weird abs

92sclikenew

Registered User
well on my way home yesterday in the 90* weather we had.

my abs light and brake lights came on:eek: i thought i was gonna have no brakes.

but i did so i stopped and looked under the car for any leaks. looked good car still had brakes after a bunch of times pushing the pedal.
so i decide to drive a little farther. decide since the lights are still on to pull over and inspect a few things. fluid level was perfect, no leaks that i could notice, and the abs pump was running. so i decide to drive it another 15miles to grab some food shut the car off and go inside to eat. came back out to finish the trip home and the brakes were fine no lights everything functioned normal:confused:. and have been for 2 days now.

i was thinking i had a failing accumulator ball but hmm. could it still be failing:confused: i guess anything is possible.

what do you guys suggest?
thanks!
 
Have someone stand by the ABS Unit with the hood open. Turn the ignition key on (Engine OFF) and see how many times you can press the brake pedal before the pump runs. 3 -5 times you are getting marginal. More than 5 times before the pump runs and it is/was something else that caused the lights.
 
Have someone stand by the ABS Unit with the hood open. Turn the ignition key on (Engine OFF) and see how many times you can press the brake pedal before the pump runs. 3 -5 times you are getting marginal. More than 5 times before the pump runs and it is/was something else that caused the lights.

i can only press the pedal 2 times and its been like this for a little while..
 
OK...so the accumulator is weak but even if it is BAD you would only be getting the red Brake Light....not both that and the Amber Anti-Lock Light.
 
OK...so the accumulator is weak but even if it is BAD you would only be getting the red Brake Light....not both that and the Amber Anti-Lock Light.

strange... yea both lights where on.. and the brakes felt a little weak. but stopped the car just fine.i thought both lights came on when the accumulator went bad?and the pedal would go hard?

and still haven't had an issue...(knocking on wood!!!)
 
Nope....Red Brake Light is what comes on when low pressure is sensed in the system. Amber light means there is something else that happened.
 
Usually both the Amber ABS and Red Brake Lights will be on even ever there's not enough pressure in the system..
Brake light turning on because of the lack of pressure, and ABS light because the system doesn't have enough Pressure built up to effectively work right.

I'm not sure, but i have had the ABS light come on in my T-bird, and my '91 XR7 (Burn out on the later) and they never shut off until the car is shut off and restarted.. So possibly there may of been an issue with Charging up the accumulator when driving, causing the lights to trip, but the issue recovered but the lights stayed on.

In my Shop manual thou.. there is no diagnostic procedure to show what may be the issue when both lights come on when driving.. but with the typical rule of thumb for both on, would be ABS pump relay, ABS pump or even Accumulator..
 
Usually both the Amber ABS and Red Brake Lights will be on even ever there's not enough pressure in the system..
Brake light turning on because of the lack of pressure, and ABS light because the system doesn't have enough Pressure built up to effectively work right.

Sorry...that is just incorrect. The ONLY things that will cause the Amber Anti-Lock light to illuminate are those things that will set a code in the computer. There is NOTHING about the pressure part of the system that will be revealed by code...thus NO Amber LIGHT.

RETRACTION: While I don't have immediate access to my Ford reference materials, looking at some other Teves references I have it appears that low system pressure CAN cause an Amber Anti-Lock light along with the Red Brake Light. While it is true that the computer doesn't "control" the pump motor it appears there is a chance the amber light comes on to give further indication of a system issue. Low system pressure will NOT however set a code from what I am seeing.
 
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I read in a tech article that the red and amber light will both flicker when you apply the brakes as an accumulator starts to loose its charge....

If both lights are on all the time and you still have normal braking, I would replace the accumulator ASAP....

If not, the next part that will fail in the system will be the pump motor and trust me, its a lot easier to replace the accumulator than the pump motor :rolleyes: ......
 
I am pretty sure that the amber light did sometimes come on when my accumulator was failing. The red one did, for sure, but I think the amber one did too. I knew what the problem was, so I never tried to read the codes.
 
i agree about both lights coming on...

i replaced a bad accumulator a few years back on this car with the unit thats on it now which it was used..

i know the abs pump was running for the most part of my drive.. which im assuming thats why i still had brakes.


oh yea im sure the pump cant be any harder then the pressure switch to change :eek::p

prefer a new accumulator if you have any let me know in a pm

thanks!
 
Sorry...that is just incorrect. The ONLY things that will cause the Amber Anti-Lock light to illuminate are those things that will set a code in the computer. There is NOTHING about the pressure part of the system that will be revealed by code...thus NO Amber LIGHT.

If the pressure in the accumulator isn't good enough for Correct ABS operation (it does need a fair amount of pressure) it WILL turn on the ABS light.. it doesn't doesn't turn on if there is a Issue the ABS system Electrically (Sensor/Valve)

And if you refer to Test D in a 1991 Ford Shop Manual (Page 12-32-97) It'll should you Warning light Sequence with BOTH light being on at any giving moment and then get you to Check out the Pump Circuit.. Like the relay, pump motor, Pressure switch..

I would say pull the fuse for the pump motor, but that may throw a ABS light in itself, even with a fully charged Accumulator, to see what happens when you push the brake pedal a few times..
 
i know the abs pump was running for the most part of my drive.. which im assuming thats why i still had brakes. prefer a new accumulator if you have any let me know in a pm

Well another thing may of happen during your trip if the Pump motor is constantly running, which would lead to be a stuck ABS pump relay, the pump motor itself has a Thermoswitch inside of it, it may of built up enough heat from running so long that it shut itself off.. in turn letting the pressure drop, turning the lights on then when it cooled enough it started working again??

Relays Can do funny things, they can stick on.. then free themselves and be good for awhile.. (had a Driving light relay do that once :rolleyes: )

Also it should come with it but it doesn't, If your replacing the Accumulator, spend the extra $ and get a new pump relay.. i just think it's a smart move to replace it at the same time..
 
I guess you did not bother to read the "RETRACTION"?;)

RETRACTION: While I don't have immediate access to my Ford reference materials, looking at some other Teves references I have it appears that low system pressure CAN cause an Amber Anti-Lock light along with the Red Brake Light. While it is true that the computer doesn't "control" the pump motor it appears there is a chance the amber light comes on to give further indication of a system issue. Low system pressure will NOT however set a code from what I am seeing.
 
I guess you did not bother to read the "RETRACTION"?;)

Oh i did, don't worry
was more just clarifying the point that yes the ABS and Brake light will come on if there is an issue with the pressure side of things..

Brake light for low pressure
ABS light for not enough pressure for the ABS effectively work

I guess i could of cried like others about giving out `false' information and how that person should be Tared and Feathered for that.. (Isn't that a TCCoA thing? i know both sites cry `Do a search you moron' thing thou to new people) But i just wanted to be make people know the true information Via two different sources.. yah that's it :p
 
well a little history

i had to replace the pressure switch a few weeks ago.. i picked up a used unit.

i also replaced the relay before i change that switch. so im assuming a new relay is fine..

i would also assume if the pump is consistently running that its not building enough pressure to keep the accumulator charged up(bad accumulator)

my only worry is why did it work out of no where and been fine since?

i still been driving the car but still got this bugging me in the back of my head...

i KNOW i need an accumulator so i guess ill start there. do they even make new units anymore??

thank alot guys!
 
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