BRAKES! The are f'n with me... (BRK/ABS light)

ykdave · 07-03-2009, 11:05 PM

Ok, heres the scoop. The truck has always been sketchy after some rain, the brakes would lock up with the slightest pedal pressure nearly putting ya through the windshield...

A couple weeks ago after some rain and the brakes were acting up the ABS (RWAL) light came on. hmmmm, right on...

Since the brakes still worked (or lack thereof) the same as before i had just ignored it for a while. Went out to it last night to check it out, tried to find the RWAL/ABS diagnostic connector to check which code was thrown. couldnt find it so i just unplugged the module for a bit to clear the code.

Meanwhile i proceeded to check over the entire system. BF level was fine but it is pretty rotten looking. I didnt have much fluid on hand and it was late so i couldnt get more so i proceeded to bleed the brakes a bit with what fluid i had. After bleeding all corners (how the F'k are you supposed to bleed the pprop valve and abs contraption?) and going through and cleaning/checking all electrical connections i buttoned everything up and went for a ride.

Right away, the brake light was on (wasnt from the park brake as it goes brighter when i hit the park brake) but the abs light was off. The brakes definitely had a much better feel and just my luck it started raining just after i finished so it was a perfect time to test them... To my amazement the brakes stayed consistent, no more locking up, worked perfect like they should. except for the brake light being on for whatever reason...

Now for the kicker... everything was gravy, drove it around all day. came off of a stop sign hard and chirped the tires a little bit and shortly after that i notice the ABS light is on again!

I really need to know where they hide that RWAL diagnostic connector at on the '97s. All i can see from previous threads on the earlier trucks is that it is near the park brake. well, i had half the dash apart last night and it definitely wasnt there!

Going to go through some of it again tonight, bought myself a big ol' jug of brake fluid to flush out that crap that is in there.

So, what i would like to know is:

What will trip the brake light and not the ABS light?
Location of diag connector on the 97's?
how the hell you bleed the prop valve/abs contraption? (its got a goofy looking bleeder on it)

__________________
97 Ram 2500 / 5.9ctd /NV4500/241DHD
Custom Intake Tube+ BHAF, Pump Tuning, Autometer Pyro and Boost gauges, Dual 4" stacks, 33x12.5 Mud terrains, posi-lok, One Hella sound system, tons more to come

ykdave · 07-04-2009, 04:34 AM

ok... so found out that apparently its pin 13 in the ALDL connector that needs to be grounded. Tried that, nothing... light still on steady, no blinking...

__________________
97 Ram 2500 / 5.9ctd /NV4500/241DHD
Custom Intake Tube+ BHAF, Pump Tuning, Autometer Pyro and Boost gauges, Dual 4" stacks, 33x12.5 Mud terrains, posi-lok, One Hella sound system, tons more to come

Joe G. · 07-04-2009, 09:11 AM

Have you tried disconnecting the parking brake? It connects to ground to turn on the brake light. If that does not take care of the problem you need to look for a ground short somewhere. If it does take care of the problem then you need to see what in the parking brake is causing a short. This sort of thing can be a major PITA to fix.

__________________
KDP tab fix info and fuel system article jgeorge1@suddenlink.net '95 2500 CC auto 4X4, 3.54, EGT, boost, fuel pressure, trans temp guages, PacBrake, TST #5, DTT VB, DTT triple disk TC, DTT billet flex plate, Cummins chrome kit.

ykdave · 07-04-2009, 03:56 PM

its not the parking brake at all. light stays on when the ebrake wire is pulled off and gets brighter when hooked up and ebrake applied. so theirs definitely a brake 'issue'

Possibly something f'd in the prop valve im thinking....

Still getting nowhere with the abs codes too...

__________________
97 Ram 2500 / 5.9ctd /NV4500/241DHD
Custom Intake Tube+ BHAF, Pump Tuning, Autometer Pyro and Boost gauges, Dual 4" stacks, 33x12.5 Mud terrains, posi-lok, One Hella sound system, tons more to come

Joe G. · 07-04-2009, 03:59 PM

Do you have RWAL or four wheel ABS?

