krenzy Posted July 23, 2008 Report Share Posted July 23, 2008 Ok, my girlfriend has a '96 CS sedan, 3100, and she's got some issues with it. First, it starts really weird. If you try and start it, the first time it generally won't turn over, the second time it will but then dies after 1 second, and the third time it usually stays running. Never shuts off once it's started. Second, her ABS comes on. It doesn't come on immediately after you start driving, but after about a minute, maybe less. (to me it seems like it comes on once you hit speeds over 20 mph) Now, that should be common, but this next problem has me worried a bit. Whenever we first start driving it, if we're driving at slow speeds, I mean less than 20, and we come to a stop sign, the tracion light comes on, and when we're almost fully stopped, you can hear what sounds like traction control kicking in, and it basically lurches the car forward a couple more feet. Now, I'm pretty worried about this. The strange part is that once it's done that, if you continue at slow speeds and stop again, it keeps doing it. But once you get to higher speeds, the ABS light come on, and it won't do that again! For the rest of the time the car is running. Shut it off and try driving again, and it repeats this damn procedure. We need help! Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regal_GS_1989 Posted July 23, 2008 Report Share Posted July 23, 2008 Those last 2 problems are both ABS related. My 92 cutlass did the same thing. Before it would shut down the ABS system, if I were to hit the brakes, the ABS would actually kick in and the car barely stopped. My issue was a bad wheel sensor, and the ABS was kicking in cause it thought that one wheel was locked up. Once the Light comes on, the ABS will no longer run and you will not have that issue again. Just pull the ABS fuse as a temporary fix until you can track down which wheel speed sensor is giving you issues. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crazy K Posted July 23, 2008 Report Share Posted July 23, 2008 yes. pull fuse for now. probably caused metal particles stuck to either of the front wheel speed sensors. Also... another cause for the ABS light to turn on could be a bad turn signal switch. I think if the abs controller detects the car stopping without detecting the brake lights on... it can trigger a fault. check for functional (lower) brake lights, both with the left, right and no TS on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krenzy Posted July 23, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 23, 2008 You know, her rear taillight/brakelights don't work. I mean the tailights work, but when she puts the brakes on, the only one that lights up is the middle one. Would switching out the bulbs help it, or is it still possibly a WSS? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManicMechanic Posted July 23, 2008 Report Share Posted July 23, 2008 TSS! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crazy K Posted July 23, 2008 Report Share Posted July 23, 2008 I had one phantom application of the ABS in the 94... and later the TSS turned out to be at fault. BTW... I have given up. Saginaw column TSS switches DON'T like to be rebuilt. Only if the contacts are perfect. they seem to melt out the metal on the contacts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krenzy Posted July 23, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 23, 2008 Ok, well first off I'm going to replace the bulbs, since legally they need to be replaced. What does a new TSS cost, and how hard are they to do? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManicMechanic Posted July 24, 2008 Report Share Posted July 24, 2008 http://www.autozone.com/selectedZip,45338/initialAction,partTypeResultSet/initialN,15700603/initialNtt,/initialNo,/shopping/selectZip.htm $49.99 http://tss.likeabigdog.com/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crazy K Posted July 24, 2008 Report Share Posted July 24, 2008 P.S. if the CS has SWRC, you can get by with using a non-SWRC TSS, but you will have to add the pin connector from the old TSS harness connector (easy, but re-pinning required) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krenzy Posted July 24, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 24, 2008 OK, well she's lucky enough to not have SWRC, but why would the traction control kick in and then quit as soon as the ABS light appears? I mean there were NO lo tracion situations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BXX Posted July 24, 2008 Report Share Posted July 24, 2008 OK, well she's lucky enough to not have SWRC, but why would the traction control kick in and then quit as soon as the ABS light appears? I mean there were NO lo tracion situations. rear ABS wheel speed sensor harnesses... Quite common. Even mine did it. Have the ABS system scanned for codes.. ABS codes are pretty easy to diag and fix the