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ABS assistance please....

Discussion in 'Trucks [ Eighteen Wheelers ]' started by SHC, Feb 27, 2013.

Page 2 of 3
  1. Feb 27, 2013 #11
    freightlinerman

    freightlinerman Road Train Member

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    Why not take a test light, pull the relays out and see if you're getting power? If you're not getting power, get another wire and fuse it and maybe try to jump power to those relays and figure it out. I'm not a mechanic, but I like to dig around.
     
    freightlinerman, Feb 27, 2013
    freightlinerman, Feb 27, 2013
    #11
    SHC Thanks this.
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  3. Feb 27, 2013 #12
    GrapeApe

    GrapeApe Road Train Member

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    For the trailer, does the ABS light come on when you step on the brakes? The center pin (blue auxilary wire) powers the abs, but so the the brake light circuit in case of a problem with the blue wire or if you have an old tractor that does not have ignition power on the blue. I can't help much, I'm not familiar with your truck, but if you have the typical green 7 way cord running to you recepical, it's the blue wire. So follow that cord to the 1st connection point and test the blue wire. If it has power at the other end, you've isolated the problem in that line and need to look for a chaffing/green. It will eventually end up in the fuse/breaker panel (but may change color through a connector). Your truck is too new, so it's a slim chance, but do you have a dash switch for trailer auxilary? I haven't seen one since the 90's, but I'm not familiar with Western Star. We have a 96 FLD that has it and it needs to be on to power the trailer ABS. All trucks after 98 or 99 shoudl have ignition power to the the center pin though.

    Let me know what kind of ABS you have in the tractor, most like likely Wabco or Bendix. You can get a scematic on that online easy.
     
    GrapeApe, Feb 27, 2013
    GrapeApe, Feb 27, 2013
    #12
    SHC Thanks this.
  4. Feb 27, 2013 #13
    underpsi

    underpsi Road Train Member

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    I replied on your post on the Western Star forum. It is where you think it is.
     
    underpsi, Feb 27, 2013
    underpsi, Feb 27, 2013
    #13
    SHC Thanks this.
  5. Feb 28, 2013 #14
    SHC

    SHC Spoiled Rotten Brat O/O

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    Feb 26, 2011
    Westville, IN
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    Thanks all. i am going to look into it more next week when I get home. All the relays do not click at all (no power to them i am guessing) and I can't check the power as i don't have a test light with me.

    I know I can figure it out, it's not that hard, just wanted to make sure what i was checking. I have a feeling that the wire that powers the ABS system, in the batterybox, might have come undone. if i recall, mine has a seperate set of wires that run the dash gauges and ABS system. i will update once I get it all torn apart.

    Thanks to everyone for the comments and help
     
    SHC, Feb 28, 2013
    SHC, Feb 28, 2013
    #14
  7. Feb 28, 2013 #15
    underpsi

    underpsi Road Train Member

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    Theres like 3 or 4 white wires on the batteries that look just like the ecm power wire.
     
    underpsi, Feb 28, 2013
    underpsi, Feb 28, 2013
    #15
  8. Mar 3, 2013 #16
    SHC

    SHC Spoiled Rotten Brat O/O

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    UNDERPSI, there are only 3 white wires in the battery box. 1 runs the ECM power, 1 runs the volt meter and one runs to the negative post for The fan solinoid it appears. Nothing going to the ABS system that I can locate.

    Got to the ABS module and tested all the leads going into it with the key on and found no power into it.

    Alright, got into the fuse panel and everything in there is dead. I ran a jumper wire from a positive feed to the reset switch and I got the relay to activate and the ABS light comes on the dah now but does not go out. It just stays on??


    Does the power feed into the ABS module THEN up to the fuse panel or does it go into the fuse panel and then into the ABS module?? Just trying to figure out where the heck the bad wire is if there even is one ???
     
    SHC, Mar 3, 2013
    SHC, Mar 3, 2013
    #16
  9. Mar 3, 2013 #17
    SHC

    SHC Spoiled Rotten Brat O/O

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    Got the power restored to the fuse/relays. Tested the center pin to trailer and got a very dim test light bulb. Went back to ABS module and found good power going in, just nothing coming out. Called Freightliner and a new module is $1,125 !!!!! Looks like I will just be dealing without ABS cuz that's just stupid prices. Oh well.... At least it has brakes lol
     
    SHC, Mar 3, 2013
    SHC, Mar 3, 2013
    #17
  10. Mar 3, 2013 #18
    sdaniel

    sdaniel Road Train Member

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    We went bout 90 years before ABS !
     
    sdaniel, Mar 3, 2013
    sdaniel, Mar 3, 2013
    #18
  11. Mar 3, 2013 #19
    GrapeApe

    GrapeApe Road Train Member

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    Shop around, that is way overpriced. How did you get a very dim light at the tractor center pin, but good power at the ECU on the trailer? The ABS will need at least 9 volts (varies some with different systems) to work properly.

    Anyway, check into the Haldex systems, you can convert to a 2S/1M system (min legal requirement) for a few hundred. That way you'll have ABS and your light will work as it should so you wont get anymore hassles from DOT about it. Most states are pretty lax on the ABS light, but they're getting worse.

    IMO, ABS isn't essential, but it is required by law. It has been proven to be safer, so don't give up just yet.
     
    GrapeApe, Mar 3, 2013
    GrapeApe, Mar 3, 2013
    #19
  12. Mar 3, 2013 #20
    SHC

    SHC Spoiled Rotten Brat O/O

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    Westville, IN
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    Here's how the day went.....

    i got out and removed the battery box cover and checked all the connections. Everything was good

    i then got to the ABS module and used a test light to check every pin. None of them had power.

    I went into the fuse panel and checked the power going to the ABD relays and there was nothing. So I checked the power going to the manual test switch and it was dead as well. I ran a jumper wire to the test switch and it made the relay click and ABS light come on the dash, but the light stayed on and didn't go out. After that I went to the pigtail junction on the truck and found a very dim center pin with the test light.

    I went back to the module and found a hot wire now leading into it. I removed the jumper wire and the power at the module went dead.

    At this point I am thinking that the module is toast??? But I have no idea if things are working correctly or not as I did all this by myself in the parking lot today at the truck stop. Once I get home I can have my wife watch the ABS light on the trailer, maybe everything is working now as it should once I make a permenant positive lead to the relay???

    also, once I had the jumper wire set up, the ABS light never went out on the dash, it stayed on constantly
     
    SHC, Mar 3, 2013
    SHC, Mar 3, 2013
    #20
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