__________________
KDP tab fix info and fuel system article jgeorge1@suddenlink.net '95 2500 CC auto 4X4, 3.54, EGT, boost, fuel pressure, trans temp guages, PacBrake, TST #5, DTT VB, DTT triple disk TC, DTT billet flex plate, Cummins chrome kit.

LeftCoastErik · 07-04-2009, 04:17 PM

check the wiring at the VSS also, the sensors can go bad, but the pigtails get corroded in the connector and can cause this issue also

__________________
2004 2WD

670HP on Fuel/831HP with NOS
12.73@108mph Slicks/ 12.81@114.5 (9/4/09)Street Tires!
Left Coast Diesel * Concord, CA

ykdave · 07-04-2009, 05:32 PM

RWAL

Checked all of the wiring, all looked good, cleaned it up and reconnected everything. The sensor 'appears' to be working, threw the multimeter at it and its definitely not an open circuit.

__________________
97 Ram 2500 / 5.9ctd /NV4500/241DHD
Custom Intake Tube+ BHAF, Pump Tuning, Autometer Pyro and Boost gauges, Dual 4" stacks, 33x12.5 Mud terrains, posi-lok, One Hella sound system, tons more to come

ykdave · 07-04-2009, 07:09 PM

hells yea, got it sorted out! for now...

Bled the ever living chit out of the brakes (flushed all of the old very very long past due for change brake fluid, out of it) and what do ya know... both lights went out and the brakes feel even better now

I have been reading up on how the valves in the accumulator and whatnot have a tendancy to get jammed up and cause all kinds of weird issues. It was either that or just a bit of air up in the prop valve/abs contraption.

__________________
97 Ram 2500 / 5.9ctd /NV4500/241DHD
Custom Intake Tube+ BHAF, Pump Tuning, Autometer Pyro and Boost gauges, Dual 4" stacks, 33x12.5 Mud terrains, posi-lok, One Hella sound system, tons more to come

Colin Doyle · 07-04-2009, 10:58 PM

I'm having a similar issue with my '98 3500 DRW. I also have RWAL. On every trip, the "BRAKE" and "ABS" lights come on after a couple miles. I guess I'll try flushing my fluid, too.

__________________
'98 Ram 3500 - single cab DRW, 4WD, NV4500, 4.10s, No. 10 plate, 4K GSK, AFC springs, 4" exhaust, BHAF, Isspro gauges, 15.5° timing

ykdave · 07-04-2009, 11:27 PM

its worth a shot, chances are that the fluid is long past due for a flush anyways!

__________________
97 Ram 2500 / 5.9ctd /NV4500/241DHD
Custom Intake Tube+ BHAF, Pump Tuning, Autometer Pyro and Boost gauges, Dual 4" stacks, 33x12.5 Mud terrains, posi-lok, One Hella sound system, tons more to come

lastcall190 · 10-19-2009, 09:25 AM

Bump... I got the same problem even with both the lights. When I FIRST start up the truck, only the brake light is on. Then after idling maybe 10 seconds the ABS one comes back on (the frantically locking brakes made for a comical stop from 10mph... thankfully it was on a back road with nobody around and not near a stop sign). Might as well get to flushing the fluid this weekend!

