If you’re an older technician you might remember when a 20 year old car was a really old car. These days, cars last a lot longer so you will still see a lot of daily drivers that are 20 years old an older that still need to be repaired when something goes wrong. Follow this Real Fix to see how an ABS problem was diagnosed and repaired.
Vehicle
1996 Volkswagen Passat GLX 2.8L
Title
00287, ABS Light On, Replaced Anti-Lock Brake Traction Control Module
Complaint
The customer states the anti-lock brake system (ABS) light is on.
Cause
Confirmed the customer’s complaint and found the ABS light was on. Connected a scan tool and found code 00287 – Right Rear ABS Wheel Speed Sensor -G44- Electrical Malfunction In Current Circuit. Performed a road test while monitoring live scan tool data and observed the right rear anti-lock brake system (ABS) wheel speed sensor parameter was not present. With the ignition on and the engine off, used a multi-meter to check for the presence of voltage and ground at the right rear ABS wheel speed sensor connector and found signal voltage was not present. Performed an inspection of the right rear ABS wheel speed sensor wiring harness and connector and found no faults. With the ignition on and the engine off, used the multi-meter to check for the presence of voltage at the right rear wheel speed sensor signal terminal on the anti-lock brake traction control module and found voltage was not present. With the ignition on and the engine off, used a multi-meter to check for the presence of voltage and ground at the anti-lock brake traction control module and found both were present. Disconnected the anti-lock brake traction control module connector, inspected the connector terminals and found no faults. The results of these tests verified the anti-lock brake traction control module was faulty.
Correction
Replaced the anti-lock brake traction control module cleared codes, performed a road test and verified the vehicle operated properly. The ABS light did not illuminate and no fault codes returned.