ABS/Wheel Sensor

[jcniest5]

Hi guys. Long time no post. Everyone is doing great here. Anyway, I need help. I need to know of an internet site that I can order an ABS or Wheel sensor for my 91 Legggy. It's the right front one. Any recommendation which site? I called the local dealer there and it costs $150.00!!! Poor man can't afford that!

 

Thanks for your help...

[idosubaru]

subarugenuineparts.com - jamie

there are multiple posts with links various online subaru vendors, i've looked them up before.

[PAezb]

Have at it...

 

http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=78781&highlight=directory

 

 

1stsubaruparts.com will probably be one of the cheaper...

[jcniest5]

Tthanks for the quick replies, guys! Really appreciate that.

[porcupine73]

Or one from a salvage yard or car-part.com if you want to go the used route.

[unibrook]

My 2001 Forester with 86k miles on her has the ABS Light staying on:

 

Dealer just says they have to hook up their ABS computer scanner to diagnose the problem. You might as well first do a visual inspection of all of the components to be sure wires are intact and no obvious damage exists to any of the conduits etc. My best guess is to check your front wheels first, since they turn and probably stress the sensor wires most. On the third sensor I inspected, I found an old wire breakage near the sensor that the previous owner (or some clown who broke the wire while doing a brake job) had soldered back together and wrapped electrical tape around….amazingly, it held for a few years. Here is a diagram of the general ABS setup, albeit from a different car: http://autorepair.about.com/library/illustrations/bl457a-lib.htm

You can easily and quickly pull out a wheel speed sensor once you remove the wheel. It has a black wire coming out of it, (perhaps with a white stripe if you look further up it near the wire clamp). You will find it mounted just in toward the engine on the splash shield by the rotor. Use a 12mm socket to take out the single retainer bolt. Then gently wiggle or pry with a screwdriver to pull out the sensor. It is a friction fit and sits in a hole like a bottle cork. So you can wiggle it out back and forth. Clean off the dirt/rust dust that might be covering the black sensor “cork” and the metal tip at the bottom of it. Visually inspect the teeth of the tone wheel, mine were clean as a whistle. The front left ABS speed sensor assembly is part # 27540AC100 and costs $120.77 shipped from subarugenuineparts.com. $3 cheaper than 1stsubaruparts. The wire from the sensor goes up through the fender into the engine compartment where it clips onto another ABS system wire with a standard wire connector.

[porcupine73]

Dealer just says they have to hook up their ABS computer scanner to diagnose the problem

You can just ground one pin on the ABS diagnostic harness and it will start flashing out the code on the ABS light. It gives a good idea of where to look.

[OB99W]

[...]You can easily and quickly pull out a wheel speed sensor once you remove the wheel. [...] Use a 12mm socket to take out the single retainer bolt. Then gently wiggle or pry with a screwdriver to pull out the sensor. It is a friction fit and sits in a hole like a bottle cork. So you can wiggle it out back and forth. [...]

If only it always was that easy.

 

My experience in a "rust-belt" state is that a can of your favorite rust penetrant and a six-point socket might get the bolt out if you're lucky; if not, a series of drill bits, metal picks, and some cursing seems to work. After that, you may have to hope that the steering knuckle didn't rust enough to jam the sensor in tight; if the sensor is known to be bad, you can be a bit more agressive than gentle wiggling or prying with a screwdriver.

[unibrook]

Tru dat. My bro says he had to get medieval on his 94 camry ABS sensor to get it out. The newer the car, the easier, I would assume.

[johnceggleston]

i've got used wheel sensors from a 96 leg wagon if you need them.

[jcniest5]

I was replacing the bearing and I banged on the ABS Sensor trying to unplug it from the hole, and after I put everything back on, this ABS light came on, so I'm pretty sure I damaged it.

[porcupine73]

You could get the ABS light to flash out the code, then you would know what it thinks the issue is. If it is with that wheel speed sensor the code will indicate that.

[jcniest5]

You could get the ABS light to flash out the code, then you would know what it thinks the issue is. If it is with that wheel speed sensor the code will indicate that.

 

Any idea on how to interpret the flashing sequence (if I go that route)?

[OB99W]

I was replacing the bearing and I banged on the ABS Sensor [...] so I'm pretty sure I damaged it.

Maybe, maybe not; the light could be coming on because the ABS unit detects that the sensor resistance is out of range (due to a damaged wire or coil), or because the signal from it isn't sufficient. The first possibility might be a result of physical damage to the sensor. The second could be from sensor problems, but might also be caused by damage to the tone wheel or if the gap between sensor and tone wheel is incorrect.

[jcniest5]

You can just ground one pin on the ABS diagnostic harness and it will start flashing out the code on the ABS light. It gives a good idea of where to look.

 

Where's this harness? Is it under the dash or is it in the engine compartment?

[jcniest5]

Maybe, maybe not; the light could be coming on because the ABS unit detects that the sensor resistance is out of range (due to a damaged wire or coil), or because the signal from it isn't sufficient. The first possibility might be a result of physical damage to the sensor. The second could be from sensor problems, but might also be caused by damage to the tone wheel or if the gap between sensor and tone wheel is incorrect.

 

I think I even used a screwdriver to punch it out, so the coil is the most likely suspect now...

[OB99W]

Any idea on how to interpret the flashing sequence (if I go that route)?

Good info to start with: http://endwrench.com/images/pdfs/ABS.pdf

[OB99W]

I think I even used a screwdriver to punch it out, so the coil is the most likely suspect now...

I see... . I suppose that would make the sensor the thing to consider first.

[unibrook]

Hi Porcpine, where exactly is that ABS wire harness located so I can test it? I have a 2001 Forester. Thanks anyone who can steer me...

[porcupine73]

Hi. That'd be the ABS 5.3i setup. Look for a white connector under the dash on the driver's side. On my '00obw, this white connector was sort of above the brake pedal. It was a 7 or 8 position connector, though only 2 or 3 had wires in them. It was sort of taped up (if it hasn't been used before).

 

There are two blackish 'test wires' taped with the connector. I put one of those wires into position '8' I think it was, which was the lower right pin when looking at the connector. Then when you put the key to run it flashes out the trouble codes.

 

[unibrook]

Perfect, thx. I will try it tonight. Even though I already know which wire is broken, I want to see the code flash.

[jcniest5]

Just an update: The new (used) ABS Sensor fixed my problem. Thanks for all inputs.

[unibrook]

A word of caution when trying to find the ABS test connector under your dash. Mine is a 2001 Forester, and the only open white connector is above the accel pedal. One by one I grounded each of the 8 holes, none of them produced any ABS light flashing when I turned the key to ON. 2 of the holes produced sparks, yikes. The ABS and CEL lights did go off, along with running lights and instrument panel lights. I found one toasted fuse, a 20 amp in the engine compartment box that the manual described as the Lighting fuse. That got my lights turned back on, but I am still twigging a bit about the CEL going off and not coming back on....it had been on due to my cat efficiency below threshold. Hmmmm. Anyway, the only open connector above the brake pedal was a small black one, and yes it had the 2 black wires nearby. I did not bother testing it since I had already produced sparks on the white one. Also, I removed the plastic kickplate near the driver's door since the Endwrench article mentioned the ABS test connector hides in there.....well, nope, it doesn't, that I could see. Anyway, I went ahead and replaced the front left ABS sensor since I was sure it needed doing. The ABS and CEL lights are off for now.