-J

07-03-2009, 11:05 PM	#1 (permalink)
ykdave Diesel Head Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Yellowknife, NT, Canada Posts: 3,853 Thanks: 0 Thanked 76 Times in 62 Posts ykdave's Truck Pics	BRAKES! The are f'n with me... (BRK/ABS light) Ok, heres the scoop. The truck has always been sketchy after some rain, the brakes would lock up with the slightest pedal pressure nearly putting ya through the windshield... A couple weeks ago after some rain and the brakes were acting up the ABS (RWAL) light came on. hmmmm, right on... Since the brakes still worked (or lack thereof) the same as before i had just ignored it for a while. Went out to it last night to check it out, tried to find the RWAL/ABS diagnostic connector to check which code was thrown. couldnt find it so i just unplugged the module for a bit to clear the code. Meanwhile i proceeded to check over the entire system. BF level was fine but it is pretty rotten looking. I didnt have much fluid on hand and it was late so i couldnt get more so i proceeded to bleed the brakes a bit with what fluid i had. After bleeding all corners (how the F'k are you supposed to bleed the pprop valve and abs contraption?) and going through and cleaning/checking all electrical connections i buttoned everything up and went for a ride. Right away, the brake light was on (wasnt from the park brake as it goes brighter when i hit the park brake) but the abs light was off. The brakes definitely had a much better feel and just my luck it started raining just after i finished so it was a perfect time to test them... To my amazement the brakes stayed consistent, no more locking up, worked perfect like they should. except for the brake light being on for whatever reason... Now for the kicker... everything was gravy, drove it around all day. came off of a stop sign hard and chirped the tires a little bit and shortly after that i notice the ABS light is on again! I really need to know where they hide that RWAL diagnostic connector at on the '97s. All i can see from previous threads on the earlier trucks is that it is near the park brake. well, i had half the dash apart last night and it definitely wasnt there! Going to go through some of it again tonight, bought myself a big ol' jug of brake fluid to flush out that crap that is in there. So, what i would like to know is: What will trip the brake light and not the ABS light? Location of diag connector on the 97's? how the hell you bleed the prop valve/abs contraption? (its got a goofy looking bleeder on it) __________________ 97 Ram 2500 / 5.9ctd /NV4500/241DHD Custom Intake Tube+ BHAF, Pump Tuning, Autometer Pyro and Boost gauges, Dual 4" stacks, 33x12.5 Mud terrains, posi-lok, One Hella sound system, tons more to come

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07-04-2009, 04:34 AM	#2 (permalink)
ykdave Diesel Head Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Yellowknife, NT, Canada Posts: 3,853 Thanks: 0 Thanked 76 Times in 62 Posts ykdave's Truck Pics	ok... so found out that apparently its pin 13 in the ALDL connector that needs to be grounded. Tried that, nothing... light still on steady, no blinking... __________________ 97 Ram 2500 / 5.9ctd /NV4500/241DHD Custom Intake Tube+ BHAF, Pump Tuning, Autometer Pyro and Boost gauges, Dual 4" stacks, 33x12.5 Mud terrains, posi-lok, One Hella sound system, tons more to come

07-04-2009, 09:11 AM	#3 (permalink)
Joe G. Diesel Head Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Eureka, CA Posts: 1,554 Thanks: 0 Thanked 29 Times in 27 Posts Joe G.'s Truck Pics	Have you tried disconnecting the parking brake? It connects to ground to turn on the brake light. If that does not take care of the problem you need to look for a ground short somewhere. If it does take care of the problem then you need to see what in the parking brake is causing a short. This sort of thing can be a major PITA to fix. __________________ KDP tab fix info and fuel system article jgeorge1@suddenlink.net '95 2500 CC auto 4X4, 3.54, EGT, boost, fuel pressure, trans temp guages, PacBrake, TST #5, DTT VB, DTT triple disk TC, DTT billet flex plate, Cummins chrome kit.

07-04-2009, 03:56 PM	#4 (permalink)
ykdave Diesel Head Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Yellowknife, NT, Canada Posts: 3,853 Thanks: 0 Thanked 76 Times in 62 Posts ykdave's Truck Pics	its not the parking brake at all. light stays on when the ebrake wire is pulled off and gets brighter when hooked up and ebrake applied. so theirs definitely a brake 'issue' Possibly something f'd in the prop valve im thinking.... Still getting nowhere with the abs codes too... __________________ 97 Ram 2500 / 5.9ctd /NV4500/241DHD Custom Intake Tube+ BHAF, Pump Tuning, Autometer Pyro and Boost gauges, Dual 4" stacks, 33x12.5 Mud terrains, posi-lok, One Hella sound system, tons more to come

07-04-2009, 03:59 PM	#5 (permalink)
Joe G. Diesel Head Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Eureka, CA Posts: 1,554 Thanks: 0 Thanked 29 Times in 27 Posts Joe G.'s Truck Pics	Do you have RWAL or four wheel ABS? __________________ KDP tab fix info and fuel system article jgeorge1@suddenlink.net '95 2500 CC auto 4X4, 3.54, EGT, boost, fuel pressure, trans temp guages, PacBrake, TST #5, DTT VB, DTT triple disk TC, DTT billet flex plate, Cummins chrome kit.

