Hello everyone. This isn't really my first post, as I posted under another username for a long time, then left the forums for a long time, changed email addresses, blah blah, and forgot my old username. Anyway I've got a 2000 F-150 Supercab 4.6L 2WD with ABS. My ABS light came on after letting the truck sit for 4 days without driving it. I got in, drove to Wal-Mart, then on the way back I noticed it was on. The next day when I got in the truck it was off, but soon came back on and has now been on for about 2 weeks. My first thought was dirty front sensors so I took them off and cleaned them. That didn't work. Then I got online and read a lot of people saying that the rear sensors on the differential have a tendency to go bad, so I figured I could drop 15 bucks to replace it, so I did. That didn't work. So I took the truck in and paid the 30 bucks to have the code read. I don't think they gave me the exact code (although it may be written on the reciept, but I don't have it in front of me) but they told me it was the front left sensor (quoted me 79 bucks for the part, plus some other number for labor all totaling $111... all for a part that I can replace myself for about 50 bucks). I took it off and cleaned it real good and put it back on and that still didn't work. So before I got and buy a new one, how likely is it that those front sensors go bad? I haven't really read anyone saying that they go bad very often. On a side note, when I first start the truck, the ABS light will stay off if I hold in the brake pedal, but when I release it, it comes on and stays on. Thanks in advance, and sorry for the long post.

 

If I remember the manual correctly from my old F150 it says there are two conditions, abs light on = get checked out, light on and blinking = dont drive until problem is addressed.....

If it is just on and not blinking any chance it could be acting as a warning for something like low break fluid etc?

My experiences for the most part from diagnostics is that they are normally correct, so I would say its a good bet the front left sensor is bad.

The only time I ever had my ABS light come on is when I was in a lot of mud, after a brief period of driving it would go off and stay off.

I doubt this was much help but wanted to throw something out there for you. Good luck..

 

Thanks for the info. It's not blinking, just steady on, and I do pretty much trust the diagnostic, but I'm definately a do-it-yourselfer and I always fix anything myself, so not actually getting to see the diagnostic computer while the guy was doing it kind of made me a bit hesitant. From what I read in the owners manual myself is that if the light is just on, it means that the ABS system is turned off, so you just have normal braking. I'm not sure, but I think that my manual also said something about the parking brake light being on along with the ABS light, and that's when I shouldn't drive the truck. In any case, it's just steady on and they told me that it was that sensor, so I guess I'll get one and slap it on and see what happens. Oh, I also checked the brake fluid (one of the first things I did) and it's fine. My brakes work normally, other than the ABS not working, so it's not a big deal. I'm just one of those people that if something's wrong, I'm not comfortable until it's fixed. Thanks again for your reply.

 

Agree 100% with everything you said. Hope your problem is resolved as quick and painless as possible. Let us know if the diagnostic was right or if it was somthing else.

 

I have a 1997 with 138,000 miles on it. My ABS light started coming on recently when I would apply the brakes. Everybody's first thought was sensors, but that wasn't the case. As a I was driving to the mechanics shop to have them scan it, everything on my instrument cluster dropped off except the tachometer. When I parked the windows wouldn't go up, and as I was sitting there trying to figure out how to get them up (it was beginning to rain of course), the engine started sputtering. So now I'm thinking wtf? Well, in this case it was the alternator!!
My mechanic knew right away. He said the ABS light is a good first indication believe it or not. I wanted to throw that out there incase you start having more problems. Everything(window motor,fuel pump) was trying to run off the battery alone and it just couldn't do it. $371 later I'm putting pavement behind me just fine now. $76 labor and the rest for the alternator(yeah right!), but anyway I like to think I paid for his knowledge, and they got it fixed fast.
Hope this helps you or anyone else in Ford Country USA!

 

I ordered the left front sensor from Amazon. 37 bucks shipped for a Ford Motorcraft part. Didn't think that was a bad price at all. Got it in the mail today, put it on in under 10 minutes, ABS light's gone! All fixed and I didn't have to pay out the $111 bucks the shop wanted to charge. Oh, on a side note, while driving today I notice out of the corner of my eye a light went out on instrument cluster. I glanced down and noticed my odometer was off. I tapped the the cluster and it came back on. Weird, huh?