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How to Check CRT Codes to solve ABS Light & Electrical Warnings


Studebaker

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Ronnie......good info. about disabling the ABS.....I did not know it was that easy.  But I agree......I prefer to keep it all stock and working as it should.  I just like the old-school simplistic brake systems.....master brake cylinder, small resevoir, and lines going to the 4 wheels.  Now if the pump failed, along with the "black ball", and parts were not available.......then I guess someone would figure out the best way to rip that out and make it an old-school brake system. 

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7 minutes ago, Studebaker said:

So, maybe the stainless steel can is pressed on when that black plastic is still soft, and it kinda welds into it? 

That's a possibility.  From what I can see it wasn't intended to come apart easily.

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I have always been amazed that one hardly ever hears about someone needing a one year only ABS sensor lead that is found on the '91. In all my years selling parts I only had one guy [other then you] ask about them. What I did for him was get a set of front hub assemblies off a low mileage well care for Riv. I told him it would be easier for him to just swap out the assemblies [and cheaper too]. Must have worked as I never heard from him again.

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Update on repairing the ABS sensor wire and reluctor:

 

Finally had a few minutes to clean that reluctor which had alot of dirt/muck built up in the teeth. 

Before:

 

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After cleaning with a small screwdriver and wire brush:

 

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Here you can see the ABS sensor on top of the reluctor, and it has a gap of about 1/8" between it and the top of the teeth.  I was able to use a stiff piece of course sandpaper to remove the crud built up on the bottom of the sensor, then wiped clean with a paper towell soaked in old gas.  

 

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Having a clean reluctor and ABS sensor tip should help ensure a good signal being sent from the sensor to the ABS computer.

 

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Some pics of the repaired Sensor wire:

 

Im glad that I pulled the entire sensor wire out, as the portion in the engine compartment was also extremely brittle.  Just wiping the outside dirt off with a rag caused it to fall apart in spots.  I first wrapped with electrical tape:

 

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I then cut the 1/4" clear vinyl tubing to length and sliced it from end-to-end so I could slip it over the sensor wire.  I then used electrical tape on the ends to ensure the vinyl tubing did not pop-off when putting the wire back in its highly curved positions.  I found the clear vinyl tubing to be too stiff to make those curves properly.  I believe the yellow 1/4" tubing at Lowes (forgot the name) which was super pliable and would have done a better job.....I may try it on the other side.

 

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You can see the stress this stiff vinyl tubing is putting on the ABS wire.....so I may remove it and use the other tubing, or just do a double wrap of electrical tape:

 

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1 hour ago, Studebaker said:

Having a clean reluctor and ABS sensor tip should help ensure a good signal being sent from the sensor to the ABS computer.

You did a great job cleaning!  I hope reconditioning the sensor leads makes the yellow light go off for you.

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28 minutes ago, ship said:

For those of you who might not be aware of the uniqueness of the one year only '91 front ABS sensor.  Note that there's no silver canister:

That is the first time I have seen the sensors for a '91 model. Thanks for posting.

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Ronnie....thanks.  The only thing I didnt like was the 1/4" vinyl tubing used on tight turns in the wire.....so, I might replace at least that short "U" on the top.

 

Ship......your 91 sensor dia. might be the same as the cannister ones.....have you ever compared the two types side-by-side?  Maybe they will work?

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1 hour ago, Studebaker said:

Ship......your 91 sensor dia. might be the same as the cannister ones.....have you ever compared the two types side-by-side?  Maybe they will work?

I have not had the opportunity to do that as I've never had a canister type in hand to compare.   

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Doesn't matter if they work in the hubs or not, the pin ends are different. 

 There is a 1991 Riv and a 1991 Olds Troefero out there. How many hubs/sensors do you want?

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40 minutes ago, DAVES89 said:

Doesn't matter if they work in the hubs or not, the pin ends are different. 

 There is a 1991 Riv and a 1991 Olds Troefero out there. How many hubs/sensors do you want?

Dave...I could sure use 2 fronts if they are retrievable....many thanks.

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Ship/Dave........OK, the pin ends are different, so cant interchange......sounds like maybe Dave can locate a couple hubs/sensors for Ship's 91. 

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22 hours ago, ship said:

Dave...I could sure use 2 fronts if they are retrievable....many thanks.

There is also a 1991 Cadillac that just came in so that makes three. The weather looks to turn bad as I believe winter will be back soon so I went back out this morning and will have two for you. Ship why don't you e mail me and we can finish up the rest, contact information and price.

 lemke1044@aol.com

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6 hours ago, DAVES89 said:

There is also a 1991 Cadillac that just came in so that makes three. The weather looks to turn bad as I believe winter will be back soon so I went back out this morning and will have two for you. Ship why don't you e mail me and we can finish up the rest, contact information and price.

 lemke1044@aol.com

Email sent.

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****More Help/Advice Needed***

I wanted to pump out all of the old brake fluid in the brake reservoir, and am confused as to how to insert a long hose beyond that top round filter portion of the reservoir:   I had no problem removing the top 25% of the fluid, but cant get any lower than that round "float" thing:

 

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There are 5 notches on the top of this plastic "filter insert", but I could not get it to move using to small screw drivers and attempting to push counter-clockwise (assuming it is threaded).  Also, the portion below is too large to come out of the upper opening, so it appears that maybe it was pushed into place from the inside, and then the upper and lower parts of the reservoir were then put together. 

