dodge862
Junior Member
- Joined
- Mar 29, 2015
- Posts
- 13
- Reaction score
- 20
- Ram Year
- 1999
- Engine
- 5.2 V8 Magnum
How's it going everyone? First I want to apologize if this topic exists else where. I flipped through a few pages to see if it was around near the topic or had been answered already but didn't come across it. Also searched for ABS but that returned nothing.
So here's what I know... This is common on the second gen Rams with RWAL in particular I guess. I've had the ABS and Brake lights on periodically since 2009. There are 2 codes but all anyone has been able to read it the "top" code which is ABS module fault.
I don't particularly agree with the module being at fault. This past winter ('14-'15) I was able to get the ABS to fight me as I would slide along in the snow. No lights, no faults, and everything was great which makes me think the module is fine and something else is to blame. I just have no way to determine what that other code might be that could cause the module to fault.
It seems my probably is temperature sensitive. All winter long I would barely see the lights lit up on the dash and of course the ABA would work. Now that the temperature is less of the cold, more of the warm, the pattern appears to be that, in the early morning as I leave for work the lights are off. Everything is cool unless I have to use the brakes with a bit more force than usual and some other event I have not identified. If I brake lightly each and every time, the lights stay off. If I brake harder and I hit a bump or if I have to adjust the pressure while braking (rather than a constant pressure) it might set off the module fault and the lights light up. It also seems that. after the early morning start, the lights are almost always on. So early morning I leave for work and lights are off. If I leave work for lunch, the lights are more than likely on. If I leave work to head home, the lights are almost certainly on. Anytime I leave home after getting home from work, same thing as the lights are more than likely on. Get in the next morning and they are mostly likely back off again. How can the module fault after sitting for 2 separate 8 hour periods (overnight and during work) and nothing really change but the lights are triggered anyhow?
So I've replaced the front rubber lines, the calipers, rotors, and pads very recently. Earlier this year in fact. Had an issue where one of the calipers was having trouble releasing and after rebuilding both calipers in 2013 and that not resolving the issue, it was time to replace. I also had the rear drum brake cylinders replaced when the driver side cylinder failed in 2012. That job was done by professional brake shop and they replaced both rear cylinders, the shoes, and bled the system.
After the rear brake job of 2012 my brake pedal felt amazing with firmness and stopping power and it was a good deal of time before the lights returned which makes me think this is something other than the module being to blame.
I replaced the ABS sensor over the rear diff and that did not do anything for me (not even for a little bit). After doing the front calipers the problem seemingly subsided but I feel that was more to the colder temperatures of that time than it was to the replaced parts or bleed job.
Does anyone know anything about this or have the same problem and can confirm similar symptoms (like not a frequent during the cold and more frequent when warm outside or that just by sitting for a time as temps warm through the day the lights are just on from the start or even noting that when braking and adjusting pressure will trigger the lights or hitting a pothole or other bump can do the same)?
I feel like there is a problem in the system and the ABS module is thinking there are traction issues and must adjust but then the adjustments can't correct the system "problem" and so it just faults.
I have also noticed fluctuating pressure at the pedal which also leads me to think that the module might not be to blame but whatever is causing the pressure to increase or decrease at random. I'll go to use the pedal at once point and it's mid-firm, use the pedal next time and it might be very firm, or it might be low-firm, use it again and it may have changed again. I'm not losing fluid (checking the master cylinder) and I'm not low on fluid (having bled the system replacing most of the pre-existing fluid from the job done on the rear brakes with fresh fluid when bleeding the fronts after replacing the calipers I definitely have plenty of fluid)
Here's what I'm looking for solution-wise. If you have had this issue and can confirm it is nearly identical with symptoms and all and fixed it doing certain things, let me know what you did and I can give it a try.
Perhaps you have a similar problem and, although it is not exact, you're solution was to disable the lights by disconnecting something so you didn't have to look at them anymore. If that is the case, did it also disable the lights through all function (mostly the Brake light that indicates e-brake is engaged) or did it keep normal functionality (what I have trouble with now is remembering to disengage the e-brake because the lights are on so often and I can overpower the e-brake so easily I just roast the crap out of it until it's useless and I'd like very much not to do that)?
Disabling the system will certainly sound like a bad idea to someone and please do not explain the ramifications. When the ABS and Brake lights are light, the system does not work as ABS which is essentially the same as the system being disabled. During the winter I had the opportunity to test both the working ABS system as well as the faulted ABS system and although the faulted ABS system handles sliding very differently than a working system, I'd rather deal with a disabled system all the time rather than get in a situation where I think the system is working then the system faults I now I'm spinning sideways making a quick and sudden recovery necessary and far less likely in any case.
