ABS light on instrument panel
 

The ABS light on my instrument panel has been on for several months and I finally took it to someone to have it checked. There was no code or reason for it being on but the tech cleared it and the light shut off until I plugged my Gryphon cable back in and the light came back on again. He repeated this 3 times and the light goes out until the Gryphon is plugged back in.

Any ideas?

Are you turning off the truck when he clears it then turning on the key to boot the programmer? Are you cranking it?

What happens if you leave it unplugged, clear the code, drive around a bit and then plug in the programmer?

I didn't try to leave it unplugged.

He unplugged the programmer, plugged in his scan tool, deleted the ABS code (which was unidentifiable), started the truck, plugged the programmer back in and as soon as he did, the light came back on.

That is what I figured. The programmer is passive when you are not acutally programming so the trouble you are having is in the truck. Unfortunately, since the code was unidentifiable I'm not sure what your next step will be.:shrug:

There must have been at least a code number.

How can you have an unidentifiable code? I'd say you have a genuine problem with the ABS and you need to take the truck to someone who knows what he's doing.

And, Longshot's absolutely right. The Gryphon is simply a passive monitor in the scenario you are describing. It cannot "cause" any kind of malfunction. There's no feedback from it to the PCM.

- Jack

I took it to a brake mechanic who knows brakes. There was one trouble code but no number or explaination to it. The Gryphon has given me the same issue at times. It'll say there is 3 engine codes found but only 2 are given in the next screen.

I just don't know why the ABS light come on as soon as the OBDII connectors touch. It's not a few seconds later or whatever, it's as soon as they touch. There has to be something to it.

Maybe in your engine swap, I think you also changed the PCM? If that's the case, I'd suspect it was not wired properly. Possibly the "plug in" is making connections that it shouldn't? :shrug: Again though, an OBD monitor doesn't "set" a code.

Here's a link to a site where you can enter a code that doesn't seem to be "defined". Maybe it will help: http://www.aboutautomobile.com/DTC

- Jack

Let me make a few things more clear.
1.) The ECM is the original, only the engine is different.
2.) The ABS light isn't giving a code, only the light comes on and can be turned off from the scan tool, only to come back on when the connection is made.

OK, I give up! Pull the fuse on the ABS light. :shrug:

- Jack

Check your connections on the abs controls.

Can you point me in the direction to do this?

OK, I went to another guy and he had a better scanner. He says the computer doesn't know the truck has ABS so it's triggering the ABS light? How could the computer not know it has ABS? I need Bill to check and see if anything was done when he wrote my 4.6 to 5.4 tune. I don't want a truck without ABS that had it before? Something IS wrong here.

Yes - Something IS wrong. The base (stock) tune in your PCM does not "see" your truck properly. Unless Bill wrote a new "stock" tune for you, I cannot see how his "tune" files would have anything to do with this.

How did you get your truck to run in the first place after the engine swap before Bill entered the picture? I may be wrong,. but I'd guess that someone "flashed" a stock tune into that PCM that made it work with the new engine. Then, Bill wrote custom tunes for that flash (hex code).

My "educated" guess is, the stock flash DID NOT include your ABS brakes. So, I'd bet you need a new stock flash. Once you get this, I suspect Bill will have to rewrite your tunes - similar to getting a dealer reflash.

If what I'm saying is plausible, go back to whoever did your stock flash and make him reflash it with the CORRECT stock tune. Make sure you set your truck back to stock first though!

- Jack

Jack,
Bill, in fact, wrote the stock 5.4 tune on the orignal 4.6 ECM after the engine swap. I had to give him the #'s from the original ECM so he could figure out the what the 5.4 hex code was going to be. So, if the stock tune did not include the ABS then it needs to be done again. Can you forward this to Bill so he can review his original tune to see if it was correct?

Okey-Dokey - I'll try to draw his attention to it.

- Jack

There should be a box around the master brake cylinder.

OK guys, I've tried everything suggested and still nothing. Fuses check out, connections check out, programming back to stock doesn't help (a reminder that Bill wrote my stock tune as well). I am getting extremely irritated and worried because twice since my last post concerning this I've had my brakes LOCK UP when braking firmly and nearly got into two accidents!
I need Bill to re-check his tune to make sure the ABS is included because this has become a major safety issue. I know you guys are busy but safety comes first in EVERY matter.

Yup - I'd say your engine installer screwed up the wiring somewhere and it needs to be fixed. A tune IS NOT going to muck with the ABS!

- Jack

Jack, you yourself suggested in an earlier response that the stock flash did not include the ABS brakes in the tune. I want to make sure that Bill's tune included the ABS brakes before I start spending a lot of money trying to figure out something that may be as easy as checking a stock tune.

Today, I was on an empty street and decided to test the brakes and they locked up everytime I was firm with them. This is bad and is a serious issue in regards to safety.

Please get Bill's attention on this and if everything is good with his tune then I'll start spending money to get this resolved, but I am not spending money to get someone else to mess with my stock tune if that's the issue.

I'll leave a post on the mod board about the issue. For now just be careful until this gets ironed out.

After my two close calls, I am very careful.

OK guys, I've waited long enough to see if Bill's rewrite of the original stock tune included the ABS. I think it's ridiculous to have to wait this long, especially with a safety issue of my brakes locking up as much as they have. I need Bill to recheck his file and I shouldn't have to be put on the back burner any longer.