Brake issue. Please offer additional things to look at!

[Bob Kunkle]

I have been having a difficult issue with my 2001 ST.

1. Jan.5 it started falsely activating the ABS. I had a garage pull the codes and I replaced the Front left and the center rear ABS sensors. This cleared the codes, but not the issue.

2. Took the truck to the garage that read my codes. They flushed the brakes and did not resolve the ABS issue. Garage reported that ABS ECU does not report speeds above 20MPH. Recommended taking to a Ford dealer.

3. The garage took the ST to the local Ford Dealer on Monday. Dealer and Ford Engineering(by phone) have verified:

a. rotors are not not warped

b. rotors are straight

c. ABS system reports up to 50 MPH

d. Dealer replaced ECU

e. Dealer replaced front right ABS sensor

f. Dealer has assured me that everything that they have checked and everything that Ford engineering has asked to be verified is ok and within spec.

g. As of 4pm today, Ford engineering has requested that the dealer change the front rotors

h. Dealer said that if this does not resolve the issue, that Ford Engineering will be coming to the dealership.



Any insight?

 

[Russ Lynas]

I don't have any insight but I had a 02 Explorer and now I have a 08 Sport Trac and both have frustrated the hell out of me with brake problems. I just encourage you to stay after Ford. If you had an 01 Toyota or a 01 Honda of any model, I doubt you be have problems. Anyway, that is what I tell Ford every chance I get.



BTW, document, document everything

 

[Bob Kunkle]

Bump....

 

[Kevin Palmer]

I was trying to stay off this thread as I feel you are being used more or less.



They really do NOT know the CORRECT issue. So,,, they are doing parts swapping and doing so at your expense. And,,, they are telling you that, even though this did not solve the issue, it was defective, so it was ok for us to do the job and you pay us for our stupidity.



In the very begining myself and Todd both said there was no way that both of the sensors failed at the same time, (unless there was some sort of under body wire damage). I was ASE certified for 18 years and did literally thousands of complex ABS issues.



So when the sensors got swapped out,,, you did not gain anything.



ABS requires a decent machine that can read streamlined information. The better machines will make a movie of the events. By that, you drive until you get a code or whatever info you are specifically looking for. It trip the machine and makes a mark on the movie.



Then back at the shop, you go straight to the mark and rewind it a bit and see what tripped the code or event. This helps in a huge way as you get to see WHY it did what it did.



You do this two or three times to ensure continuity if it is not a clear cut answer, as it seems to be an issue in your case.



I do not think you have the vehicle in a location that has the knowledge for sure and in all probability the right scanner.



You want someone that knows what they are reading and have at least a Snap-On MT2500 or higher scanner.



Until you find someone that KNOWS what he/she is doing. You are just throwing money away at a parts swapper store...



It will get VERY expensive FAST....



Like I said, I did not want to jump on this and upset you more than I am sure you are already.



But bottom line, it will not get fixed where it is unless they get lucky, and,,, you WILL pay the bill for their guess work.....

 

[Kevin Palmer]

I hope this post does not sound as though I am attacking you, I just CAN NOT stand when a repair shop does not know what they are doing and charge you the customer for their guess work.



Anyone can be a parts swapper, it takes a technician with skill to fix things right by what they see in the various tests...

 

[Bob Kunkle]

I got a call from Ford this morning. They opened the rear and there are two teeth missing from the exciter ring. They are going to call me back with a delivery time for the part. We will see.



First shop is removing the labor charged for the spider gear replacement since this may have existed last week. They said they rotated the rear and did not see any missing teeth on the exciter ring.



Ford said, "Don't worry about the numbers, we will be taking care of you." I think they may end up using their 'Good Will' account.

 

[Scott Tanner]

I agree with castlejoe 100%.. I would leverage Ford to reimburse you for the parts swapping... Aftermarket rotors, even with the same part numbers, can be made by different manufacturers, or in different lots. The blipper wheen can be different, the wrong spec, spacing, rusted than the other side, causing the MIL... The ABS computer interprets that as one wheel going faster than the other, and therefore thinks it is malfunctioning...

keep us posted!!

 

[Tom Schindler]

To me, it sounds like Ford is going out of their way to help Bob out.





Tom

 

[Scott Tanner]

True.... It's a shame, though, that it had to escalate this far... What Ford is doing is better than a lot of us get, let's hope this is a peek of the new business as usual at Ford....

 

[Bob Kunkle]

OK, I have an update.

1. First shop total is $507.81 and there is some additional maintenance stuff I added.

a. Coolant Flush--$70

b. Brake fluid flush-- $90

c. Rack and Pinion bellows(rubber boots) $30 for Moog bellow kit plus labor

d. Duralast Front sway bar links installed (I supplied the links)

e. Spider gear install (~$90 for gear)(labor deleted per previous post)

f. Clean and adjust rear brakes (half hour labor)

2. Ford Dealer total ($850.28, but I haven't seen the invoice yet)(Service manager says they are helping me with the bill. They said they cut off about half of the bill. It has been in for service for 5 days)

a. New ABS ECU

b. New front right ABS Sensor

c. New exciter ring in rear (no labor for removal of rear ~400 deleted for labor)

d. New carrier bearings in rear ($80 plus labor)

 

[scott degroot]

SOunds as if all the repair facilities that you have taken it to are a little on the incompetent side, my first step in dianosing one of these issues is a quick scope of all the wheel sensors, the missing teeth would have shown up immediately on the lab scope...and I wouldn't have had to take anything apart.

 

[Andy Szkutak]

Hey, try changing out your front wheel bearings...my 01 had the exact same problem with the pulsating at low speeds and it ended up having to change the wheel bearings which have the ABS stuff inside them...



Just a thought,

Good luck

Andy Szkutak

 

[Chase Straw]

If you had an 01 Toyota or a 01 Honda of any model, I doubt you be have problems.

FALSE! My wifes 00' accord from 97,000 miles on gave us nothing but trouble, oh wait you said 01' maybe they fixed all the problems in 1 year.

 

[Patrick Roberts 2]

same problem with my '01 - now have 140K, and this problem started maybe a year ago. They can find nothing wrong, and I've replaced rotors and brakes.