p1fcl01

I think its time to just og get a new car. My abs light comes on everytime there's a heavy rain. It does go away a few days after the rain stop. It must be some sensor that can't take the moisture anymore. New brakes, decent pedal and the braking is decent.
Any advise.

Thanks

Frankie

Lil4X

Just off the top of my head, my first thought was something related to your new brakes . . . Is it possible that something was messed up with the ABS sensors when the pads/rotors were worked on? Some of our brake experts might be able to shed some light on this.

salimshah

I am no expert and my advice is worth the money I get from posting here

If the light comes one when you apply the brakes and goes away after releasing it, it would indicate that abs tried to act for you wile braking. But since the light stays on, the system is telling you something is wrong. Certainly is an uncommon problem [or at least it has not been posted here].

The brakes have a separate diagnostic port [not the obdII which can be read at auto zone]. I suggest a visit to the dealer on a rainy day to see what the electronics are saying.

It may be a case of hypersensitive pickup or accumulated junk on the sensor. But that would be shooting from the hip, which may be wasteful or lucky.

Salim

Lexmex

Those are excellent points Salim.

I hope to later today or tomorrow take a stab at cleaning the sensors (without removing them).

Will get to them Sunday before the Super Bowl.

p1fcl01

Thanks Salim,

And Lexmex, when you do your abs sensor cleaning, please upload some pics to this thread. I think mine needs cleaning too. Thanks all...

Lexmex

Today, I am going to show you the fronts. The reason being is that there is a place where you can spray to get at the rears, but in order for me to show this better, I need a little more lighting than I have in my garage (I'll add some comments in a bit).

First, this is the location of the front sensors.

Lexmex

Let's take a side vantage point, here is that same sensor.

Lexmex

Now, forgive me for being sarcastic, but let me give you the best piece of advice I have learned in all my years on Club Lexus, you can spray it with some cleaner if you wish (as I simulated below with Liquid Wrench), but the absolute best thing here is nothing more than sticking a hose in there with water and spraying out the debris.

Why?

Because every time I wash the underside of my vehicle I have hit this exact same area, and I don't know that ramming a cleaner in there can do any better job. The magnet isn't particularly strong at all.

Unfortunately, my apartment building prohibits washing a vehicle with a hose, so I can't simulate that here.

Lexmex

Now, this is the rear area, the ones for the AWD will look a bit different, as shown here, from those on the FWD, but same general area.

Lexmex

Here is a side shot.

Now, of course this doesn't look like the front one at all. Looks a bit more difficult to spray in there to get out the debris, but tomorrow I will show exactly where to stick that water hose, so enough pressure gets in there to blow out the debris.

Keep in mind, this magnet there is very LAME, it isn't particulary strong at all.

salimshah

The magnet is supposed to be on the shaft and not the sensor. So in theory it should be easier to clean the sensor [the gap in reality]

Nice photos. They would be helpful, when I decide to do mine.

Salim

Lexmex

Realistically, I should have probably waited until Monday (it is a national holiday here) and taken off the fronts to show the accumulation up close (hard to see in the photos shown), but will see if I can do the same with the rears tomorrow.

Lexmex

Let's take a look at all the nice pictures we took of the rear sensor.

Lexmex

Another shot, now after I'm done here, I will use an arrow and show exactly where you need to stick the hose.

Lexmex

My cousin Antonio proceeds to use as 12mm wrench to remove the sensor (not really necessary, but we thought we should for information's sake).