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2003 Dodge Ram 1500 4x4 quad cab 5.7L engine. Around 120k miles. It has rusted exactly like you would expect it to. I snipped away and sanded off the worst parts, and continually spray paint the poo poo out of what remains and the rust has stopped its progression. I only use the truck to haul brush or heavy things in the bed of it. Will only average <2000 miles/year moving forward, but I need the brakes to function! Both the Brake warning light and ABS warning light are constantly lit on this truck. When I drive around, the brakes appear to function, as I am able to stop. Even if I try to slam the brakes, the truck stops how I expect a 14 year old truck to stop. I have not driven it on ice with these lights illuminated and I want to fix it before winter. When I use the emergency/parking brake, I press it all the way to the floor before I feel it apply the brakes. It does hold the truck, even on a hill, but I it's barely doing it. Probably the drums are rusty as hell, and the parking brake is worn to nothing, but I haven't looked in a while. What should I check first, second, third, etc (besides brake fluid)? Start with rear wheels and inspect/replace parking brakes? I want to approach this the most efficient way possible. I have enough tools to perform minor to moderate work on my own. edit: should have mentioned that my code reader does not show any codes. Maybe the better question is what kind of mechanical failures can cause a Brake and ABS light to be illuminated? johnny sack fucked around with this message at 04:27 on Oct 1, 2017 |
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Oct 1, 2017 04:10
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| # ? May 5, 2024 23:25 |
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IIRC the ABS light also triggers the main brake light, so any failure in the ABS system will illuminate both. First step would probably be to find a friendly mechanic with a scan tool that can pull ABS codes (most can't, it's a separate protocol from the main CEL codes) and see what's in there. You can do some really hard stops to verify that the ABS isn't working, but iirc most codes will disable the system anyway. Step 1 is getting those codes pulled somehow. RE parking brakes, assuming your truck isn't new enough for 4 wheel discs, you've probably got rear drums, and the parking brake uses the same shoes as the main brakes, just with a separate actuator. Pull the drums off; if the shoes look okay and there's no fluid leaks, you probably just need to adjust the parking brake cable, which is usually pretty easy to access from under the truck.
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Oct 1, 2017 06:08
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Yep, probably a dead wheel speed sensor somewhere. Have somebody pull the codes and check it, or just see how much new ones are. Mine were pretty cheap, might just be cheaper to replace them all vs. going to a shop to find out the right one.  Pull off the rears and check the shoes for the ebrake. edit: turns out they're not real cheap even on rockauto. Pull codes. Suburban Dad fucked around with this message at 20:06 on Oct 1, 2017 |
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Oct 1, 2017 20:04
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Alright. I'll start with going to a Napa or Autozone to see if they can do it. If not, i have to bring my truck in for an airbag recall anyway and I'll just have the dealership do it otherwise.
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Oct 1, 2017 20:55
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They usually only read ECM codes, but it's worth a shot.
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Oct 1, 2017 21:12
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| # ? May 5, 2024 23:25 |
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johnny sack posted:Alright. I'll start with going to a Napa or Autozone to see if they can do it. If not, i have to bring my truck in for an airbag recall anyway and I'll just have the dealership do it otherwise. Start with the easy stuff- look at the speed sensor wires. Are they attached?
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Oct 1, 2017 22:15
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