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Bad ABS controller

3K views 12 replies 7 participants last post by  98camryLElady 
#1 ·
My ABS light (on my 98 Camry LE 4 cyl) has been on for quite some time. Dealer says I have a bad ABS controller. They suggest I ignore the light as it would cost too much to replace. I've spent hours searching our 3rd/4th gen forum (which I love by the way!), and this is my first posted question. Finding in one post: two options: 1) ignore it (as dealer mentions) or 2) go to boneyard and pick one up. Are these still the best two options? (I plan on keeping my Camry. Love it!)
 
#2 ·
Finding in one post: two options: 1) ignore it (as dealer mentions) or 2) go to boneyard and pick one up. Are these still the best two options? (I plan on keeping my Camry. Love it!)
Yes, pretty much. As you said, getting a new one from a dealer would be stupidly expensive. Be aware Toyota used Bosch or Denso ABS systems, so when you go looking for a new one, be sure which one you need. There should be a label on it somewhere ID'ing it. These don't go bad very often, so I wouldn't hesitate to put in a used one. Plus, some salvage yards will give you a short warranty, so you can get another if it fails.
 
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#3 ·
yes, 2nd the junk yard pull. assuming you feel you need abs. i don't have it and i kinda hate computers doing the driving for me, but that's just me. some people love it, some feel better with it, even if they never use it and some downright actually need it as they have no clue how to pump the brakes in an emergency.
a yard pull should work just fine as bmr sez..
tony
 
#4 · (Edited)
Thank you so much for the helpful info and being careful about which type my Camry has. As much as I'd like to have the ABS indicator light off, I'm going to ignore it for now. With it not being an emergency, I'll keep my eyes open for a used one but I'm not going to hunt one down (no bone yards near me). Loving this Toyota Nation site. :)
 
#5 ·
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#6 ·
Hello - I had a similar problem with my 1999 Camry. I followed the instructions on making the ABS controller barf out the trouble codes (flashing lamps) and found that the ABS controller was (intermittently) failing when the AC was on. Turns out that the battery voltage was dipping into a range that the ABS controller didn't like. The solution was to replace the alternator. Case closed. Check the voltage out with your multi-meter.
 
#7 ·
Thank you for the link and the heads up on checking eBay. Nothing on eBay at the moment, but the other site had a long list of places to call. As BMR says above, I'll need to find out if mine is a Bosch or Denso system before I start making calls. Sure hope I can trust the dealer -- that it is, indeed, a bad control module.
 
#9 ·
Bad ABS Controller?

I would take the time to determine the exact trouble code before changing parts blindly. The procedure is pretty simple, as described by TurDonor in a post from 2009:

First, connect terminal 4 and 13 of the OBD-II socket (under the dash in front of your left knee) with a jumper wire. (Those are the 4th from the left on the top and the fifth from the left on the bottom.)

"Turn the ignition to on. You'll notice lots of flashing lights, but just pay attention to the ABS light. Normally, it should be rapidly and steadily flashing, twice per second. If it has stored a trouble code, it will instead be flashing a pattern that will coding a two-digit number. There may be more than one code being flashed out. It will just repeat the code over and over, so you have plenty of time to figure it out and write it (them) down.

NOW you can clear the codes. Just tap the brakes rapidly 8 or more times, about two taps per second. You don't have to jam on the brakes, just tap them enough to blink the brake lights. If you're successful, the ABS light should return to its normal fast blinking. Now remove the jumper wire, and finally turn off the key."

You should be able to look up the code here or elsewhere online. FYI, I used this procedure to diagnose a bad left rear wheel sensor; even though my 2009 Corolla doesn't have ABS, the wiring and sensors are still there and capable of triggering an ABS fault.
 
#10 ·
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#11 ·
Best bet would be to try to read the code - it's really not that difficult, and will give you a better idea.

I'd be skeptical of dealer's suggestion - if they didn't want to do the job, they could've told you anything to talk you out of it. Of course, it could be that they did read the code and their diagnosis was indeed correct, but I'd check the trouble code on my own before throwing parts at the problem.

And yes, there are two potential modules - the ABS ACTUATOR (also known as ABS pump), which is under the hood on the passenger side with 8 brake lines going to it, or the ABS CONTROL MODULE, which is the computer that sits behind the glove box next to the engine control module and calculates what the ABS actuator needs to do.

If you do get to replacing parts, make sure to get one with the exact 10-digit part number as yours.
ABS actuators can be expensive - the pick n pull yard I frequent charges over $100 for one, which makes it one of the most expensive parts they sell.

Hope this helps.
 
#12 · (Edited)
Son had his go south last summer on his '05 Solara. I had him take it to our local Midas shop (yea, I know Midas has a bad rep, but the guy who owns this one is fantastic, all his techs are well-trained, and he busts his a$$ to make it the best full-service, award-winning shop in the area). The tech doing the job diagnosed the bad ABS Controller/Actuator(pump) and gave him the estimate on fixing (cheaper than dealer, but still big $$$s). The tech also told son he could do nothing if he felt OK without ABS, as everything else would work fine.


A while back, son had an old Ford Ranger that had the ABS (rear only) go bad and we bypassed it to keep the rears from locking up all the time, so he was quite accustomed to old school brakes. So he decided to do nothing on the Solara. So far, no problems.
 
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