07-04-2009, 04:17 PM	#6 (permalink)
LeftCoastErik Cummins Fan Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: East Bay, CA Posts: 74 Thanks: 1 Thanked 5 Times in 4 Posts LeftCoastErik's Truck Pics	check the wiring at the VSS also, the sensors can go bad, but the pigtails get corroded in the connector and can cause this issue also __________________ 2004 2WD 670HP on Fuel/831HP with NOS 12.73@108mph Slicks/ 12.81@114.5 (9/4/09)Street Tires! *Left Coast Diesel Concord, CA**

07-04-2009, 05:32 PM	#7 (permalink)
ykdave Diesel Head Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Yellowknife, NT, Canada Posts: 3,853 Thanks: 0 Thanked 76 Times in 62 Posts ykdave's Truck Pics	RWAL Checked all of the wiring, all looked good, cleaned it up and reconnected everything. The sensor 'appears' to be working, threw the multimeter at it and its definitely not an open circuit. __________________ 97 Ram 2500 / 5.9ctd /NV4500/241DHD Custom Intake Tube+ BHAF, Pump Tuning, Autometer Pyro and Boost gauges, Dual 4" stacks, 33x12.5 Mud terrains, posi-lok, One Hella sound system, tons more to come

07-04-2009, 07:09 PM	#8 (permalink)
ykdave Diesel Head Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Yellowknife, NT, Canada Posts: 3,853 Thanks: 0 Thanked 76 Times in 62 Posts ykdave's Truck Pics	hells yea, got it sorted out! for now... Bled the ever living chit out of the brakes (flushed all of the old very very long past due for change brake fluid, out of it) and what do ya know... both lights went out and the brakes feel even better now I have been reading up on how the valves in the accumulator and whatnot have a tendancy to get jammed up and cause all kinds of weird issues. It was either that or just a bit of air up in the prop valve/abs contraption. __________________ 97 Ram 2500 / 5.9ctd /NV4500/241DHD Custom Intake Tube+ BHAF, Pump Tuning, Autometer Pyro and Boost gauges, Dual 4" stacks, 33x12.5 Mud terrains, posi-lok, One Hella sound system, tons more to come

07-04-2009, 10:58 PM	#9 (permalink)
Colin Doyle Cummins Fan Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Collegeville, MN Posts: 46 Thanks: 3 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post Colin Doyle's Truck Pics	I'm having a similar issue with my '98 3500 DRW. I also have RWAL. On every trip, the "BRAKE" and "ABS" lights come on after a couple miles. I guess I'll try flushing my fluid, too. __________________ '98 Ram 3500 - single cab DRW, 4WD, NV4500, 4.10s, No. 10 plate, 4K GSK, AFC springs, 4" exhaust, BHAF, Isspro gauges, 15.5° timing

07-04-2009, 11:27 PM	#10 (permalink)
ykdave Diesel Head Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Yellowknife, NT, Canada Posts: 3,853 Thanks: 0 Thanked 76 Times in 62 Posts ykdave's Truck Pics	its worth a shot, chances are that the fluid is long past due for a flush anyways! __________________ 97 Ram 2500 / 5.9ctd /NV4500/241DHD Custom Intake Tube+ BHAF, Pump Tuning, Autometer Pyro and Boost gauges, Dual 4" stacks, 33x12.5 Mud terrains, posi-lok, One Hella sound system, tons more to come

10-19-2009, 09:25 AM	#11 (permalink)
lastcall190 Cummins Fan Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: NJ Posts: 43 Thanks: 12 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post lastcall190's Truck Pics	Bump... I got the same problem even with both the lights. When I FIRST start up the truck, only the brake light is on. Then after idling maybe 10 seconds the ABS one comes back on (the frantically locking brakes made for a comical stop from 10mph... thankfully it was on a back road with nobody around and not near a stop sign). Might as well get to flushing the fluid this weekend! -J