Resetting the ABS Sensor

Just to clarify:

Your abs light is on?

Yes it comes on every so often and goes off, i spoke to the other tech Cosmo and he was helping me out,
i had a pigtail hooked into my wire lume in the rear to pull a trailer that was his first idea for me to chech so i went down and purchased a new one and it stayed off for awhile and then came back on later on in the day, then he told me to remove it make sure there was no debris on it or metal shavings, i checked all the connections and cleaned up alittle i never disconnected any wires but they are all tight and snug and there are no loose connections, then he suggested me to jump the ECM and get any codes that were stored but there wasnt any, i took it to a local shop and they checked it with a diagnostic machine and there were no codes stored, i was told that i just might need to reset the ABS sensor and thats were im at now, But the book doesnt say anything about resetting it, just how to remove it and change it out or check for any problems in the wiring. Thats Hanes for you though

And yes i have sent a contribution threw my paypal account, it might not have been alot but i made the effort and im still on the same problem as before. 8)

I will be replacing the sensor today since i have checked everything, thats my last resort but it looks as though it is going bad by the way it acts because if it comes on and i stop the truck and shut off the key it will stay off for awhile but eventually comes back on. so wouldnt you say that is my next option?

:shock:

Cosmo is the Mazda Guy from what I know. :)

If the light is off, but comes on when you're moving, it would seem that the pcm is picking up a sensor out of range and it sounds logical to me, except for the fact there are no codes. There are times that you can get to the end of a troubleshooting chart and still be left with a guess. I'm not saying this is one of those times. I am a service writer, not a tech.

If there is a way to have a scanner hooked up to it and drive it watching the sensors data stream, it should make it much clearer. :idea:

I'm not familiar with reseting a sensor. They are just inputs as I understand it. Resetting a light perhaps, or monitor or a control module even. Just because I havn't heard of it certainly doesn't it doesn
t exist. :)

This is really a case of wishing I had the truck at my shop....i could do so much more for you there....

I think i'll take a chance at a new ABS sensor i was told that they are usually the first cause of this problem, My father is a mechanic unfortunatly he lives 2000 miles from me, but he's the only person ive ever known to stand at the front of a car and hear it run and tell you whats wrong, used to design funny cars for the old timers like Cory McClenathan and did a few here locally at Famoso Raceway for Jim Harris and more, so i have some mechnical know how its just these new ones with a computer running them and also here we have our famous California Smog Checks, DMV actually concidered my truck a Gross Polluter just because of the year and the miles that should be on it since it is 11 years old, but it only has 64,540 miles on it and i am the original owner.. so if your lucky and you dont live in california stay where your at.. believe me the gas is terriable on your vehicle. yea wish you had a shop here there isnt many mechnics is this town that u know what their talking about :( .. well you have a great day and ill post my results after i replace the sensor.

[b:d1f53aaf89]I changed out the ABS sensor and the light came back on, its either stored a code in the ECM or there is another fault maybe a speed sensor on one of the rear hubs, Right now i want to see what codes it has in it so i can get a idea were to start on this but my scanner has mysteriously disappeared, so i need to know now how its done with a jumper wire, i always thought it was the first top lead and the 1st bottom lead but it wont flash out no codes, so any help would be appreciated this hanes manual i have sucks when it comes to things like that, they always want you to take it to the dealership but its not their money thats getting spent, anyways if someone and hhopefully Cosmo could give me some advice please do soon... ive got to leave for work soon and i cant stand looking at that light anymore.
Thank You[/b:d1f53aaf89]

Well I have some bad news....I work for a dealership LOL....so I love to take peoples money!!!

I will have to chekc out how to remove the codes out of the system....even I can;t remember how to do everything on 10 year old vehicles LMAO

Cosmo....Mazda TEch

Thats kewl i fixed it, its was plastic thingy in the reservoir i started looking in there really good and put on my glasses and got a magnify glass and i saw some grunge sloating on the top so i drained it out and cleaned it out really good and poof the light went bye bye :lol: , if i wasnt so damn blind i would have seen it when i made the fluid level was ok... guess thats part of growing old rofl.. hey thanks for all your help and sorry i couldnt give you all my money hahahaha but ill kick u some points for being kewl ok.... have a good one :D

[quote:62750d55f8="Cosmo"]Well I have some bad news....I work for a dealership LOL....so I love to take peoples money!!!


Cosmo....Mazda TEch[/quote:62750d55f8]

I :lol: guess I'll have to stop the the "Dealer" the "Stealer"

On the serious side, I have heard you guys in the dealership don't get paid what you should for diagnosing due to the flat rate system. And that it tends to lead to a "educated guess" versus spending the needed time to verify more accuately. What's your opinion on it?

