath that are 2 more menus for ABS and SIR...

You better give your Brother a Big Wet Kiss for that package. That wasn't a cheap package he gave you.
You be lucky.

Who is it that has the ABS/TCS light come on at 12 MPH, was that Dave.?
The first thing i thought of with that kind of discrepancy was that a speed sensor is bad also.
It just isn't failing until the car reaches 12 MPH, sort of a flat spot.

By 'good' scanner, I meant one that has GM expanded powertrain parameters, useful for tuning. One of these runs $200-300.

For ABS/TC codes, you need to use a specialized diagnostic device like a Tech 2. I don't work on cars for a living, so really don't need such a device, and at $4000+ I can't afford one!

Rickw wrote:

You better give your Brother a Big Wet Kiss for that package. That wasn't a cheap package he gave you. You be lucky.

Who is it that has the ABS/TCS light come on at 12 MPH, was that Dave.?
The first thing i thought of with that kind of discrepancy was that a speed sensor is bad also. It just isn't failing until the car reaches 12 MPH, sort of a flat spot.

Negative... As I said, 12MPH is the self-test of the pump & valve assy. The clincher is that he's feeling the added pressure in the system (when it works) by having a 'high pedal' when his foot is on the brake at 12MPH. You can still use them normally, but as soon as you release the pedal, the grab-point moves back down an inch or more.

AA wrote:

By 'good' scanner, I meant one that has GM expanded powertrain parameters, useful for tuning. One of these runs $200-300.

For ABS/TC codes, you need to use a specialized diagnostic device like a Tech 2. I don't work on cars for a living, so really don't need such a device, and at $4000+ I can't afford one!

You're both right, the Snap-on that my brother bought to replace the OTC he gave me was nearly $4K... and it didn't even come with everything he needs! What frickin' robbery - 4 times the price of a laptop that has untold more power & software.

Aaron, I need some edification... Don't you have an actual programmer? I would think that something which can modify everything in the PCM could also scan all the usual suspects.

The key to your statement is the PCM.
The EBTCM is what triggers the ABS light, is it not.

Rickw wrote:

The key to your statement is the PCM.
The EBTCM is what triggers the ABS light, is it not.

True, I had that thought, which is why I said "the usual suspects". There are multiple systems, but they all use the same ALDL and code tables to report in. Maybe I'm being way too logical for an automaker, but I'd think that scanning them all would be pretty similar/common... This is one thing that I really hated about leaving Cadillac, cuz it's so nice to be able to just bring up the codes on the dashboard!

I agree, they make it much too difficult and expensive to diagnose a problem with the ABS system.
It cannot be pulled from the PCM without all the extra tools that allow you to read what has been sent by the EBTCM.

The available tuning software can reprogram the PCM (powertrain only), but it cannot alter every parameter in the car. The Tech 2 can actually interact (talk) with the car's electronics in real time. I've read that you can plug in and actuate the TCC solenoid on & off - people have tried this with some success to free a stuck solenoid. Also, some say you can activate power windows, sunroof, etc. with the Tech 2. It's just in a totally different class than the software we use to reflash the PCM program.

Oh, okay... So Rick's observation was right on the nose: PCM only.

I know that the Tech 2 is a scanner and a programmer, but I always thought that most scanners could read all available diagnostic codes...

My OTC can't reprogram (more's the pity) but it can read any trouble code, check the OBD Readiness Tests, and manually play with a few items, like the EGR position, IAC position, etc.

Okay so a few days ago my ABS light came on. It doesnt stay on all the time, but it is on more often than not. I just recently installed KYB GR2s, and I noticed I need front brake pads. Would worn brake pads cause my ABS light to come on?

SCbuick010 wrote:

Okay so a few days ago my ABS light came on. It doesnt stay on all the time, but it is on more often than not. I just recently installed KYB GR2s, and I noticed I need front brake pads. Would worn brake pads cause my ABS light to come on?

No Sir. Chances are you have a WSS going bad, or possibly a WSS harness problem. I would have it scanned to get the code(s).

double check the abs connector on the dust shield. u might have forgotten to reconect...