ABS light on help needed

[EaOutlaw1969]

It may be a dumb qustion but here goes anyways.

I purchased a Innova 3040E https://www.amazon.com/Innova-3040e-...s=innova+3040e to pull ABS codes from my 2000 Mercury Grand Marquis, The ABS light is on.

The Innova scanner shows no ABS codes Stored.

The battery has been disconnected overnight and I had bad connections at the battery and at the starter that have since been resolved.

Since this vehicle is currentley being repaired- partially restored before I will register and insure it, I have not been driving it and do not plan on driving it anytime soon. ( other than short trips around the neighborhood to keep rust off the brake rotors etc )


Anyways when I was looking over this car before I purchased it I noticed the abs control module large electrical connector was unplugged.

After I purchased the car and got it home I inspected the connector at both sides it was obvious from a small cob web it has been disconnected for sometime, I cleaned the connector and tried plugging it back in yet it would not just snap in place easliy like expected.

After messing with it over and over I ended up using a large pair of channellocks to get the connector to slide in past the locking tabs then it snapped in and felt secure.

While doing this I was concerned about the prongs getting bent over wrecking the connector at the module so I was careful to make sure the connectors went on straight and even with each other ( if that makes sense )

I did check both ABS fuses one large one under the hood and on small one inside that car, actually I checked all the fuses with a computer safe test light and I have voltage on both sides of each fuse. I double checked that each fuse was the correct amperage fuse for the spot it lives in.

I confirmed this scanner is supposed to read and clear ABS codes on my car ( confirmed by the compatibility checker on innova's website )

Since the scanner is new I decided to try and run some basic test to make sure the scanner is functional, yet when I try to run a key on engine off test or key on engine running test all I get is a p1000 ( OBD systems readiness test not complete )

It was able to run the battery and alternator test yet nothing else that I have tried wants to work.

This scan tool has a bunch of little round circles on the top that are supposed to be green if the tool and or car is ready for testing some of the lights turn red if the tool or car is not ready because of some problem or Fords drive cycle requirements.

http://www.nyc.gov/html/tlc/downloads/pdf/ford_obd_drive_cycle.pdf

I may be wrong but from what I remember the drive cycle requirements normally do not hinder code reading operations for the ABS system for a normal pro level scan tool.

Obviously I do not have a pro level scan tool and I cannot afford one yet my feeling is this scan tool wants all the little dots to light up green before it will be able to pull the ABS codes.

When I called the technical support line the tech suggested the issue is the drive cycle for the P1000 issue which is obvious but he also claimed it is why the scanner is not showing any codes for the ABS which I doubt but I have been out of car repairs for so long I just do not know.

So finally after all this back ground information here is my question " Does a 2000 MGM LS need to have a completed series of drive cycles in order to pull ABS codes after the battery was disconnected over night? "

This may not have anything to do with the ABS system but it is something I noticed when I had the lower rear seat out, Someone has a scotch lock type connector and a black wire run from the drivers side rear to the passenger side rear for some reason, I have not been able to trace down what this wire is or why it was put there yet once I get signed up with Alldata and have access to a wiring diagram I will be doing just that.

For now I was going to check to see what is on this wire, power or ground and try to see what circuit it is from. I think this is a power wire for the opera lights now that I think of it.

Any tips, hints, clues, information would be apprecaited.

Thanks in advance

[GM_Guy]

Until you start driving the car for a long enough period of time, there will be no codes. A code only gets set once the computer detects an error condition X number of times.
Since your scanner has live data, you can at least look at the sensors as the engine is running and coming up to temp. You do have a limited selection of live data with the innova, but it gives you something to look at. ABS codes, unless theres a hard fault are not going to be set until you start driving it. Just make sure you try things out on a deserted road first, you don't want to be hauling down the interstate and have to come to a sudden stop and find out that is the condition where the abs is not functioning properly (ie: abs activating and not turning off) not allowing you to stop in time.

[those dots] are simply to tell you if the EMMSIONS readniness test have completed. In other words, you need to drive it for all the tests to complete. Until they do, don't bother even stopping at an etest place if you require it. They'll tell you the car ain't ready, to drive it, and come back in a week.

Alex.

[gadget73]

Its also not impossible that the ABS control unit is dead. Also would be worth some contact cleaner on the control unit and the connector just to rule out bad connection issues. I ran into that with the much older system on my Mark VII. The idiot light came on and it absolutely refused to give codes. After much fucking about, I determined the brain was dead. John confirmed it in his car, and a junkyard module got me fixed yesterday.

Usually the ABS stuff doesn't really have a drive cycle requirement but it does want to see the car over some speed to make sure all the sensors are working. Not sure what that one wants but my Mark VII wants to see over 25 mph.

