ABS/Traction control FIXED!!!

[Dutra]

My 2018 Power wagon has had the ABS/Traction control problems for awhile now. Finally got around to fixing my truck myself and with a buddy. No help from the stealership and some help with Ram Cares. But I never got the part from them! Found the part pretty fast just a google search, but the stealership says the part is on back order since well before September 2022, weird.

This will only work if you had the Hydraulic Control Unit fail. The Control Module is something else, which can also fail, but this was not my case just the HCU.

Disconnect the battery. Then find something to push in the brake some from inside the truck and wedge with the seat to hold down then
take off the wheel cover. Drivers side.

Next the 2 plastic screws which just pry off. One more on the other side to remove the cover


Remove the 6 hydraulic lines. Some fluid will come out so have something to catch it. Take a pic or remember where the lines go where.


Then the 2 silver bolts from the 2nd pic there is one more on the other side too.


Lift up the grey lever to disconnect from the control module.

4 hex head bolts attach the Control Module to the HCU. Replace the new HCU to the control module and reassemble. That is it. You will need to bleed the brakes manually to get fluid back in the lines.

68143491AB is the new part number for the HCU

68347098AB is for the Control Module

 

[Jeepwalker]

Great update. Nice pics. Hope this is the long-term solution.

Have you disassembled your old one to have a peek inside?

 

[Dutra]

I did. The old unit felt loose the connection from the module to the HCU. Inside the hcu the copper wires have a “brush” on each side. Looks like a very small spring. One side was pinched and wouldnt let the part stay center. Going over bumps it would hit the wall of the until causing a short I think. Hard to explain but it was very loose. Poor quality is my guess. New part feels different

 

[indept]

How much were the parts?

 

[Dutra]

Retail around $300 but hard to find for that price. Since this is a known problem the dealer marks them up a lot. I paid about $700 with shipping. You can find them sometimes on ebay for less but I wouldn’t buy used.

 

[Daw14]

Do you think new springs and brushes would fix the issue ? Or was it beyond that?

 

[Dutra]

Ill take a pic of the problem part later on. That copper cant be easily replaced. Just bare copper wires

 

[Dutra]

This part here was easily moving back and forth. On the new HCU this doesn't move.




Brush is bound up somehow. Almost smashed in place unable to move freely.


This side is normal. Springs back into place.

 

[Celso Kupsch]

Minha RAM2500 2018 6.7 Diesel começou a mostrar a luz do ABS e do controle de tração intermitentemente há mais de um mês, o problema era o mesmo, a escova do motor do ABS estava presa

 

[ccmano]

Mine just started doing this. What codes were you getting?
No sure mine is related to the HCU.

 

[EdGs]

There is a spring in behind the brush that should keep the brush against the commutator. Looks like it is wonky in your pic.

 

[Dutra]

There is a spring in behind the brush that should keep the brush against the commutator. Looks like it is wonky in your pic.

I know. I took the pic and noted the problem. A lot of these failures are due to a faulty spring

 

[EdGs]

I know. I took the pic and noted the problem. A lot of these failures are due to a faulty spring

Crazy that they get all jacked around like that.

Any possibility of replacing the spring?

Doesn't seem like the brush is worn abnormally. Would be cool if it was fixable.

 

[Dutra]

Crazy that they get all jacked around like that.

Any possibility of replacing the spring?

Doesn't seem like the brush is worn abnormally. Would be cool if it was fixable.

Would be nice in Ram could do that for you. But they wont. Im still shocked no recall for this

 

[18CrewDually]

Would be nice in Ram could do that for you. But they wont. Im still shocked no recall for this

Its alot like what Ford and RAM do when a turbo module or seal goes bad. They don't dissect it and figure what's wrong. They replace the entire unit. Alot of times it will go on for years replacing entire units under warranty when all it needed was one simple part of that unit.
But when manufacturers outsource products and aren't actually building the unit they can't even get the parts.
That's when companies step in and offer the small part, if they can make money while doing it, of course.

 

[04fxdwgi]

Any electric motor shop can get that brush / commutator issue cleared and cleaned up in minutes and for the cheap.

I might start buying faulty units for junk prices and fixing them and reselling.

 

[GhostRamKY]

Hey Gang, I just wanted to say “thank you” to all the people on this site. I normally don’t post but I do read a lot of great information concerning my 2018 3500 Ram on this site. This ABS issue has been a problem for me, I found this thread and decided to give it a try. Worked great!

Once I removed motor and got it disassembled, I noticed that the brush holders we locked in place with two plastic pins (plastic rivets). I used an X-Acto knife trim just enough of the pin’s diameter away to allow the brush holder to be removed over the remaining pin stub. The brushes were stuck so tightly in the holder that I had to push them out with a plastic tipped screwdriver! No wonder the motor had no continuity. I sanded the brushes, in width and height, so they slid easily in the brush holder. I replaced the spring with a small amount of dielectric grease on it. Then I placed the brush holder over the remaining plastic pin stubs and used a soldering iron to melt the stub down. I then used a little 3D printer filament to add just a touch more plastic to the pins.

The holder was secured in position and I had continuity with throughout several full turns of the motor. I then hooked it to a 12V battery and it ran fine. Putting the motor back on the HCU block is a bit of PITA, but there are other threads that talk about using feeler gauges to assist in reassembly. Bottom line, I’ve been running this for over a week now, in rain, in mud, 4wd, etc and the ABS light has not come back on!

Again, I want to thank everyone on this site for the information!

 

[FNRG]

I was able to just pry the brush enclosures up and apart just a little until the brushes moved freely. Then reassembled. Bent end taper gauges made getting the motor back in a breeze. Fixed with no out of pocket.

 

[Dave Haddon]

You guys are awesome with your knowledge and hands on ..glad i don't have your issue with my 1500 but kudos to you giys for sharing a laymans fix..