The Tale of an ABS Unit....

DrFishbone

SCCoA Member
Check this out....

A few weeks ago, it sprinkled a little bit outside, so I turned on the windshield wipers for the first time since early this summer. The wipers responsed immediately, but were very sluggish on the way up - until they got halfway up the windshield...then I heard a little *pop* and the worked fine for a few minutes. I thought: "Oh geez, I thought I put a good set of arms under there a few months ago :rolleyes:" When I got home I didn't have time to check it out or anything, so I just forgot about it.

Now, last week I had to clean my windshield because it was dusty, so I hit the washer button, but fluid only came out of one jet and it was pretty weak. So, I held the button down long enough to get enough fluid on the windshield, until I was out of fluid actually. Didn't think anything of it after that......

A few days later, my brakes went out, for some reason the ABS pump doesn't come on. A few more days later, it works for a trip into work, but then goes out again. So I drive it to the scrapyard and get a relay in hopes that it would fix it, but of course it didn't, so I drove home CAREFULLY...

Last night, I finally got the chance to look at things - after I'd gotten everything together to do a conventional brake swap - so I jump the relay connector to see if the pump would come on, and it did! So the pump is good. So I got to looking around on wiring diagrams and my car and noticed the washer hose was disconnected from the "t" on the driver side engine bay corner. After I saw that and pondered a moment, I realized what had happened.....

When I turned on the windshield wipers, it pulled the washer hose loose, which allowed windshield washer fluid to pour on top of the ABS unit. How about them apples?!:D:eek:

So, I'm going to check the connectors and see what might be wrong...since it took a few days to do anything from when I used the windshield washer, perhaps I have a bad connection on a plug or something....we'll see!
 
if the pump runs, then i'd check the pressure switch....although possible, i dont knwo if pouring the washer fluid in teh connectors might have something to do with it. MOst of those connectors are pretty good with holding out liquids...but its worth a try! good luck!
 
yeah...I know... *sigh*

Well, I feel excessiely stupid now. The motor relay I swapped in was bad. So my story isn't necessarily the reason the ABS pooped out on me. Of course, when I swapped the original relay back in, it worked! So maybe it was the relay, maybe it wasn't! I drove it to work today with a "fresher" accumulator and a known good relay...so we'll see what happens!

Don't worry nickelman....that ABS IS coming out. :D Just not until after the engine is out..unless I have to.
 
:confused: all you're doing is delaying getting rid of that ragged pain in the a s s teves ii abs system, you'll be much happier with the abs delete. :D
Or not... I'm not in any rush to swap over. Despite the limitations, with routine maintenance, mine continue to operate perfectly. I've always had a good firm pedal. :cool: In reality, they're only a problem if you don't know how to work on them. ;)
 
In reality, they're only a problem if you don't know how to work on them. ;)

sooner or later the expensive parts are gonna go south and is it really worth it to spend hundreds of dollars when you could spend $50 - $150 on a reliable brake setup, the only way i would repair it is if i had a very low mileage all original car but that's just how i feel. you know what they say about opinions, they're like a-holes, everybody has one......:rolleyes: :D
 
You shouldn't have to worry too much Jacob - yours isn't the early Teves II or whatever it's called....lucky....:p
 
Yup... swapping out to a vacuum based system is great... until you put in a significant cam then your out of luck and going to manual brakes.

The teves 2 system is great, but it does require looking after it just like any other part of your car. I've seen so many folks swap it out, and it makes me wonder how often they check their oil :rolleyes:.

Honestly, if I was buying an older style SC and noted the guy has swapped out the system to something "easier" will make me ponder just how well they looked after the car like oil, coolant etc.... unless of course its just a full out race car. Its just like cutting the wire to the IRCM to run the fan all the time LOL!.. and worse yet a manual switch.... talk about an easy way out ;), and again I'd question buying that car, because I will always assume the car has over heated with a manually controlled fan switch.
 
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