Abs issue

ok guys hers my issue i have a 1997 dodge b2500 van with the 3.9 engine its a work van 4 wheel abs when i bougth the van the dealer had put black tape over the abs ligth so a buyer would not notice it got home with it and noticed the black electricaly tape on it my abs ligth stays on tryed clearing it but it just comes back on they longer i drive it the worse the brakes seem to get i replaced the rear abs sensor in the rear end but did not solve the issue also had a tech try to get abs code from it he told me theres two places on my van that you have to read codes from its that true? said one is the one under steering wheel other is on passenger side in the dash and it would have to be removed which i kinda find hard to beleave i really need some help to solve this issue my brakes suck itll stop but the seem to stick some times

The obvious question has to do with when you discover the tape over the light. Why didn't you bring it back to the dealer and have them solve the problem?

As to reading the ABS codes, you only have to plug into the OBD-II port with an ABS scanner to read any codes.

reason didnt take it back because bougth it outta town at used car lott in north carolina i live in ga so like 389 miles away i kinda figured that guy that told me i had to places to read codes from on my van was full it but still he tryed to pull the code from the one rigth under dash by the steering wheel with a big handheld scanner but didnt get anything and then told me that wish i knew what the issue is with these things and thank you for replying

Originally Posted by tadpole

... he tryed to pull the code from the one rigth under dash by the steering wheel with a big handheld scanner but didnt get anything

Do you mean he got no reading at all or just didn't get any error codes? If you can it take to Autozone,O'Reilly,etc. they will check the codes for free.

Originally Posted by VanMoreSon

If you can it take to Autozone,O'Reilly,etc. they will check the codes for free.

No, they will not pull ABS codes, only engine codes.

yep did that already took it to autozone and they didnt pull anything so guy that worked there told me about other guy he knows that had the other high end scanner that could that told me it had two places to read code from on it

stumped as to what could be causeing it all i know is brake pads are good rear sensor is good noticed a few times when im in gravel and i hit brakes ligthly they tend to lock up fast i hear back tire slideing in gravel and they seem to get worse the more i drive it and when comeing to a stop they are noisey its like a loping sound as the wheel turns had rotors turned and so on so i know they are good

Have the rear drums been pulled to see if you have leaks and/or worn down shoes?

You might want to check out this link:

http://www.aa1car.com/library/abscodes.htm

yes my brother works at a shop in town when i bougth it he looked them over said shoes and pads look good adjusted rear breaks a tad & bleed brakes im sure theres a error code to be got from it but so far no one has gotten it yet whish dodge company wasnt so high would take it there to get it striaght but times are hard now days if i knew what it was i could do it my self i have a little grease monkey in my blood

another thing i noticed is after driveing it couple miles when i apply brake its like the Caliper is still pressed on the rotor or drum and seems like something may be warped cause it when it does stick it squels for a sec then stops as the wheel rotates then does it again when it comes back around as i slow down to around say 10 to maybe 5 mph at ligth almost has a wobble like

Originally Posted by tadpole

another thing i noticed is after driveing it couple miles when i apply brake its like the Caliper is still pressed on the rotor or drum and seems like something may be warped cause it when it does stick it squels for a sec then stops as the wheel rotates then does it again when it comes back around as i slow down to around say 10 to maybe 5 mph at ligth almost has a wobble like

Yep,sounds like a warped rotor but wheel bearing play should be checked also. If the caliper has been sticking and/or you've done some hard braking,that could cause overheating and warping. If they've been turned too thin they will warp easier.

Take it back to the shop you had redo the rotors,etc. If it's a brake shop...what did they say about the ABS?

the shop said it was abs causeing the break issues and told me that older breaks tend to be noisey but i dont think so but i find that hard to beleave with the squealing and wobbling at stops the wobble seams to me like something is not round and true and the grabing when i get in gravel is when i can realy tell they grab very touchy braking

been doing some studying on this and starting to lean toward bad master cly also what you guys think possible prob brake is spongey kinda and will not stay firm most of the time only some times no visible leaks from the outside of it but still could be leaking from the inside of it letting air get in the lines

Spongey pedal is usually from air in the system. Some ABS systems have a more complicated bleeding procedure than the old standard way (I just have RWAL on my '91 so I'm not familiar with 4-wheel ABS).

The problems you have listed above don't really point to a bad master cylinder. If the ABS light is on,there must be a code saved. One Advance Auto store where I live has the fancy Actron scanner and can pull ABS codes but their other store doesn't. Call around and see if you can find a store that can do it. Sometimes the help at these AP stores don't know shinola from sh*t, so good luck.

Below is some more reading that can help but you really might have to bite the bullet and take it to a shop that knows what they're doing. Brakes are important:

http://www.aa1car.com/library/bfixes.htm

http://www.aa1car.com/library/brake_master_cylinder.htm

EDIT: Never mind, for 4 wheel ABS you must use the DRB-III scan tool or one that reads ABS codes like suggested above.

ok is it true that the 1997 model vann has to places you have to read abs code from i wouldnt think there is only the normal one under steering column had a guy tell me theres one on passenger side under dash that would mean takeing the dash apart to get to it is that bs or?

No, just the DCL under the dash and to the left of steering column.

thats what i thought i think the guy just had no idea about dodge vans he used a big azz scanner to try and pull code never did then told me that bs so the scanner you said or a actron will pull the codes from abs?

DRB-III is a Chrysler scan tool. The cheap universial scanners do not read ABS codes. So make sure the scanner you buy does.

Originally Posted by 97B2500CCV

So make sure the scanner you buy does.

Actron makes an ABS scanner that goes for $50-$100.

http://www.google.com/search?q=actro...ed=0CE4Quw0oAQ

I had issues with my 97 3.9 b2500 van.I got the abs light and my van only has one abs sensor in the rear end on top.I replaced it and still got the abs warning.I bleed the beans out of it to no avail! I finally disconnected the abs module under the glove box and the light was out.I pursued the problem only to find out you have to replace the abs system in pairs ! One is the pump unit and the other is a abs module under the dash .Open the glove box remove the plastic liner and there is your abs module.I gave up as it was big $$$ to replace and BOTH units have to be replaced in pairs the pump first$$$$$ then the matching abs module$$$$$
myles