POTD! ABS/Trac Control Light + Check AdvanceTrac Message

BrianDye

BrianDye

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Problem of the day!

Last night I was driving home from work, a bit spirited I might add, and when I was on the highway, cruise set at 65, I swear it just shut off. (The cruise, as if I hit the brake or hit cancel)

I very well MAY have hit cancel instead of the radio buttons I was trying to press, but I really don't recall hitting it. Anyways, I looked down like WTF! Why is the engine dying!? (Thinking cruise was still on, why am I slowing down, and RPMs are dropping)

I hit the gas pedal and it took off like normal, then I realized the cruise wasn't engaged. This could all be just a big coincidence and I hit cancel and didn't realize it.

So then, closer to home, my message center displays "CHECK ADVANCETRAC" and the ABS/Trac Control light came on. (Also, the light on the button was on, indicating the system was off) On my exit ramp, I shut the car off, started it back up, just the ABS light was on and as soon as I started moving, the light went out. All was well the rest of the way home.

So today I went to meet someone at Kroger, no lights. Left Kroger, went to the carwash and washed it, no lights. Got up to speed, message came on. Sometime later, the ABS light stayed on, but the traction control light (Little tire spinning, top center in the cluster) went out, beeped and said AdvanceTrac On.

I haven't narrowed it down much, but it seems like the car has to be moving. Like if I went out and started the car, it probably wouldn't be on, but then after I started moving, it would eventually show up. Im thinking it has to be a bad sensor, OR could it possibly be my uneven tire wear? Like one rear tire being worn more, and causing the system to see a difference in wheel speed with the other wheels? (I ask because I have some camber in the back from what im assuming is the ungodly worn toe-links, so im sure that tire is wearing much more than the other which is straight)
 
Went out and started it, using my ELM27 and Dashcommand app (With the Ford add-on) I pulled some codes.

Just the ABS light was on upon start up. Pulled codes:

P0581 - Cruise Control Multi-Function Input A Circuit High

Pending:
P2106 - Throttle Actuator Control System - Forced Limited Power

Backed out of the driveway, and accidentally hit RESET or whatever for the codes. ABS didn't turn off, but it cleared the code from my phone being able to read it. Probably 30 feet down the road, the Trac Control light came on, and Check ADVANCETRAC message. This message/light combo does not come on at startup until I start driving.

What has me more worried is The P2106. Sounds like something serious, though the car runs and drives fine, no limited power...
Now that I say that, I think I may know what caused that. Well, I don't, but an idea. When I was driving on a backroad and the lights came on, I put it in neutral, killed the engine and restarted it-quickly, I didn't coast more than probably 15' with the engine off, but as soon as I fired it up, the ETC Failsafe Mode message came up, but went right away. I think something there caused the car to think there was an issue. I had *NO* limited power when it happened, it literally went away so quick I just barely read what it said. Thats probably the cause of the pending P2106. When I reset the codes, that didn't show back up, but then again I only drove a couple of miles.
 
So I was given some advice and found out that Forscan program can read the ABS codes. Fired the old laptop up and connected to the car, its the rear pass side sensor.

Theres a metal piece that holds the wire about 6" away from the sensor itself, the metal was pinched and it punctured the wire. Simple replacement right? No. Nobody has the sensor in stock.

Can I "DIY" repair it? As in cut the sensor wire, strip it and splice it back together? Or is it really sensitive to resistance and all that, wouldnt work?
 
BrianDye said:
...Can I "DIY" repair it? As in cut the sensor wire, strip it and splice it back together? Or is it really sensitive to resistance and all that, wouldnt work?
Click to expand...

That should work just fine. Be sure to seal it well against future corrosion.
 
Well, I did it. Soldered all the joints, and then completely sealed with electrical tape and then more electrical tape and then a wire loom.

Took it for a spin and the stuff still happened. Reset the codes through forscan thinking maybe they need to be reset vs clearing themselves and it came right back on.

-_-
 
So pulled the wheel back off (like the 5th time today already) and decided to try cleaning out the connector where it plugs into the car's harness. Sprayed electrical cleaner in it, stuck a pipe brush in there, then blew it clean with my air compressor. Did the same with the cars side.

Test drive - issue still exists. Is it just possible that on top of the broken wire, the sensor actually went bad or something? I just don't see why the wire splice wouldn't work.


---------

Just called around, Advance Auto has a sensor in stock up in Taylor (30+ min drive one way), don't feel like driving that far, plus im broke as can be right now. (Well, broke as in no money besides bill money) So ill just have to deal with the lights for awhile.

Im still stumped on why repairing the wires didn't fix it. The only thing I can think is that there WAS still a connection, though very frayed, and the sensor itself actually did go bad, and then me checking it led me to think it was just the frayed wire.
 
