1996 Explorer ABS Light

[ericarai]

This is my first post so please forgive me if it is not posted in the correct area. I am having a problem with my ABS light. I was driving today and out of the blue it came on. At the time I did not notice that the truck performed any differently but an hour or so later I heard a noise. It was not a loud sound only a soft grinding type noise. It is not the same noise that you hear when your break pads are going... I know that sound tooo well. Any advice would be helpful. I like to try and know a little about what is wrong before I take it into a shop. (been burned before). Thanks in advance. Erica19

[BroncoJoe19]

Hi Erika,
I can't hear your sound, so I can't help you with that.
OTOH, when the ABS malfunctions, there isn't a sound associated with it. At least not one that I know of.

With an abs system there are a number of sensors that could go bad, they range in price from $20 to approx $50 but there is an expensive controller. More often than not it is one of the sensors.
Not all shops have the diagnostic equipment to "scan for codes" for the abs system. I imagine that a shop that does will charge an hour for diagnostic time and then whatever is is to replace the part. There are a number of guys here who actually work as mechanics who may be better able to give acost estimate.

Hope this helps.

[canuck623]

You probably have a rear sensor that has gone out but that is just a guess from known pattern failures. Your best bet is the have it scanned at a shop and see what the codes are. Can't say what your noise may be but it could have been the pump motor running. Did you feel anything in your brake pedal when it happened.

[adavid]

i read in a ford manual that when the abs light is on it is disengage and a sensor is bad
could be ones on front wheels or your speed sensor