ABS Light & abs module constantly running

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brettu26

brettu26

NZJDM'er
Joined
Feb 18, 2009
Messages
759
Location
Lyndhurst, VIC
Can anyone shed light on what might be the casue of this.

my ABS light came on this morning, so i shut the car down again and restarted it. (this has worked once before - as per owners manual).

not this time though!

even once the car is shut off and the key is out, the ABD module is 'whirring' away. its an electric motor sound. I can only stop it by disconnecting the battery. but it doesnt reset even after a few hrs.

ABS fuses appear ok at first glimpse, pretty sure brake fluid is ok; i only checked it last week.

thoughts & suggestions please guys
thanks Brett
 
I have the same problem, only that the ABS motor noise goes away when you turn the ignition power off. I tried whacking it with the wooden handle of a hammer like someone off here told me :p but it doesn't change sound or anything.
I have been avoiding this for about 3 months now because I'm not sure where to start troubleshooting.
 
I had the exact same issue aswell on my RVR. After removing the battery though, it went back to normal. Only happened twice, about 5,000kms apart.
 
D/C the ABS computer in the boot and see if that changes anything. You may have a faulty control module.

Also get a multimeter out on the +12v connection and make sure it's not supplying like 7V instead of 12. low voltage makes them do weird ****. (Common problem in 3000gt's, dunno about vr4s)
 
thanks Lorrie i'll see what i can do.

where in boot is it located?:unsure:

so far i've just unplugged the big ventre plug on the abs unit under the bonnet to stop it in meantime
 
**** now I'm thinking. I'm pretty sure it's behind the boot trim on the drivers side of the boot. If it's not there, check the passenger side, but I'm pretty sure it's drivers side just infront of the washer reservoir for the rear wiper. *boggle*

It is however the only computer looking thing that's hooked up in the boot so follow some wiring looms around.
 
Is this a VR4?
Passenger side mate.
Yeah I disconnected the plugs in the engine bay to stop it so far.
 
yup VR4 mate
sweet, didnt get to look at it on weekend, hopefully over xmas break i can sort it.
really hoping its not something that needs replacing!!!
 
So I thought I'd get up off my ass and find out what's causing this.

After some fault finding I found my motor relay trigger wire is constantly ~75ohms with the ign on, evidently low enough to flow enough current through the relay coil and trip the contacts.
After snipping that wire, the motor stopped. (Don't worry I'll re-conect it once I sort this out :p)
So yeah, short of running a jumper from the ABS control module to the engine bay which is gonna be a real pain, what else should I look at?
I really hope that the insulation on the trigger wire is damaged and partly shorting to GND somewhere on the chassis, as I would be happy to run a new wire over swapping ABS control modules. I'm sure they are hard to find as well... :(
Active low btw.
Say the module is munted, would it make sense to run a remote transistor to take over the function of the one at port 26 of the ABS module in the following photo?
It might not even be that, I'm just guessing that there is a possibility that this single component has malfunctioned causing this. Either that, or it is telling itself to turn the motor on when it's not supposed to. Does the motor only turn on when the ABS is active? A faulty wheel speed sensor could cause this couldn't it? But then the OBD port would be sending out that relevant code rather than the one I got (52-motor/motor relay) I guess?? Then again, my motor and relay seem fine so I'm not sure if I should treat that code with any priority.

I really hope it's my bad wire theory! :p

ABSFault.jpg
 
Have you tried disconnecting your ABS wheel sensors to see if it is a sensor fault?

They are magnetic from memory and they pickup the teeth on your hubs.
They have a plug that runs up and connects under the plastic splash guards.
 
I haven't Lorrie, I might try that.

Thanks Baz, I haven't tried that actually. I might give tha a go too hey.

Thanks for your help fellas, I'll update the thread when I get time to do these things. :)
 
Oh yeah! I'll sms you about swapping the control module for test purposes if possible. Cheers man. :)

Lorrie, I've been trolling the US site and whenever "ABS" is mentioned they just seem to jump on the same wagon and yell "ABS delete!".
Surely the ABS on the VR4 isn't that bad...
I really want to keep it, as I'm not even sure the car would pass a RWC test without it.
 
mines the same also. I just pulled the fuse on the connector at the pos+ terminal, Im keen to get it working properly also
 
had the same issue
chris meek told me to whack the abs motor with a large screwdriver or piece of wood (no ****)
worked!! - havent had the problem since

u can also disconnect it by pulling the plug in the middle - there are 3 plugs into the abs

gl
nate
 
haha i've also been told to whack it in the same manner lol
but i've not tried that ............ yet
mine is still unplugged.
truth is i've never had ABS before so know how to brake without it anyway.
 
Some people say it stops better without the ABS??
Anyway, yeah I've also been told to whack it with a wooden hammer handle.
I've tried it but I will try it again lol.
 
make a vid of the wacking with a wooden hammer.... Im keen to see how you do it, Im keen to try also

it does brake better without abs, the abs is only good in the wet
 

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