 

What is the best way to get around this obstruction so I can insert a long tube to the bottom in order to vacuum out all the old fluid? 

 

Also, I tried using a small "hook" to pull up on that round float (with the 3 holes in it), but it does not want to come out without a fight.....and I did not want to damage it, so I left it alone.

 

I also tried inserting a WD40 tube into that rectangular opening, but it would only go in about an inch.

 

Will have to put on hold until I get advice.

 

 

 

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5 hours ago, Studebaker said:

I also tried inserting a WD40 tube into that rectangular opening, but it would only go in about an inch.

 

Will have to put on hold until I get advice.

Sorry that I wasn't able to reply sooner.  I just went into the garage to check how deep I could insert the black tube I used the last time I flushed my brakes.  I could get the black tube into the reservoir 4-1/8" -  measuring from the top of the threads that hold the cap on. I inserted it through the slot at the rear of the reservoir. To get it to go in that deep I had to keep twisting it around as I pushed on it.  I guess that allows it to get around a float switch or something inside the reservoir.  It looks like 4-1/8" deep should get the fluid out of the main part of the reservoir but it won't empty the tapered portion of the reservoir. Just get out all you can, refill with new fluid and let the pump flush the rest out through the rear brakes. Don't turn on the pump with the reservoir empty or you might regret it.

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Ronnie......Thanks for the instructions.  OK, now I know that you pushed the WD40 tube thru that slot in the reservoir.  I was thinking that you had managed to slip it all the way down to the bottom of the tank, down where the return hose clamps on.  Now I know to just twist it to get it near the bottom of the upper portion of the reservoir, and will give that another try.  I wonder why Teves did not make that inner strainer to be removable so one could more easily get a suction tube all the way to the bottom.

 

I now understand why Finn in his "How To Flush and Bleed Brakes" said he preferred to cut the return line to drain the entire reservoir.  I had considered going that route, but it is so hard to reach.......wayyyyyyyyyyyyyy in the back.....not sure if he lays on the engine to get to it, or works from underneath the car.  If I were to cut the tube, I would be tempted to put a "T" in it and with a petcock for future draining. 

 

Thanks for the tip.

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Got the brake fluid suctioned out:

 

I did as Ronnie suggested and rigged up a WD40 spray tube to the end of an adapter that is pushed into a rubber tube.  However, I just used a syringe to suck the fluid out of the reservoir instead of a vacuum pump.  The connections were not air tight so I had to wrap it real tight with electrical tape, and then it held the vauum real well.  However, that WD40 red tube is super small, and the flow rate is super slow going up into the syringe.  It took me about 7-8 minutes to draw one full syringe, but I got 6 full syringes out of the reservoir AFTER I first suctioned it out with only the larger black hose.

 

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I discovered that if you poke around the outside edge of the "float", there are a couple of small holes that will allow the red WD40 tube to slide all the way down to the bottom of the main reservoir (but not down the narrow deep portion).  I could get the tube deeper this way as opposed to inserting it throught that rectangular opening in the back.

 

The container with no lid (Kozyshack Rice Puddin) on it was the extra fluid that I got out using that small WD40 tube.  The fluid in the container with the top (Steakhouse Chili) was what came out using the larger black hose.   So, it was a bit time consuming, but I think worth getting that extra dark brake fluid out. 

 

(I looked at the return hose going between the pump and the bottom of the reservoir, but did not want to risk breaking that plastic nipple trying to get the hose loose, plus it seemed way to hard to get to.  Bleeding all the lines to all the wheels should help purge most of the old stuff out).

 

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After suctioning out the first container of fluid, I then pumped the brake pedal about 25 times, and did notice about a 3/4 " rise in the level of the fluid in the reservoir......so, definately good to get that old stuff out of the "Black Ball" (Accumulator) while suctioning the old fluid out.

 

Hope to bleed the brakes tomorrow.

Thanks for all the tips/advice from everyone.

 

 

 

 

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2 hours ago, Studebaker said:

However, that WD40 red tube is super small, and the flow rate is super slow going up into the syringe. 

I think that is the reason I switched to the black tube that is a little larger.  If I remember correctly the black tube I used is a small piece of shrink tubing with a hole about twice the size of the wd40 tube.  Either way sucking out the fluid with the small tube is a slow process but other than cutting the line to the pump, it's the best way I've found to empty the reservoir.  I wonder how other people do it?

 

By the looks of that black fluid I think the time spent sucking the old fluid out before bleeding the brakes was worthwhile.

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Ronnie.....Yea, it was worth the effort (about 7 minutes per syringe full of old fluid).  Good to know I got the entire upper bowl empty, with just that skinny lower part remaining.  It was a good discovery finding that hole about the size of the WD40 tube located on the outer edge of that round float thing.....once the tube went thru the hole, it was all the way to the bottom of the upper reservoir.  Will have to make me one of those hair-bigger black tubes before my next plunge into these murky waters.

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