Help!

JCMatthews

Tour Guide
I am having a very weird issue with my ABS and was wondering if anyone out there has had this issue. last month we went to Alaska. Just before we left to come home the front end of my '05 Tundra started making noise. I got it into a place in Fairbanks called Alyeska Tire. It was easy to diagnose as the right front wheel bearing. They don't usually press wheel bearings, it was Saturday, and the places that do this type of work for them were all closed. Trying to help me, they found a place in North Pole that said they could do it. In North Pole, not having a press that could do the job, they tried using and air hammer and beat the back of the spindle. Back at Alyeska Tire, they decided that even though they had never done a bearing, they could set up their press and do the job. They got everything apart, inspected the spindle determining it was just cosmetic damage, and then did their very best to reassemble everything. They were very careful to try to keep things aligned and tight, but when everything was back together I had a small rattle in that front wheel. After spend eight hours at the shop with two kids, I left to go to dinner and back to camp. The plan was to return Monday morning to have them send it out to be redone. As I left there was a new issue. About 2/3s of the time I would stop, my ABS would actuate as though my brakes were locking up. It was obvious that by the way the truck pulled that it was releasing the right front brake. Never did the ABS light come on, and it still has not. As I drove around that night, the rattle seamed to go away, and wanting to get home, I did not return to Alyeska Tire to let them try again. Now I am home in Utah. My truck has been in the shop for a week. My ABS are still acting up. The shop here has tested everything electronic, and everything tests good. They have bled the brakes with a scan tool in sequence twice to make sure there isn't any air in the system. (The kid in Fairbanks took the caliper off and bled the brakes). Yesterday they put on a new tone ring, and pressed a new bearing and new spindle. On the test drive, the ABS still acted up. We are just about at a loss. Has anyone dealt with a similar issue? Besides shooting it like an old horse, does anyone have any idea what could be wrong? At this point I am quite desperate and discouraged. Please help!
 
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AaronK

Explorer
ABS sensor is my guess as well. Not much else near the wheel the shop could have buggered up. Maybe the wiring to the sensor got pinched and is exposed? If it's shorting out that may be causing the ABS computer to go funny?

Sent from my OnePlus One using Tapatalk.
 

JCMatthews

Tour Guide
The ABS light is not coming on. Electronically everything checks out good. There are no codes. The sensor tested as functional. They reset something to do with a wheel angle. This morning they tried a new caliper. On the test drive we used the brakes a lot before it started acting up again. The mechanic that was with me thinks it could still be air in the ABS module. He wants to flush the entire system, and replace all of the fluid. When I put my add-leafs on I buggered the wire in the rear. The ABS light came on and the ABS stopped working altogether. We replaced the damaged rear sensor reset the system and were good to go. This time no light and ABS actuating under normal braking conditions.
 
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JCMatthews

Tour Guide
They replaced the brake fluid to no avail, and have read online that sensors can go bad and not throw codes. They just send the wrong info. So a new sensor has been ordered. Cross your fingers for me.
 

dyogim

Explorer
Have you tried removing the fuses for the ABS system? This may help determine if the issue is electrical or mechanical.
 

JCMatthews

Tour Guide
Have you tried removing the fuses for the ABS system? This may help determine if the issue is electrical or mechanical.

No the fuses have not been removed. I thought it might be a good idea to pull the fuse just to reset the system.
 

JCMatthews

Tour Guide
Have you tried removing the fuses for the ABS system? This may help determine if the issue is electrical or mechanical.

No the fuses have not been removed. I thought it might be a good idea to pull the fuse just to reset the system.
 

JCMatthews

Tour Guide
The sensors in the front were changed out. There was no difference. They believe that it is happening less frequently, but it is still happening. It is very strange, because under hard braking it does not seem to happen, but going slow in a parking lot and riding the brakes, or in slow city traffic is when it happens.
 

cruiseroutfit

Supporting Sponsor: Cruiser Outfitters
How are you testing for codes, using a parts-store variety code reader or a Toyota proprietary system (Techstream). The Toyota system stores far more codes than read by a normal unit, might be worth a trip to the dealer (or a Toyota specialty shop with capabilities) and the diagnostic fee to see if they can produce a more resolute code.
 

JCMatthews

Tour Guide
How are you testing for codes, using a parts-store variety code reader or a Toyota proprietary system (Techstream). The Toyota system stores far more codes than read by a normal unit, might be worth a trip to the dealer (or a Toyota specialty shop with capabilities) and the diagnostic fee to see if they can produce a more resolute code.
My local Big-O-Tire has been trying to read codes. They even hooked up the computer and test drove it to see what was going on during regular driving. They reported that the front brakes were less consistent than the rears, but really found nothing. Kurt will there be codes if the ABS light is not on? Is Cruiser Outfitters one of those specialty shops? When my truck gets out of the body shop, I might need to make a trip to the city with the salty lake.
 
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