VDC, SLIP, and ABS all on

PrerunnerGreg · 01-17-2005, 06:30 AM

Ok, my first issue of concern happened this weekend on a 250 mile jaunt home from Laughlin. As im driving all three lights, VDC, ABS, and SLIP come on at the same time and stay on. The truck drove and stopped just fine. Stopped and restarted the truck a few times, lights never even flickered, just stayed on. Nothing looks physically damaged or broken in the braking system. Checked the owners manual, says take it in. Got home and scanned codes, just to see, and nothing. Just wondering if this has happened to anyone else and what the cure was. A blown fuse or fusable link? Im sure it'll be going to the dealer for the first time in 10k miles, and im not mad at the truck, just wondering if the issue has surfaced with anyone before.

Cajunguy · 01-17-2005, 06:36 AM

Similar thing happened to me back in December (ABS/SLIP/DIFF. LOCK) - they blamed it on low brake fluid level. The diff. light still comes on periodically, but they "can't duplicate" when I bring it in........

PrerunnerGreg · 01-17-2005, 06:38 AM

Oh, man, i forgot to add, the brake fluid looked a bit low, so I filled it to the mid point between min and max. Hmmm.

mrmoldmaker · 01-17-2005, 06:44 AM

Greg
My 04 did the same thing yesterday. Then I stopped by the gas station to put gas in and I could not get the gas to go in. It kept acting like it was full and stopping the pump. Restarted the pickup and all lights were normal. I will look at the brake fluid today and see if it is low. Maybe it is the weather cause it has been 20 below for a few days now.
Bill

greg w · 01-17-2005, 07:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PrerunnerGreg

Ok, my first issue of concern happened this weekend on a 250 mile jaunt home from Laughlin. As im driving all three lights, VDC, ABS, and SLIP come on at the same time and stay on. The truck drove and stopped just fine. Stopped and restarted the truck a few times, lights never even flickered, just stayed on. Nothing looks physically damaged or broken in the braking system. Checked the owners manual, says take it in. Got home and scanned codes, just to see, and nothing. Just wondering if this has happened to anyone else and what the cure was. A blown fuse or fusable link? Im sure it'll be going to the dealer for the first time in 10k miles, and im not mad at the truck, just wondering if the issue has surfaced with anyone before.

I had an ABS sensor on left front wheel that was intermittantly breaking contact. All lights on and couldn't get into 4wd while on. Mine did show up on the code reader though.

Sensor replaced 3 weeks ago and no problems since. (2 weeks to get parts and 1 hour to fix).

trodd · 01-17-2005, 07:29 AM

i had the same problem.. except mine was the left rear abs sensor.. had the part in a couple days... fixed.. hasnt happened since.

mtbendo · 01-17-2005, 12:00 PM

VDC/SLIP/ABS Lights On???

I had the same problem noted above. No problems since the light went off. I'll probably have the dealer check it out when I get my seatbelt recall done.

PrerunnerGreg · 01-17-2005, 05:34 PM

Thanks for bringing that thread up, i guess I missed it before. Im sure its just a sensor. I have one of those code readers from autozone, an Actron hand held. Should it read chassis codes too?

*tortuga* · 01-17-2005, 11:14 PM

Hey Greg,

i don't have the VDC/Slip option but my brake fluid was low at one point and everytime i accelerated the light would come on, the emergency brake light that is. it was the darndest thing, pissed me off everytime it came on. i'm thinking wtf. then i read the manual, can't remember if it actually said anything in regards to low brake fluid, but i recalled the level the last time i was under the hood and remembered the brake fluid was low, that's when the light bulb

in my head appeared. checked the brake fluid, yes - indeed it was low, and my theory is everytime i accelerated the fluid would move back and set the internal sensor in the brake fluid off, just my theory considering it only happened when i accelerated, then went off when cruising. anyhow added the brake fluid and voila, no more light coming on... just out of curiosity, what exactly is the number one reason the drop in the brake fluid level and number two and number three if you or anyone else knows the answer. i have a theory but just want to substantiate it...

PrerunnerGreg · 01-18-2005, 05:59 AM

Since my diff fluid was low, my brake fluid on the low side too, id say they were just being thrifty with the fluids at the plant. As your brake pads wear, the slave cylinders keep moving inward, so the pad stays the same distance from the rotor so there is no lag in response time when you push on the pedal. A better way to describe would be that if you started with a pad thickness of 1/2" (theoretical only) and the pads wore to 1/4", then the slave cylinder would now have 1/4" more sticking out of it and that volume would be replaced by brake fluid. So as your pads and rotors wear, the fluid level will drop a bit (in the reservoir), then should go back when pads and rotors get replaced. Your fliud was probably on the low side to start, and as time went on it just got below the sensors threshold. Im tring to find someone with a better scanner than mine, I refuse to leave my truck at the dealer all day, unless I can drive it anymore, ill try and fix it myself. I have very little faith in mechanics.

mtbendo · 01-18-2005, 08:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PrerunnerGreg

I refuse to leave my truck at the dealer all day, unless I can drive it anymore, ill try and fix it myself. I have very little faith in mechanics.

I hear ya!!!

homer · 01-20-2005, 04:59 PM

I had the exact same problem right after I bought the truck, it was a faulty sensor, front left. It's the only problem I ever had (not counting being broadsided by an Eclipse).

**loufish** · 01-20-2005, 09:30 PM

The code readers you get from Auto-Zone, (I have one also...) read OBD II codes, not ABS codes from the ABS module. A bad sensor would trip all three lights, without all the sensors, no ABS, and no VDC...Usually when the master cyl gets low, the red "BRAKES" light comes on.

562 · 01-29-2005, 09:29 PM

Some times this is caused by a "C" code. (ABS/VDC) The code I had in mine was caused by the N/O normally open switch in tha active brake booster, you know the booster has several switched and a delta stroke sensor inside. The booster is a non serviceable part. Replacing it took care of the problem.

mtbendo · 02-02-2005, 02:31 PM

Ok, drop my truck off yesterday at the dealer for the seat belt recall and because my warning lights came on 3 times Monday (haven't been on since early December and that was only once). Dealer called today to saw that the fluid was a little low. Either it's has the most sensitive sensor because I check the fluid before I dropped it off and it was only 1/8 to 1/4" inch down. Something tells me I'l be back to the dealer again...