Abs And Trac Off!!!

[sickem]

ok i just woke uptodrive my bro to schoolljust before i got on the 190 my car made 3 beping sounds and then my abs and trac off light lit up and are staying on any reason why? by the way the weather i am drivin in when it started is dead ass rainy and dark

[sunrunner_pei]

The search button and FAQ are your friends. ;)

http://www.gaownersclub.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=50267

[Pack Rat]

Another common problem is a break in the insulation in one of the wires in the wire harness to the wheel speed sensors, again more so in the front because the wires get more flexing. We used to get it more in the winter because of the added salt but it's just as likely to happen with just regular old rain water. Water conducts current so it's just like a wire shorting to ground. The salt increases the conductivity.

[sickem]

any possibility of it beign a fuse?

[00SilverGA]

I don't think so. I have had the same problem and it turned out to be my bearing. So chances are it is either the bearing or the ABS sensor. The only problem is the ABS sensor and the bearing are all one piece and can't be replaced separately. The last time I had mine done it came to about $350-$400. Good Luck!

[bballr4567]

Originally posted by 00SilverGA
I don't think so. I have had the same problem and it turned out to be my bearing. So chances are it is either the bearing or the ABS sensor. The only problem is the ABS sensor and the bearing are all one piece and can't be replaced separately. The last time I had mine done it came to about $350-$400. Good Luck! WOW! You really got ripped off there. I got mine done for $150 total. The part itself was almost $100.

Do you have a humming noise coming from either side of the car that gets louder as you go faster?? If yes you have a bad bearing. If not your ABS sensor is out and you need to replace the bearing assembly regardless.

[rixGAphx]

Originally posted by sickem
any possibility of it beign a fuse? I doubt it.

But whenever there's an electrical problem, first step should be to check the fuses.
Both in the dash, and in the junction block (under the hood, next to the battery.

The GA is very sensitive, and needs strong power from the alternator and battery to the various systems.
The ABS is usually the first system to turn itself 'off' when it senses there might not be enough power for it to operate in an emergency braking situation.

So service (not just 'check') the battery cables: if they're not PERFECT, all sorts of stoopid things start happening (including slipping in first gear of teh auto tranny):

GA Batt Cable Service

Battery cable ends must be clean and tight and shiny bright.
Even the best new alternator and the best new battery can't provide adequate power (volts and amps) if the connections are so dirty/loose/corroded that power doesn't flow thru them.
Bad connections will also kill both the alternator and the battery very quickly.

So, inspect/clean/repair/replace/tighten both ends of both cables to provide maximum flow of electrical power.
Disconnect cables: NEG (Black) first, then POS (Red).
Cut the molded rubber boots from the battery connections, since water seeps thru them and corrodes the copper wire into useless powder (This step is VERY important. You can't just look at the outside and think, "They look alright".)

Dissolve corrosion with a paste solution of baking soda and water, applied with an old toothbrush.
Scrape/sand/wire-brush all the metal (cable ends and batt terminals) to shiny metal.

Pay attention to the Body Ground: This is a smaller Black (Neg) wire that comes from the battery terminal and attaches directly to the bodywork, somewhere near the left (Driver) side hood edge. This is a source of rust, and must be kept clean and shiny.

Reconnect cables: POS (Red) first, then NEG (Black); this is OPPOSITE of the way you disconnected them.
Replace the cut-off boots with new aftermarket slip-on rubber boots to protect against short-circuiting while allowing for future inspection and service.

Weird things happen to GA's when the cables aren't in pristine shape.
ABS is a particularly sensitive system, and will often show a random 'ABS' light though nothing else appears to be wrong.

Battery cable/connection service is necessary and cheap (or even free), so there's no downside to servicing them immediately.

Hope this helps,
-Rick

[00SilverGA]

Originally posted by bballr4567
WOW! You really got ripped off there. I got mine done for $150 total. The part itself was almost $100.

Do you have a humming noise coming from either side of the car that gets louder as you go faster?? If yes you have a bad bearing. If not your ABS sensor is out and you need to replace the bearing assembly regardless.


Yeah well I had an extended warrnty so I figured since I had the warranty I would bring it to the dealership to get fixed. :P

[mattcow]

Common problem is worn wires within 6 inches of the EBCM.

