I have an ABS light on my 96 legacy outback that only turns on when i move the car. if i just let it idle it never turns on. it does it whether i go forward, backwards, fast, or slow once i let off the brake and move a few feet. i dont want to go to the dealer just yet and the car stops no prob but im just wondering if there is some imminent doom on the horizon.

 

oh and i checked the master cylinder, calipers, abs module etc for anything that looks out of the ordinary for a DIY'er like me and got nothing.

the ABS works by reading a wheel sensor and counting ring on each wheel. If the car isn't moving there is nothing to count and the light will not light. You probably have a bad wheel sensor. Go to a shop and have them pull the ABS codes and you can easily fix the sensor yourself. If the ring has cracked, then you will need professional help. This is not that big a deal to get fixed.

I chased the same problem for over a year on my 98 Outback. I finally gave up and took it to the dealer and they found a bad inertia switch. Don't ask me where it is but they replaced it and all has been fine since.

 

Jim

all of the information you need to start tracking down this problem is here on this board. i didn't know anything about ABS, did some searching on here and fixed it myself. all it requires is grounding a particular wire under the dash (just above your right foot). i can't recall from memory, but it's all here on this site.

 

for me it turned out to be the front passengers side ABS sensor. it's very simple. find the code, then let us know what it is and we'll help you fix or replace the part.

i went to several shops including Auto Zone and Oreilly Auto Parts and they told me i needed to go to the dealer because their reader wouldnt read the brake system. i really dont want to go to the dealer and have them lock me in to something i dont need/cant afford. any suggestions on where those sensors and wires are, for instance am i looking on the calipers or on the hub itself? Is the wire clearly sticking out where i can see it or does the dash need to come off?

i've already mentioned you can do it yourself. if you can hold a piece of wire, you can read the codes yourself. none of the free joints will be able to do it for you, they have no clue on system components, they can only do engines.

 

all the information to check the codes - i.e.: hold one wire and put it in the right place, is here to read the code yourself. try the similar threads listed below like nipper said. up across the top line there's a "search" function. practice using it, i suggest the advanced function and get familiar with it, it's extremely helpful. though it doesn't like 3 letter words so ABS wont' work. but *ABS and ABS* might.