After changing wheel bearings...

I had one bad wheel bearing in the front, on the right side, and one bad in the back and I forgot which one was bad and the dealership told me they could not find the invoice in their system. I paid for the ABS diagnostic twice already, the first time it cost me $105, and the last time it was almost $120. This was only for them to tell me which wheel bearings were bad. So Anyways I got a really good deal on all four of them at a local auto parts store so I figured I'd just change all of them so they are all new. Well when I started the car my ABS and traction lights went off when all other light turn off after you start the car but as soon as I drive about 50 to 100 feet the lights come back on. Is there anyway I can reset the ABS and Traction codes so the lights will stay off. I do not have money to go to the dealership again, and give them $120 to clear the codes. My service center at my dealership are out to get money any and everyway they can, and they will never do anything just as a curtousey check or anything. Does anyone know how I can get rid of these light coming on after I start driving?

I think first thing you want to do is check the wiring. Carefully. You may find that one or more of the wires broke near the point they flex most, within a foot or less from the hub. You will need a meter with alligator clip and needle probes, detach the connector from the hub then bend and feel along the wire to find any broken spots. A friend of mine had 2 fail about the same time, apparently just wear and tear, the white wire on each nub about 6-7 inches from the connector.

Second, if you have a laptop computer you can buy a cable to connect to the car, and use the free Car Code software to reset the codes yourself. See Alex Peper's site, http://www.obd-2.com/. He sells the cables, parts kits to make your own cables, and gives away the software (and updates). Maybe not right now, being short on cash - but if you're going to drive this car for a year or more you'll get your $$ back in diagnostics savings alone - and you'll communicate better with the dealer's mechanics (not the service writers though) when you need to.

Hopefully someone else can comment on the lights. Assuming the wiring and sensors are OK, I wonder if the codes you have will go out by themselves after 50 start cycles or some such.

Albertj

Funny story, but extremely relevant:

Last winter my trac/abs started flashing on anytime I went through a deep puddle. Eventually it just stayed on. I 'knew' it was most likely the front wheel bearings, they are known for failure and my car had the right amount of miles on it. So, in January when I was doing my transmission, I took the opportunity to replace both front wheel bearings. Trac/ABS was still disabled after the trans and bearings were in, and I rechecked the wheel bearings and their respecitve WSS sensor connections, it looked good. Didn't check anything electrically, other than a visual on the connectors. Eventually I pulled the fuse so it would stop dinging at me every time I started driving, figuring I didn't really want the TC anyway, and losing the ABS was not the end of the world to me. I learned how to drive without ABS and know how to handle a non-ABS assisted skid...

Fast foward to today... I had to replace my rear shocks. While I was in there I noticed the WSS wire completely unplugged from the LR wheel bearing. DUH! I plugged it in, noticed the retaining tab was broken off the sensor, zip-tied the plug into place, replaced the missing ABS fuse and wala! Traction control and ABS once more!

I feel foolish for never checking it and replacing both front wheel bearings. I don't feel too bad, the wheel bearings would probably go this year if I hadn't replaced them last year, so no hard feelings except for the dumbness...

oh well, just thought I'd share! If you're having ABS/Trac problems, don't forget to check all 4 wheels!!!

-Derek

Ya I ended up changing all four hubs because I got a really good deal on them, but I still have no ABS or T/C. I guess it must be the ABS traction modelule but Im not gonna get into that til it gets warmer, its getting too fuckin cold up here. But I noticed that the design of the wires for the sesor on the wheel bearings in the front sucks. My wires are already getting fucked up because they are not protected with anything, and they are rubbing up against the CV axel. This is a very shitty design with shitty engineering. I cant beleave they would do something stupid like this on a RIVIERA, cause they designed EVERYTHING else on our rivs PERFECT or atleast near perfect.

Mine has split loom around the sensor wires, so shouldn't rub on anything. Maybe invest in .99 worth and install?

Hey Anthony - the wires *are* supposed to be in a loom. One thing you could do (to keep it from getting worse) is get a short length of split loom from Autozone or some such (walmart has 'em sometimes) and install it around the wires. Not uncommon for mechanics not to bother with putting the loom back on for various reasons.


Albertj

Not only should the wires be in a loom, and the connector should be weather-tite, but also the connector in mine is attached to a little spring-metal bracket that holds it out of the way.

Ya, i know as soon as I noticed this i put a loom on both fronts, the rears are a different setup that make more sense. The problem I had is this "loom" that came from factory was only a very thin, basically made of fabric that did not last on the originals or the oem replacements that I just purchased not even a couple months ago. This cover loom that the factory put covering these wires is basically fabric and the CV axel had no problem eating right through it. PHYSICS lesson - Steel verse fabric, whats gonna win Anyways I used plastic and I was hoping that I would not hear any rubbing from the metal on plastic, but I dont and it seems to be holding up. I just wish that they put better engineering in to this problem because alot of people with GM's have had to replace a $200 plus part because of this VERY POOR ENGINEERING. They make more then enough money to where they can produce a BETTTER product, instead of having to ghetto rig shit. Thats the only thing, I hate looking at this now because it dosnt look right. I know that no one else see's it, but I do when Im under my car, and it pisses me off.
Mine is on the metal bracket but there is no spring, what are you talking about "deekster_caddy"? Can u post a pic or something so I can compare to mine, because I think mine maybe different then your for some reason.