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Some confusion Posted by Ari [Email]  (#2847) [Profile/Gallery]
(more from Ari) on Tue, 7 May 2002 13:03:16
In Reply to: ABS Light On, Off, On, Off..., Michael Hudson, Mon, 6 May 2002 13:43:24 Members do not see ads below this line. - Help Keep This Site Online - Signup |
When you first start the car, the ABS AND Brake Fluid lights will come on for a short time. During this period of time, the ABS system is going through a quick self-test, and the ABS pump is bringing the system up to pressure. Once the system hits the minimum pressure, the Brake Fluid light goes out, and the ABS can then finish it's self test.
If the car has been sitting a while (hours), the ABS system pressure leaks down. This is totally normal. Therefore, it takes longer for the pump to pressurize the accumulator, so the light stays on for a bit. If the car has been recently driven, the pressure will still be up there, so the light will be on for a very short time, if at all.
It is normal for the ABS and Brake Fluid lights to be on for a short time after starting. The time is longer the longer the car has sat undriven. In some older cars it can take 30 or 45 seconds for the lights to go off after the car has been sitting overnight, and may still come on for a few seconds even if the car has been off only a few minutes. As long as the lights go off and stay off while driving, there's no problem.
You should never drive the car with the ABS AND Brake Fluid lights on. Both these lights together mean low ABS pressure. This pressure not only provides the power for the ABS, it's also used for brake boost. Should the ABS pump fail, or the system otherwise fail to pressurize, you'll have no brake boost. Drive off, and the next time you press the pedal, you'll risk having no boost - which means very high pedal pressure and much longer stopping distances. There may be enough residual pressure in the system to give you a few normal brakings, but once the pressure drops enough, the next stop may be 2-5 times longer. Think about that the next time you come up fast on an off-ramp or a truck stopped at a light.
Good luck!
posted by 140.157.4...
, Tue, 7 May 2002 13:03:16 <-- Viewing This Message
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