[coupe]

My hubs have been toaste for years. Just another problem that needs fixing along with a crap load of other problems i have.

[dcc56@msn.com]

Thanks for all the great help and advice I have received from the GAOC.
I wish you all a great holiday season.

I am wondering since this problem is now effecting my Grand Am...is nearly $500 too much to pay a highly qualified shop to do this repair? I have my car in the shop now because they are also doing the dreaded intake manifold gasket repair. They are telling me the total job might run $1500. Please advise and thank you very much members!

[bballr4567]

$1500 to do the lower intake manifold is WAY WAY high. If they are fixing something else then that might account for the cost but if its just the LIM then you are getting screwed.

[dcc56@msn.com]

It includes the whole job, gasket and abs problem with bearing.

[bballr4567]

Ok a dealership job will run about $800 for the LIM and around $250 for the bearing.

I personally got all this done for $850 : New EGR (broke when putting everything back together), LIM gasket set, gatorback belt, two heater core hoses and labor.

Anyways you are paying way too much IMHO. If its not a dealership it should be around $800-900 not 1500.

[dcc56@msn.com]

Thanks for your input.
I'll share the shop link, I am under the impression this is a top shop.
And I don't think they are the most expensive in my area, in fact they claim to have a lower hourly rate than most other shops. I guess I figured for this kind of repair it's best to go to top rated shop so they spend less time doing the repair and hopefully it costs less. But then I've heard there is a labor charge/time book and everyone charges about the same time/rate for various repairs.
Check this out....www.lancerservice.com
They have ASE master certification mechanics.
Thank you again for your kind input. I guess since my car is already there and torn apart I am stuck with whatvever they charge me. A fine Merry Chistmas huh?

[jordanGT]

I have a humming type noise coming from the driver's side wheel area, and my abs, trac off, and SVS lights come on generally after about 3 minutes on the Interstate. Does that sound like a bearing? What's the proper way to inspect the bearing?

[sunrunner_pei]

Originally posted by jordanGT
I have a humming type noise coming from the driver's side wheel area, and my abs, trac off, and SVS lights come on generally after about 3 minutes on the Interstate. Does that sound like a bearing? What's the proper way to inspect the bearing?

You have 2 separate issues. The humming noise is likely a wheel bearing. Simple test is to drive slowly and turn the steering wheel hard in either direction and see if the noise worsens or goes away.

If the noise gets worse when turning to the left, then the right bearing is bad, and vice-versa.

The ABS, Trac Off and SVS lights point to a bad wheel speed sensor, or the connection to that sensor. Only thing you can do is have the EBCM codes scanned to determine which sensor/connection is acting up. Otherwise you're just guessing, and expensive game to play. Most shops will charge ~$40-$60 to scan the EBCM codes.

Determine which sensor is the culprit, clean and examine the connection to that sensor. If that doesn't help, the hub assembly has to be replaced. Just hope that it's the same one as your bad wheel bearing. :(

[jordanGT]

Originally posted by sunrunner_pei

The ABS, Trac Off and SVS lights point to a bad wheel speed sensor, or the connection to that sensor. Only thing you can do is have the EBCM codes scanned to determine which sensor/connection is acting up. Otherwise you're just guessing, and expensive game to play. Most shops will charge ~$40-$60 to scan the EBCM codes.


Wow...$40-$60 to scan the codes? That blows. Unfortunately, AutoZone doesn't have the proper tool to scan them. :lol:

[sunrunner_pei]

Yup, unless you know someone with the proper scanner. Autozone, Checker, Canadian Tire, etc won't scan the EBCM for free, only the PCM.

[mattcow]

I had mine scaned and it was $140...dam stealerships

[sunrunner_pei]

Damn Matt, you have no luck. Hemphill GM in Summerside wanted $60.. $30 to connect the scanner ( :roll: ) and 1/2 hour labour. Canadian tire was the exact same price. :doh:

[mattcow]

yah, the Canadian Tire here doesn't have the scanner and I think the dealership charged an hours labour (might be the minimum). They said it was a bad EBCM. I ordered one off ebay and it didn’t fix the problem but someone pointed out the worn wire problem and that was it.

[rys99grandam]

I have a similar thing occur every 3 months or so. However, it does it because I slammed it in drive to fast, and hit the gas and it was like uhh what the heck?