Hi on a 2004 Explorer is it do able it looks tight there thanks

 

Are you referring to the VSS mounted on the rear differential housing? What symptom are you trying to fix? And which engine does your Explorer have? Does your Explorer have traction control/RSC?

-Rod

 

hi i have the 4.0 abs light on i was just readīng about the vss could be the problem, an i have no traction contrōl
n i have 135.000 miles thanks for your reply

 

Without traction control there are three wheel speed sensors used by the ABS system to determine wheel speed. Since you didn't mention that the speedometer is not working I'll assume it is, which doesn't really narrow down the likely culprit. Your best bet to help narrow down the source of the ABS light would be to find someone with a higher-end scan tool which can interpret ABS codes and get the exact diagnostic code to determine where to begin your troubleshooting. That would hopefully point to a particular speed sensor. But be aware that an issue with a particular sensor reading doesn't necessarily mean the sensor is bad. The issue could also be contamination of the sensor or a damaged tone ring.

None of the speed sensors are all that difficult to replace typically. Of course if you live in an area where rust is an issue, the mounting bolts can break and become seized, the sensors can corrode and not remove easily, etc. which makes them more difficult to replace. But there are also several other items than can cause the ABS light to be on and a diagnostic code to be set (47 ABS-related diagnostic codes from the B, C, and U code families, of which wheel speed sensors only make up 8 of those possible codes).

And just to clarify, it is the yellow ABS light that is on versus the red Brake light, correct?

-Rod

 

hi thanks for he replyn yes my speedo is working fine ,over the years i have changed the front hubs (2 drivers side 1 passangre side) an each one lastēd about 40,000 miles ,an never touchēd the rears except brakes.
my abs not to much recently but the light would just go out an work fine for maybe 1-2 maybe 3 hrs then come on i have had this poblem a while, so are all 4 wheel sensors the same i have a couple from the front i could try(sunny fl here) an i will get the codes read this week,as always open to suggestions thanks billy

 

The speed sensor for the rear differential does not have the wiring pigtail and is larger in diameter. While waiting to get the codes read, if you're looking for a reason to enjoy the Florida sun, you could pull the front wheels and carefully inspect the wheel speed sensor wiring and connections for any damage or kinks. Since the light coming on sounds like it's somewhat intermittent, trying to perform tests with an oscilloscope or DMM could be challenging since you'd need to know that the issue currently exists when performing your checks. At least with the scan tool there should be historical codes explaining why the light came on in the recent past, even if the issue is not currently present.

-Rod