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Random Quote: My buddy took me to his "SECRET SPOT". It was too secret, the fish didnt even know about it !!!!!!
My wife took her Ford Explorer into the dealer last week to have two things checked out. First there was a "Zone 9" message on the console where the temp should be, secondly the ABS light was coming on intermittently.
We got it back with the zone issue resolved (need to recalibrate the cluster). They charged a diagnotic charge of $95. No problem.
We noticed over the weekend that the ABS light was still coming on. so my wife called them this afternoon and told them that they hadn't fixed that problem. They told her that they hadn't looked at that problem - even though it was written on the job sheet.
They now are telling her to bring it in but that they will have to charge her another $95 for a new diagnostic. I told her to call back and question that since it should have been covered by the diagnostic last week.
They told her that even if they had looked at the ABS issue last week it would have been 2X95 because they have to do a diagnostic of each problem!
I'm thinking not - since I believe the whole value of the diagnostic is that it finds all errors with the car since the last disgnostic - regardless of what had been reported. Are we being gimped here - or are they right?
one diagnostic fee of 95.00 and finds all the problems of your car? if it sounds too good to be true......you know the rest.....
it sounds like they forgot to look at the brakes what are the conditions when the light comes on..is the fluid full does the pedal feel hard does the light come on when you move or sit still
What year? Menize, on top of the rear diff there is an ABS sensor. They do go out and can affect the tach, speedo as well...NOT all the time will you see the issues with the tach & speedo, but I am willing to bet it is the sensor on top of the rear diff. This sensor and their CPS on some models are junk. It is a very inexpensive fix...but ford LOVES having the $95 to plug in a reader.
FYI, some of the auto parts stores can pull the codes as well to tell you what' up...and it is usually no charge. Ask them about the sensor...they will know what your talking about.
On my f-250, the ABS light came on and pretty much stayed on (would go off from time to time)...SENSOR. Change-out was cheap and fixed the problem.
definitely sounds like a sensor if the light is coming on intermittently. I fully agree with you that computer diagnosis should be a once per visit thing, granted there may be other diagnostics work involved outside of this, but the plug it into the computer fee should only happen once.
BS! Diagnostic hook-up will show all codes. And with codes, they know what to fix. Their screw up. Don't let them screw you. That said, check the fluid level.
This system piggy-backs onto your regular brake system. It keeps you from skidding unless you push the brake pedal hard enough to over-ride it. Doesnt take much. By all means do the basics like check the fluid but if that were a problem the regular brake warning light should have come on too.
My old truck's ABS used to come out of adjustment and "pre-deploy" the fornt brakes so it felt like I onlyhad /2 the stopping power. The warning light never came on for that. I quickly got tired of paying anhour sho fee to have the guy twist a screw-driver and pulled the ABS fuse. The ABS warning light came on and stayed on for the next 10 years but the brakes worked perfectly. Check your fuse while you're looking since that could be the issue.
Anyone who's considerring my trick should be careful. I tried the same thing on the Saturn I got a few years back and the brake lights stopped working. turns out the ABS circuit also controls those.
Good luck!
__________________ I'm not a boat expert, I just read THT!
Onboard diagnostics do not tell you what to fix..it simply tells you what sensor is out of its expected range. A computer scan only tells you what codes are stored..it does no real determination of the problem. Further diagnostics, such as accessing the "data stream" is required, unless they throw parts at it until something sticks.
ABS is notoriously unreliable, and often intermittent...they don't even work properly on my 2006 BMW. Like someone said..ABS is an add-on to the regular brakes.
If the tech used a scanner other then the Ford IDS system the abs code and the dash codes they would not show up together, the dash is body codes and the abs is chassie codes, that said the dealer should have the proper and most current system, It can show all codes as well as pending codes. I have the Ford system in my shop as well as other mauf scan tools. They should not charge 2x for a diagnostic check. I would see them in person and explain that if they used the Ford IDS system to diagnose the vehicle they should see the chassie codes for the abs system as well as any other codes. That is if they know how to operate they system. I could not sleep doing people that way, then again I am not a dealer and I have to fix the problems and give customers advice I can live with.
If the tech used a scanner other then the Ford IDS system the abs code and the dash codes would not show up together, the dash is body codes and the abs is chassie codes, that said the dealer should have the proper and most current system, It can show all codes as well as pending codes. I have the Ford system in my shop as well as other factory scan tools. They should not charge 2x for a diagnostic check. I would see them in person and explain that if they used the Ford IDS system to diagnose the vehicle they should see the chassie codes for the abs system as well as any other codes. That is if they know how to operate they system. I could not sleep doing people that way, then again I am not a dealer and I have to fix the problems and give customers advice I can live with. get the code e mail me and I will advise from there if you want
I bought something called "the car chip" sits in the ODBII port on any car reads the error codes, downloads to your computer and you can look up the code and replace the bad part it can also reset any Ck Engine light. My ABS light came on with a few other lights it ended up being a bad senson on the rear end. (no jokes) http://www.carchip.com/ I just wish they had one of the for my inboards.
Al you auto guys - quick help needed 
