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97 GP Traction control / ABS problems


Drfloppy
05-22-2006, 12:37 PM
Good afternoon, I would just like to start out by thanking everyone for helping me in the past, I always come here as soon as I have any problems with my car.
Ok, my 97 grand prix, which my girlfriend drives, is having problems with either the ABS or the traction control system. What will happen is, you will go to take off from a stop, and the low traction light will come on, even thou the tires are not spinning. Some of the time, you will go to hit the brakes, and there is a noise under the hood area, the noise it usually makes when the abs system is kicking in, and the car wont stop as well as it should because the abs is going off. My girlfriend doesnt want to drive the car, because she doesnt think it will stop..
Once and a while the abs light will come on, and the Traction Off light will come on, even thou I didnt turn it off. I hit the button to turn it back on, and it does nothing.. I was going to pull the fuse for the abs system and see if that does anything, but I figured I would check here first.. Sorry if this sounds confusing. Thank you for your help in advance !!

richtazz
05-22-2006, 12:55 PM
The first thing to check is the hub bearings. Most times, when both the trac-off and ABS lights come on, it indicates a wheel speed sensor problem. You can put an ohm meter across the plug of each hub, and it should read about 1k ohms. If not, the hub that's out of spec will need to be replaced.

BNaylor
05-22-2006, 01:04 PM
Until you get the possibility of a flaky wheel sensor resolved you can pull the ABS maxifuse to inhibit the ABS modulation you are experiencing. The conventional braking system should still work. It drops power to the EBCM module. However, you will get a constant ABS and trac off light but the braking should be OK with no ABS modulaton or pulsing due to lack of a wheel reference signal.

Also, to be safe get it scanned with an ABS capable scanner.

BTW - Pulling the ABS fuse may cause an EBCM reset as will disconnecting the battery for a few hours. Helpful if something in the EBCM module just hung up.

Drfloppy
05-22-2006, 01:08 PM
So are we saying it could be a wheel speed sensor, or are we saying it culd be a bad hub bearing ? also, any idea on costs ?

Thanks again !

BNaylor
05-22-2006, 01:11 PM
So are we saying it could be a wheel speed sensor, or are we saying it culd be a bad hub bearing ? also, any idea on costs ?

Thanks again !

They are one and the same. If a wheel sensor is bad the whole hub has to be replaced.


http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y186/lizzywiz/bearing01.jpg
Hub/Bearing with ABS wheel sensor

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