[sxcpotatoes]

My 2002 had an ABS light, one of the many neglected components when I got it from my brother/his oldest. A dead control module/ABS computer was the culprit, and $50+ship junkyard part and install later, everything's right as rain. The snow we had the other day triggered it on the way to work a couple times on my unplowed street.

[EaOutlaw1969]

Hi guys thanks for the response, I guess I will have another reason to sign up for Alldata or Mitchell, I have been putting it off until I was sure the car was worth a subscription after looking it over i am positive the car is worth my effort.

[GM_Guy]

I'd also suggest keeping an eye on ebay for an EVTM (electrical, vacuum, troubleshooting manual) that comes up at a decent price.
One of these; and its price is even right;

https://www.ebay.com/itm/2000-Ford-Crown-Victoria-Factory-Electrical-Wiring-Diagrams-Service-Manual-EVTM/391977883333?hash=item5b43b3d6c5:g:29EAAOSwubRXMNPs

Alex.

[EaOutlaw1969]

Thanks GM Guy what does this manual have in its pages that Alldata or Mitchel ondemand does not have?

With my eyesight I prefer to have something I can zoom in using my computer or iPad.

[GM_Guy]

Wiring diagrams. Usually decent ones in the evtm. I prefer paper diagrams over electronic.
Better or equivalent to all data/mitchell? No idea, never see the mitchell or all data wiring diagrams for the panther. I do know old Motor wiring diagrams where a copy of the Ford diagram.

[sly]

From what I've seen... Mitchell is better than Alldata for box panthers, but that's not saying much. Whales seem to have good documentation. I have the EVTM/service DVD and it's pretty thorough, but nothing is color coded lines in the diagrams like Mitchell that I've seen. Just black lines with noted wire colors.

[gadget73]

I have access to Alldata, and as far as I can see its just not so clear scans from the factory shop manual. Its mostly legible but not nearly as sharp as original printings. Also, I can carry a manual around the car with me a lot easier than the laptop. They are also rather more robust. I've dropped one on the floor more than once, about the worst that happens is you lose your place and it gets dirty. Drop a laptop a few times and see how that goes.

If you're going electronic, digital copy of the factory shop manual would be my personal preference. I was lucky enough to get hooked up with Alldata for free, so I'll make use of that. Honestly I've never really used it for my own cars, I have paper for all of them.

[EaOutlaw1969]

When it comes to service manuals I do like factory ones, yet every time I try and zoom the page it tears LOL.

When using Alldata I do research on a PC and when the information neeeds to go to the car or garage i use my iPad, I have a armored cased on it that protects it pretty well.

Since I know what I get with Alldata I think I will go for a one year subscrition with Mitchell just to test the waters. I will also purchase a Factory service manual or manaul set for the MGM when i can afford it.

Thanks guys

[EaOutlaw1969]

I signed up to eautorepair.net aka mitchellondemand diy

Anyways I read through their offerings for ABS troubleshooting what made the most sense to start is with Test A No communications with ABCM for the year 2000 MGM

the first part of the test was to verifiy battery voltage or volatage above 10 volts with key on engine off at the disconnected ABCM connector or breakout box I had 11.97 volts or so.

Step 2 is as follows word for word.

Connect Ohmmeter to known good ground Measure resistance at ABCM connector pins NO 24 and 8 if resistances are less than 5 ohms check and restore ground connections

If resistance are more than 5 ohms repair appropiate black wire circuit, restore vehicle clears codes and recheck system.

My question is because it shows in test 1 to have the key on during the volatge test and does not say to turn the key off it just says move on to next step should the key be off during the Ohm test at the connector? I think it should be off

With the key off I have very close to 5 ohms like 4.79 which could just be my less than perfect DVOM leads point of contact, with the key on the Ohms are 34.7

At this point if I had to guess at something I would gamble on a bad ABCM liket gadget73 mentioned could be a possiblility.

BTW ( wiring diagram shows a ground for this circuit on front of passenger side front fender the grounds near the battery which I removed and cleaned just to be sure they were good )

[sly]

I would assume the test is in the same state as the previous test (key on) unless otherwise specified by the procedure.

[gadget73]

if you're ohm checking from harness connector to chassis ground, it really doesn't matter a whole lot. I would not expect that reading to change key on / key off if the circuit is chassis ground to connector pin. If its changing, that sounds like a questionable ground to me. If you're reading straight from the battery, its probably just current flow through the electrical system. Maybe try a body ground connection point to see if it behaves better.

typical DVM leads are a half ohm or so. Connect them together, you'll see what it is. If you need an exact reading, just subtract that number from your final reading. Honestly the lack of ability to zero the ohm reading is one thing that irks the hell out of me with digital ohm meters. It seems that it would be a simple function to add.

[jaywish]

When you turn the car on what is the flash pattern on the ABS light?