The educated guessing is not worth the money they want for it and is highly over rated, i prefer doing my best to figure out what i can on my own, thats the only way you learn i know so many people that bring their cars to me just because their unable to do a simple brake job, i gave up on being a shade tree mechanic last year after i lost my wife to a accident, about 10 years ago i got my first computer and just out of curiosity i had to know how it worked so i tore it down and rebuilt it hit the power button and it booted up, after that i decided to take up computers since it was alot cleaner and easier lol, I do
appreciate and find educated guesses to be helpful but there's to much leway between, thats how i feel about it :lol:

Mellowman, I was actually asking cosmo :lol: , really glad you responded anyway.

Very sorry to hear of losing your wife, it numbs me. :shock:

There is a lot to be said for trying to figure out things for yourself. Not just car repair, but health as well. this is a great forum for learning :D

yea its a great place to learn thats for sure, and yea it
did hurt to loose her at the age of 34 and having 2 kids, guess things are just meant to happen sometimes, and for learning or getting a start on something the place to start is the web its helped me alot.

MellowMan 8)

Well my educated guess is better than most. I am a flat rate technician, but I get paid straight time for electronics diag. and wiring/harness repair.

I also charge out straight itme on ALL rotary engine repairs.

The flat rate system has its flaws, but so does the straight time system.

I would rather be paid for work I DID rather than paid for time at work. Never could see how it was right to get paid for just being there instead of the work you produce.

As for being paid enough...No I don't think Mechanics get paid enough. Not when you have union's running the rest of the trades getting some random dude who lay's cement $20-25+ an hour.

Frankly anyone who says I am a crook or my trade is crooked, should come in and start adding up what I have spent on tools in the past 5 years. In the past 5 years I have bought (for myself, not the shop) TWO lap-tops to interface with ford and Mazda products, this does not include the softwear and hardwear to hook up too the cars. Customers think its odd to see a Mechanic walk around the dealer with a PDA.....then they think its even odder when I jump in the car with them and hook up my PDA to there car.

So when someone whines that the door rate is too high or that it costs too much. I laugh and say....do you know how many engine lights I have to turn off this year before my lap top is paid off?

I get paid apx 1/2hr to read a diag an engine light. So to me the TEch I get $12.50.

The lap top was $2100
The softwear was $1200
Mazda Website subscription $150/per annum

These are all round fig's, but that is apx 280 engine lights, before I start making money.

Just think, buy not paying me....I can't afford to pay you for your work.....its a big circle of life.

I don't mind helping out people on this site, in fact I helped some stranger today in the shopping mall parking lot. BUT don't preach to me that the buisness that I am in is crooked. There are far worse things out there, and remember your cars are privlages, NOT a right.

Cosmo,

Actually, I should address you as DR.Cosmo, Cars change, bodies don't. :wink:
Thanks for a insight. everyone should understand this :)

Well said Dr. C.!

Laptop $2500

EAS software, domestic, asian, euros= $2300

OTC scanner $1500

Annual software updates $500

Labscope $2500

Never was a flat rate tech, always been an independent. Started my own biz 2 yrs ago and never looked back.
And just to add to your comments ......... I look at it this way .......we techs ARE professionals, the days of matchbooks in the points are pretty much dead and buried. To stay current in this field equipment and training are a MUST. We've also gotten a bad rep. from some hacks out there. Not much we can do about it except be professional and do the job right!
Keep on keepin' on my friend! 8)

Chris

Well my truck is running ruff ive done a complete spark plugs and wires change out and it still runs the same way it did before i started changing everything.
i keep falling back to the EGR Valve, truck still only has 60,000 on it and looks to good to be running the way it is, I noticed that on the new EGR Valves they added a carbon screen in it to catch the carbon instead of it going into the valve and pluging it up, my truck has the original EGR Vavle on it well just about everything on it is still original except for the battery and the starter, So if there is anyone out there that could point me in a direction where its going to keep costing me $$$$$ with no improvements i sure would appreciate it..
Thank You :lol: :lol: :lol:

1996 Mazda B2300 Ext Cab
P/U Mil: 64.540



Have you pulled any codes from the computer?

No there are no codes at all, ive had a scanner hooked to it and there are nothing stored, that's one of the reasons im banging my head against the wall, i was actually hoping for a code atleast that way i could have it fixed or fix it myself and its not a constant miss either it kind of comes and goes but not completly away but it does smooth out at times that was why i was asking about the EGR Valve.
:evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil:
any help or idea's would be great and thank you for your quick reply.

James Evans

Strange about the lack of codes.

Out of curiousity, take a look in the throttle body, how much carbon is built up BEHIND the plate and further down the bore? I've seen carbon do some strange things like you describe on the runnibility. I have found "SEAFOAM" to be a good carbon removal product to clean up the intake valves. It's only a $7.00 investment that can only serve to help.

Great i do that first thing tomorrow and yes $7.00 is a cheap investment if it will make my truck run like its suppose to and thank you very much Paul for your help and idea's i sure hope it works, I will let you know the moment im done and you have a great day.

James Evans :mrgreen:

Don't get your hopes up too high, it may solve it or it may not change a thing. Sometimes a simple maintenance procedure makes a big difference....and then there are the rest of the times..