Thanks for any help you can provide and hopefully I have provided more than enough information to maybe get some great ideas of things to try!
So here's what I know... This is common on the second gen Rams with RWAL in particular I guess. I've had the ABS and Brake lights on periodically since 2009. There are 2 codes but all anyone has been able to read it the "top" code which is ABS module fault.
I don't particularly agree with the module being at fault. This past winter ('14-'15) I was able to get the ABS to fight me as I would slide along in the snow. No lights, no faults, and everything was great which makes me think the module is fine and something else is to blame. I just have no way to determine what that other code might be that could cause the module to fault.
It seems my probably is temperature sensitive. All winter long I would barely see the lights lit up on the dash and of course the ABA would work. Now that the temperature is less of the cold, more of the warm, the pattern appears to be that, in the early morning as I leave for work the lights are off. Everything is cool unless I have to use the brakes with a bit more force than usual and some other event I have not identified. If I brake lightly each and every time, the lights stay off. If I brake harder and I hit a bump or if I have to adjust the pressure while braking (rather than a constant pressure) it might set off the module fault and the lights light up. It also seems that. after the early morning start, the lights are almost always on. So early morning I leave for work and lights are off. If I leave work for lunch, the lights are more than likely on. If I leave work to head home, the lights are almost certainly on. Anytime I leave home after getting home from work, same thing as the lights are more than likely on. Get in the next morning and they are mostly likely back off again. How can the module fault after sitting for 2 separate 8 hour periods (overnight and during work) and nothing really change but the lights are triggered anyhow?
So I've replaced the front rubber lines, the calipers, rotors, and pads very recently. Earlier this year in fact. Had an issue where one of the calipers was having trouble releasing and after rebuilding both calipers in 2013 and that not resolving the issue, it was time to replace. I also had the rear drum brake cylinders replaced when the driver side cylinder failed in 2012. That job was done by professional brake shop and they replaced both rear cylinders, the shoes, and bled the system.
After the rear brake job of 2012 my brake pedal felt amazing with firmness and stopping power and it was a good deal of time before the lights returned which makes me think this is something other than the module being to blame.
I replaced the ABS sensor over the rear diff and that did not do anything for me (not even for a little bit). After doing the front calipers the problem seemingly subsided but I feel that was more to the colder temperatures of that time than it was to the replaced parts or bleed job.
Does anyone know anything about this or have the same problem and can confirm similar symptoms (like not a frequent during the cold and more frequent when warm outside or that just by sitting for a time as temps warm through the day the lights are just on from the start or even noting that when braking and adjusting pressure will trigger the lights or hitting a pothole or other bump can do the same)?
I feel like there is a problem in the system and the ABS module is thinking there are traction issues and must adjust but then the adjustments can't correct the system "problem" and so it just faults.
I have also noticed fluctuating pressure at the pedal which also leads me to think that the module might not be to blame but whatever is causing the pressure to increase or decrease at random. I'll go to use the pedal at once point and it's mid-firm, use the pedal next time and it might be very firm, or it might be low-firm, use it again and it may have changed again. I'm not losing fluid (checking the master cylinder) and I'm not low on fluid (having bled the system replacing most of the pre-existing fluid from the job done on the rear brakes with fresh fluid when bleeding the fronts after replacing the calipers I definitely have plenty of fluid)
Here's what I'm looking for solution-wise. If you have had this issue and can confirm it is nearly identical with symptoms and all and fixed it doing certain things, let me know what you did and I can give it a try.
Perhaps you have a similar problem and, although it is not exact, you're solution was to disable the lights by disconnecting something so you didn't have to look at them anymore. If that is the case, did it also disable the lights through all function (mostly the Brake light that indicates e-brake is engaged) or did it keep normal functionality (what I have trouble with now is remembering to disengage the e-brake because the lights are on so often and I can overpower the e-brake so easily I just roast the crap out of it until it's useless and I'd like very much not to do that)?
Disabling the system will certainly sound like a bad idea to someone and please do not explain the ramifications. When the ABS and Brake lights are light, the system does not work as ABS which is essentially the same as the system being disabled. During the winter I had the opportunity to test both the working ABS system as well as the faulted ABS system and although the faulted ABS system handles sliding very differently than a working system, I'd rather deal with a disabled system all the time rather than get in a situation where I think the system is working then the system faults I now I'm spinning sideways making a quick and sudden recovery necessary and far less likely in any case.
Thanks for any help you can provide and hopefully I have provided more than enough information to maybe get some great ideas of things to try!
