Will the abs inop light being on slow down the car?

[bluecmaro96]

Will this light and the low trac light being on make my car any slower in the 1/4?

[strobhen]

Its not good to have those lights on, its a sign of some trouble.

I have had low trac come on only when stopping very hard & the rear end starts coming up.

ABS Inop means if you have to slam your brakes, they are going to lock up as opposed to the nice smooth & quick stop Antilock provides.

I would be cautious about driving, much less racing, my car in that condition. Who needs to go down the 1/4 with a record time only to find out their brakes don't work at the end.

[bluecmaro96]

Thanks, i see your point, its gonna be harder stopping my car now that it should be a tad faster than be4 :D

[Blue94V6]

Your low traction light should only come on temporarily, and it doesn't slow your car down, it just gives you a warning. The ABS Inop light is known for being defective. You might have a brake light out, or it could be that your alternator isn't charging properly (when this happens the ABS system is turned off in order to keep it from taxing the weak electrical system.). Also, check all the connections between the brakes and the fuse box. I also remember someone metioning that there's some sort on sensor on the wheel that can make the light come on.

Blue 1994 3.4l 5spd
Eibach Pro-Kit
KYB Gas-A-Just shocks
K&N Filtercharger, air inlet silencer removed

[MustangEater8251]

another common problem with the ABS INOP light is if your car charging system is low. My understanding is maybe its a failsafe, if the electrical system is charging low, it bypasses hte abs system freeing more power for normal engine operations.

Watch your amp guage, maybe claen all your connections, on battery, and alternator wire.

[93v6firebird]

also, I know it sounds weird but one of your tail lights could be burned out

[strange_trp]

most likely cause: faulty wheel speed sensor, vehicle speed sensor, or defective electronic brake and traction control module. dealer can pull codes just like if your SES light was on. i'm not sure if AZ has the hardware or software to pull codes from the EBTCM. worth a try calling to ask since they pull codes for free.

[bluecmaro96]

I have a 96 3.8 my friend has the e brake disconnected because with the posi rear the cable was to short, would not having the ebrake hooked up throw an abs code?

[strange_trp]

<blockquote>quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by bluecmaro96:
I have a 96 3.8 my friend has the e brake disconnected because with the posi rear the cable was to short, would not having the ebrake hooked up throw an abs code?<hr></blockquote>

no.
you changed rear gear ratios but you didn't tell the abs module that you changed them. so the module is getting one speed from the front wheel speed sensors and a completely different speed from the rear-end speed sensor. the result: abs inop light.

[DominusEtDeusNatus]

<blockquote>quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by strange_trp:


no.
you changed rear gear ratios but you didn't tell the abs module that you changed them. so the module is getting one speed from the front wheel speed sensors and a completely different speed from the rear-end speed sensor. the result: abs inop light.<hr></blockquote>

How do you figure? There is a reluctor wheel on the ring gear and whether there are 3.08s, or 4.10s, the reluctor wheel is still going to spin as fast as the rear wheels themselves unless there is loss of traction. I drove a few years with 3.42s and I had 3.08 programming and never got ABS INOP light. Both the front and the rear wheels turn at the same speed and that's what the sensors pick up.

[strange_trp]

please correct me if i'm wrong, but i think the 2 series carrier uses a different reluctor ring than the 3 series carrier. maybe different number of teeth or different positioning so the ring is no longer in proper position under the pickup.

[12secondv6]

ABS inop light and car slower, well if it was true then I would be motivated and fix mine :D
Mine is permanently on.
No problems here.
I burned out the abs computer module :(

[strange_trp]

no reason this should make the car slower.

and dom is absolutely correct, the abs module looks at relative wheel speed when making comparisons for abs and tcs operation.

however, if (IF) the reluctor ring for the rear speed sensor has a different number of teeth for different ring/pinion setups, this may cause problems if the signal is not corrected before it gets to EBTCM.

i think that a common problem for those that get the light immediately after changing gears, especially when also changing carriers, is incorrect reluctor ring installation. this sensor produces AC voltage in millivolts and the air gap and positioning of the reluctor ring in relationship to the sensor pick-up is critical. thousandths of an inch can make the difference in sensor signal frequency as well as signal amplitude. it can make the difference between light and no light.

but even if you completely leave the ring off altogether this should not alter the engine's performance or the vehicle's performance, other than disabling abs and tcs.

[DominusEtDeusNatus]

I have both the reluctor wheels, but they are both installed in the rear ends, which just happen to have a relatively fresh batch of oil. Next time I'll count the teeth. I do remember that the 3 series carrier had bigger teeth. So maybe it's the same number.

http://www.geocities.com/d_payton1/images/bothsets.jpg

Here you see them side by side.

Hmmmm This should probably be in drivetrain, but I guess it doesn't really matter now. I hope the suspension moderator doesn't mind. [img]smile.gif[/img]

[ June 24, 2002: Message edited by: Dom ]</p>

[bluecmaro96]

Dom there is only one reluctor wheel on each ring gear right? So there is only one on each car? Is one of those units a posi and the other an open diff? The reluctor ring is the thing that attaches to the ring gear right? Is there a different part number for the 3.73 one than the 3.42 ring one