Pulling ABS Codes
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Cargo Master
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 2,571
Likes: 22
From: Oxford, Indiana
Pulling ABS Codes
After a serious evening of spinning around in the mud trying to drag a car out of the fence row, I noticed that the ANTILOCK light on my '88 F-150 4x4 was lit intermittently. The rear ABS had been working - I could feel it when I was spinning in the mud and then stepped on the brake to switch directions. I hadn't been overly concerned about it as it only appeared for a couple of miles once a week or so. Now it has chosen to stay on all the time. The light comes on as the system goes through self-test when you turn on the ignition, goes out for just a second, and then comes back on until the ignition is turned off. I tried to retrieve the trouble codes last night with no success. My Haynes manual says I'm looking for a black/orange stripe wire by the e-brake pedal. I located it and grounded it per the instructions, but it doesn't flash any codes. The light just stays on. I know I've got the right wire. What am I doing wrong or could the ABS module be dead meat?
Postmaster
Joined: Jul 1999
Posts: 3,172
Likes: 4
Pulling ABS Codes
How exactly did you ground the test lead ? You ground the wire momentarily & then remove the wire from ground . If you leave the wire grounded no codes will display . Trans should be in park for auto & neutral for manual trans with the parking brake set . What may have happened since you were off roading was some small metal fragments may have ended up on the Abs Sensor mounted on the top of the rear diff . It can illuminate the Abs light yet no fault codes will be displayed . Once you remove it & notice some small metal fragments , & they will likely be very small , simply wipe it off & drive the truck to see if the Abs light comes back on .