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There should have been two separate conductors in that cable, not just a single wire. Insulator colors would be white/green and yellow/green.
 
Hawk03 said:
That doesn't sound like much fun. I have a new right rear Motorcraft ABS sensor for sale, I think the part #3W4Z-2C190-BA for the right. I've already sold the left. $40 shipped (in the US, not sure where you are located). PM me if interested.

http://www.lincolnvscadillac.com/forum/showthread.php?98750-LS-Items-for-Sale
Click to expand...


I appreciate the offer man, but ill have to wait for now. I don't have the money to blow (On something not necessary to keep the car on the road, you know?)

Thanks though!
 
Go back to forscan and log all the available pids in the ABS module. It can tell you what what is good, what has failed, what has not completed. Also be careful about clearing codes from the ABS module with forscan. Sometimes this can cause a situation where you need to do an Advancetrac calibration function. Brake booster and yaw calibration not complete is a good indicator this happened. In my situation, everything still worked though, just the advancetrac light flashed non stop. Seems like you do have some repairs needed. Wheel speed sensor?
 
The only codes my car has besides the drivers side solar radiation circuit (something or other) is the codes related to missing speed input, and the ABS code indicates that right rear sensor.

I bit the bullet and bought a new sensor (ended up being about $25 with my coupons and such) picking it up tomorrow and installing it.

Here is another issue I'm having though, but I think it's directly related.

When I start to take off (after just starting the car) my speedo goes up very slow, I know I'm doing close to 10, but it's barely above 0, etc. If I continue to slowly accelerate, the traction control light and message pops up, and the speedo pops up to the correct speed.

That's fine ^ however, if I start it and take off rather quick, like at work tonight, the car goes into ETC Failsafe mode, and my throttle response gets extremely touchy. Same thing happens though, after I've moved a certain distance the trac light and message appear. I still seem to have full performance, but when I let off the throttle, instead of a light "deacceleration" the car acts as if I hit the brakes. The RPMs drop as fast as I let off the pedal. A simple park and restart fixes this issue though, and it DOES NOT happen if I take off slowly and let the car realize that sensor is bad.

I think this is also why I got the failsafe mode that first day I mentioned I cut the ignition while coasting and restarted in neutral.

Will post back results tomorrow when the new sensor is in, but just curious on my thoughts, is that what's going on with failsafe mode?
 
Yes, I think that you are probably correct about this particular ETC failsafe.
 
5 minutes of work, and the lights are gone. I picked up the new sensor from Advance AP, here and it fixed the issues. I've only driven it once though, but as soon as I took off, the speedometer was working correctly, ABS light soon turned off, and no traction control/advancetrac system errors. No ETC either, so I hope that was the culprit.

Part number for the right rear: (From advance)
CWB ABS338
 
Bryan, bad habit, do not pop an automatic transmission in to neutral while coasting. Mexican Overdrive, not good for it.

OOG (Out Of Gear) ratio score increases and they could terminate your contract ... oh no wait that's my gig.

13 speed Eaton Fuller nonsync transmission, bump it into neutral on the downhills, lotta fun depending if caught or not. Extra points if no change of underwear is needed.
 
BigRigLS said:
Bryan, bad habit, do not pop an automatic transmission in to neutral while coasting. Mexican Overdrive, not good for it.

OOG (Out Of Gear) ratio score increases and they could terminate your contract ... oh no wait that's my gig.

13 speed Eaton Fuller nonsync transmission, bump it into neutral on the downhills, lotta fun depending if caught or not. Extra points if no change of underwear is needed.
Click to expand...

Mexican Overdrive LOL! Yeah, I cringed when I did it in the LS. I've done it a few times in the past in older vehicles like if my radios froze up or something (Good old Pioneer DD's with their old glitchy software).

Put a couple hundred miles on the new sensor now, no issues. No lights, no ETC Failsafe mode, man that one made my heart stop when I first saw it before I concluded it to be related to the sensor.
 
I have been chasing my AT/ABS error for forever. However, I don't have any speedo or failsafe issues.

I am going to have to look into this forscan thing, hope they have an iOS app.

I am pretty sure mine is brake related, as when it comes on, is during stop and go traffic and very rarely I can feel the brake pedal stutter on a random press and the lights immediately come on.
 
Unfortunately I've heard the iOS app is nowhere near as good as the windows program. I would hope it could at least read all the codes but I can't say for sure.
 
Quote BigRig:

"13 speed Eaton Fuller nonsync transmission, bump it into neutral on the downhills, lotta fun depending if caught or not. Extra points if no change of underwear is needed"

Played that game a couple decades ago with my F-150 runnin south to Georgia. Big rigs won on the downhill,,, while I got them on the uphill. My Grand Marq won a few years later on the 3 percent grades. Being in neutral at around 100 gets a bit touchy.... but wheeeeee it's fun,,, especially on wet roads.
 
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