Guest Posted January 13, 2000 Share Posted January 13, 2000 The ABS light on my 90 coupe stays on after the initial start-up. I have had all the sensors at the brake calipers and vacuum booster replaced but, to no avail. I can turn the light off by restarting the engine, this reboots the internal computer. The problem still exists. Can anyone advise me?<BR>JB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 14, 2000 Share Posted January 14, 2000 You shouldn't have a vacuum booster on a 1990. Can you hear the boost pump running when you turn the key on (engine not running)? It is normal for the ABS light to stay on for up to one minute after key on. The pump should run for no longer than about 45sec. if the system is totally discharged. If the pump runs longer, I would suspect the pressure switch or the accumulator. Hal Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 16, 2000 Share Posted January 16, 2000 OK, it seems like the ABS light staying on at startup is a common problem (mine does it from time to time - increasingly so in recent months), with the pressure switch or the accumulator cited as likely culprits. In the interest of time, is one an easier fix than the other is? In the interest of economy, is one a cheaper option than the other is? Alternatively, are both items so reasonably priced and each as likely to fail around the same time anyway that I should just go ahead and change both? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Quarter Posted January 21, 2000 Share Posted January 21, 2000 I just bought an ABS switch from my local GM dealer. List was $122. I asked for a quick quote on an accumulator and was told that list was around $150. The consuens in the dealership is that one of the significant contibuting factors to the failure of these parts is contaminated brake fluid. Another good reason to chage-out the fluid every 30,000 miles or so. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 21, 2000 Share Posted January 21, 2000 The same thing happen to my wife's car and the dealer did several hundreds of dollars in checks and tests and finally told her that the ABS was fine and that the sensors also checked out, so to ignore the light or to have the coputer reset to fix the problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 21, 2000 Share Posted January 21, 2000 The local dealership replaced our accumulator, but the ABS light stayed on. They offered to replace things until they found the culprit, but couldn't say for sure there was even a problem. She "fixed" the problem with a piece of electrical tape over the light. As long as the brake light is not on, it probably isn't a big problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 24, 2000 Share Posted January 24, 2000 Hi all - just a note from the "queen" of brake problems ... a little history here ... hopefully this will help with some problem solving for others.<P>car #1) On my first 1990 reatta (which some of you may have seen the crash photos of on my site) - this vehicle had constant, intermittant brake problems (make sense?). When brakes were applied on this vehicle, it was always a surpsie as to what it would do - brake straight, veer right, veer left, brakes lock, or ABS kick in. I drove this thing for 10 months until the day I had to hit the brakes while doing ~75 & one wheel locked & sent the car into guardrails. Anyhow, during the 10 months I had this car, it had been in & out of 3 Buck/GM dealerships & numerous smaller shops (in southern NH & northern MA) - no one could identify the problem.<P>car #2)My second reatta has been much better behaved, but still has had brake system troubles - ABS as well as mechanical. <BR>Luckily I've been able to find a dealership with a service writer that knows the car almost as well a the mechanics do here in Phoenix (Childress Buick/Kia - Pete Norman) that is really GOOD with this type of problem.<P>First item - brake chatter/rattle - to eliminate, use dealer brake pads, not aftermarket (there is a slight size difference, it would seem). <P>Accumulator - most common symptom of this failing - "squishy" feeling pedal, may also be described as a feeling of "ice skating" while on dry pavement. (~$100-$200 retail) If this part starts to go out & there is a delay in getting it replaced, then the accumulator will cause the electrically run hydraulic pump motor to run & burn out (doesn't take long to accomplish this). - Silver domed item located right off of the mast cylinder.<P>Electrically run hydraulic brake pump (not master cylinder) - if it siezes, you'll notice that the brake pedal barely moves when depressed (all of a sudden, you must down-shift to slow the car down); if it's wearing out, you're likely to hear a "groaning" sound from the front end of your car. (~$595 retail price on the pump)<P>Master cylinder - trust me, you don't want to fool with this one ... (~$1200-1400 parts cost on this) - same symptoms as the acculmulator (may be some others as well), but (obviously) much pricier to replace.<P>So - as for the ABS light - there are a number of things that can trigger the light to stay on (mine didn't finally go out until the accumulator got replaced):<BR>worn/thin brake pads, ABS wheel sensors, brake system accumulator, electrically run hydraulic pump, master cylinder.<P>Milage doesn't seem to have a whole lot of effect on these parts, so much as age does. The milage on the the first car (whose exact problem was never really figured out): purchased at 81,000, crashed at 112,000 miles.<BR>Milage on second car: purchased at 98,000, current milage at 166,000 - electrically run hydraulic brake pump siezed at ~130,000, accumulator quit at ~160,000 (and damaged the electrically run hydraulic brake pump).<P>Hope this all helps at least one person ...<P>~Brenda<BR> <A HREF="http://members.aol.com/gohighr/reatta.html" TARGET=_blank>http://members.aol.com/gohighr/reatta.html</A> <p>[This message has been edited by Reatta2go (edited 01-24-2000).] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest wally888 Posted September 8, 2000 Share Posted September 8, 2000 Noticed this old topic that seems current!<BR> I had an intermittant yellow light,1st few months it was on seldom, then more, then almost always, then always.<BR> Ran it by 3 GM mechanics,of course I had to pay 2 of them, and finally gave up when the last one said, "it is a loose ground <BR>behind dash,$46 an hour till we remove dash and find it! I left! One day w/ nothing to do I switched the Main and Pump Relays.Suddenly I had both lights "on". Replaced the Main Relay and have not seen a a light at the wrong time for months!<P>------------------<BR>A man says," I lie,"does he lie, or does he speak the truth?<BR> If he lies, he speaks the truth.If he speaks the truth, he lies M. Twain Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 8, 2000 Share Posted September 8, 2000 The ABS light on my 89 was on more than it was off, finally it was staying on all the time. I replaced the Main Relay and now it goes out around 10 sec. after startup. It has been 2 months and 500 miles with no problems. Cheap Fix !!. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 8, 2000 Share Posted September 8, 2000 <BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by WayneDart:<BR><B>The ABS light on my 89 was on more than it was off, finally it was staying on all the time. I replaced the Main Relay and now it goes out around 10 sec. after startup. It has been 2 months and 500 miles with no problems. Cheap Fix !!.</B><HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P>Which main relay? Do you have an OEM #?<P> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 9, 2000 Share Posted September 9, 2000 The ABS Main Relay is located on the firewall next to the brake reservoir. Advance Auto p/n MR 116. Hope this helps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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