ABS error

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rsdata

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Jul 27, 2016
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Location
N Ky
Ram Year
2014 BigHorn 1500 8spd 4X4
Engine
Hemi 5.7
2014 1500 43,000 miles, new tries 4,000 miles
just got back from a 1,000 mile trip, but had an error showup intermittently on the evic

Sometimes when I first started up, OR sometimes while driving on 2 lane roads, I would get 2 error msgs... Service trailer brakes THEN Service ABS system, an ABS error lamp turned on, AND my cruise control would stop responding at the same time. I was never pulling a trailer when this happened.

Sometimes the error would be gone after being parked, sometimes not. The ONLY time the error EVER went away on it's own after NOT being parked was once, I started, got the error, and 10 seconds later peeled out of a loose gravel driveway slightly squacking the tires when I hit the pavement... error light turned off and all was normal after that.

this all happened in a 12 day time period. Yesterday I traveled about 275 miles pulling trailer without an incident and errors.

Anyone have any ideas?
 

mtofell

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2014
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Hemi 6.4
I don't think I've ever seen the ABS error but I've had the "service trailer brakes" message numerous times with my 2014. I've never had any functional problem with anything and it will usually go away after cycling the key (and computer) off and on a time or two. I remember looking into it when I first saw the message and others have had the same thing. Of course, the dealer is likely of no use at all unless your truck is on fire but you might try asking just to see if there is a software update available. My biggest fear with this truck (and any modern vehicle for that matter) is something computer related taking a crap.
 

barbosa

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Ram Year
2015
Engine
Hemi 5.7
I have an ABS issue and am around the same mileage in my 2015. It comes on every morning on first startup and unless I drive at least 15 miles or so before turning the key off, will still be illuminated on the next startup. It's almost like something has to get so hot from driving a certain distance to get the ABS light to go away. I say that because I could drive 50 miles and turn the truck off and then right back on and the light will be gone, but if I turn the truck off after the same distance and don't restart it for, say, 30 minutes, the ABS light is still on. I have been too busy with work to get it to a shop for diagnosis but really hope it's just a bad sensor in one of the wheels. The fact that it does go away sometimes, even if under extremely random circumstances, worries me that it could be a computer or module issue.

The thing that annoys me most is that if the ABS light is on, 4wd is disabled. I live in an area where there is a beach that can be driven on, but would absolutely require 4WD and it would be terrible to drive out on the beach while the light was off, only to spend the day out there and crank the truck and have an ABS light on and have no chance of getting back to the road. I have no choice but to avoid going to the beach until I get it fixed.
 

ColdCase

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2016
Engine
5.7
I had a bad/corroded sensor cause this on a Cheby. The sensor would work after driving awhile and clear the active status of the code in the computer, but the fault indicator doesn't get reset until there is an ignition cycle. There should be an error code stored in the ABS module, but you need a OBD reader that can read ABS codes, which your everyday autozone free scan won't pick up. I had to drill the sensor out of the Cheby as it was swollen and in there tight. One of those 5 minute jobs that turn into an hour.

The other notorious cause is water getting into one of the wire harness connectors and causing enough corrosion to effect signal quality.

There are a few failure modes, usually wire harness related, where the ABS indicator lights up but no code is stored.
 
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rsdata

rsdata

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Joined
Jul 27, 2016
Posts
156
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Location
N Ky
Ram Year
2014 BigHorn 1500 8spd 4X4
Engine
Hemi 5.7
Update

took to my local mechanic yesterday and he put his reader into the OBDII port... said there were several indications that the LF wheel sensor had lost communication and therefore had caused the indicators on my dash...

unfortunately in this case there were no signs that the sensor OR the wiring looked bad so there was nothing to be done... but we shall keep an eye on it...
 
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