ABS problems
 

My ABS light on the dash came on yesterday and stayed on in the short time I drove the car. Today the car won't come out of park and doesn't show any dash lights at all. Like the battery is dead. I bought a battery charger and when I started the charge the ABS box in the engine bay started humming and the charger showed the battery was charged ok. Please any help appreciated. Thanks.

Mike

Are you sure the battery was charged 'ok'? A very depleated battery can't take a full charge right away. What most meters show is the rate of charge. Just because it is taking a charge at a slow rate does not mean it is fully charged.

Mike, further to the other thread.

If the battery is low and or faulty, a relay could be buzzing due to low voltage not closing it fully. What happens when you turn the lights on? This is a good voltage check. Are they at full brilliance without the charger connected?

Here's the latest. I went ahead and charged the battery at 10 amps even though the ABS box was buzzing. I just bought a new charger. My charger never went beyond 0 so I didn't think it was charged. But my voltmeter showed 12 volts. I turned the key over and the car would have started(made the initial noise) but I stopped they're because no dash lights came on. Is this most likely an alternator issue or what? How do you test the alternator? Also after taking the charger off the ABS box continues to buzz. I'm not sure if I will drive car at all. I have a garage across the street I might drop it off if I can get it out of park.:mad: Thanks for the help.


Mike;)

You have not confirmed that you tried your headlights as I specially suggested. A meter will not indicate many problems, as it draws negligible current. Go to my locker and read up on voltage drop.

It would now appear that you should seek professional assistance.

Yeah Trevor I just checked my lights and they come on fine. I assumed that because I got 12 volts from the battery and the engine sounded ready to start. After charging the battery I still had a noise coming from the ABS box under the hood after more than a few minutes. I removed the ABS fuse from the box under the hood and the noise stopped. If the car drives I will drop it at the shop tonight so they can look at it tommorrow. This is way over my head. Thanks.


Mike:)

Mike,

You did the right thing by removing the fuse. This shows that there is a real problem in the ABS circuit. It looks like you have a curly one. I sincerely hope that the shop guys are on the ball.

Best of luck, Trevor.

I had an ABS sulinoid go bad in one of my Imprezas once, it caused the abs motor to run non stop. This is a common problem in early model Subarus. I think part of the abs circuit is tied to one of the main fuses, or fusible links under the hood. with the abs motor running constant it may have blown one of the main fuses under the hood.
I would give it a check see. That might bring your ignition circuit back up.
Good Luck

If a primary fuse had opened, the ABS unit would not have been making a noise until its individual protecting fuse link had been removed.

Please be sure that I am not trying to be smart or critical, and am simply trying to prevent confusion clouding an already complex thread. ;)

just thinking if there was a short some where in the abs hardware that is connected to the ignition circuit it could cause a problem. The actual abs control motor is independent of the ignition circuit. Its done that way as a fail safe.
I don't ever take offense to some one actually trying to help:)

Thanks for the confirmation. It is so easy to appear a "know all" and I hate the idea of this happening. It is very easy to hurt the feelings of others doing their very best for members.

Yes as you point out, the ABS is powered from a permanently activated source and via main fuse links SBF-3, and SBF-7. Both are independent of the actual ignition circuit.

*Mike ---- N.B. :confused:

It would be interesting to learn as to which fuse, when removed, causes the ABS unit noise to cease. This information would allow the investigative process to be advanced somewhat.

Sub circuit fuse No 19, (20 Amp.), supplies the ABS control circuitry, which includes a relay. Main fuse SBF7, ( 30 Amp,), directly supplies the hydraulic motor, via control contacts on a second relay.