problem if you have the codes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GPX Posted July 24, 2008 Report Share Posted July 24, 2008 Second, her ABS comes on. It doesn't come on immediately after you start driving, but after about a minute, maybe less. (to me it seems like it comes on once you hit speeds over 20 mph) Now, that should be common, but this next problem has me worried a bit. Whenever we first start driving it, if we're driving at slow speeds, I mean less than 20, and we come to a stop sign, the tracion light comes on, and when we're almost fully stopped, you can hear what sounds like traction control kicking in, and it basically lurches the car forward a couple more feet. Now, I'm pretty worried about this. The strange part is that once it's done that, if you continue at slow speeds and stop again, it keeps doing it. But once you get to higher speeds, the ABS light come on, and it won't do that again! For the rest of the time the car is running. Shut it off and try driving again, and it repeats this damn procedure. This is EXACTLY what my car was doing for about 6 months and then late this spring I painted my calipers and it totally fixed it immediately! I'm sure it wasn't the painting, but the dangerous cleaner that comes with the Duplicolor caliper painting kit. I believe I must have had a dirty sensor or two that I accidentally cleaned. Brakes have worked perfectly since then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krenzy Posted July 25, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 25, 2008 Second, her ABS comes on. It doesn't come on immediately after you start driving, but after about a minute, maybe less. (to me it seems like it comes on once you hit speeds over 20 mph) Now, that should be common, but this next problem has me worried a bit. Whenever we first start driving it, if we're driving at slow speeds, I mean less than 20, and we come to a stop sign, the tracion light comes on, and when we're almost fully stopped, you can hear what sounds like traction control kicking in, and it basically lurches the car forward a couple more feet. Now, I'm pretty worried about this. The strange part is that once it's done that, if you continue at slow speeds and stop again, it keeps doing it. But once you get to higher speeds, the ABS light come on, and it won't do that again! For the rest of the time the car is running. Shut it off and try driving again, and it repeats this damn procedure. This is EXACTLY what my car was doing for about 6 months and then late this spring I painted my calipers and it totally fixed it immediately! I'm sure it wasn't the painting, but the dangerous cleaner that comes with the Duplicolor caliper painting kit. I believe I must have had a dirty sensor or two that I accidentally cleaned. Brakes have worked perfectly since then. Ok, but you mention that your brakes work fine now...were they not working before hand? Hers work great, it's just that damn trac issue that disappears when the ABS light comes on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regal_GS_1989 Posted July 25, 2008 Report Share Posted July 25, 2008 Does the car actually have traction control, or is it like the 1.5gens that have a "low Trac" Light that comes on whenever the ABS kicks in? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krenzy Posted July 25, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 25, 2008 LOL now you got me. Hell if I know; all I know is I've never been in a car with trac control so for as much as I know it's just a bulb. Makes sense though, so I'll assume it does not have trac control. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GPX Posted July 25, 2008 Report Share Posted July 25, 2008 Ok, but you mention that your brakes work fine now...were they not working before hand? Hers work great, it's just that damn trac issue that disappears when the ABS light comes on. Like I said, EXACTLY what yours did. Low Trac would come on the first time(or second if I it got that far) I touched the brakes, then the ABS light would come on and they would work like non-ABS brakes--still good, but no ABS action. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regal_GS_1989 Posted July 25, 2008 Report Share Posted July 25, 2008 The reason you are having trouble stopping is because the ABS is kicking in and pulsing the brakes for some reason (Bad sensor or TSS switch) Being OBD2, easiest way to figure it out would be to scan it for ABS codes. My Mom's lumina did the same thing, just not all the time, and it turned out to be a broken wire. If it is just a bad sensor, you shoudl have a code like "LF wheel speed is 0" And if you can pull live data on the speed of each wheel, you will see the affected one is either at 0, or is very erratic. Pull out the ABS fuse for now, and you will see that you will no longer have that issue when you first drive the car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.