Abs light is on a 2001 Pontiac Sunfire?

Question

I just got into my car this morning and noticed my ABS light is on. It was not on last night, so I have no idea what happened. My car sat inside all night, and like I said, when I got in and started it this morning, the ABS light was on and did not turn off the entire way to work. Does anyone know what may have caused this, and what needs to be done?

Answer 1

When my turned on, it was low on brake fluid. I visually checked mine, but because of the light, I thought it was full. WRONG. Then my brake pedal went ALL THE WAY down. I could not figure what was wrong. I decided to add some brake fluid and 10 ounces later it was full. Seems the shadow I saw was the plastic container itself, Bad discoloration. My ABS light went out.

Check the fluid out and buy a haynes repair manual too. .


Get a Haynes Repair Manual at the local Auto Zone or auto parts store in your area. It will troubleshoot and show you how to fix your vehicle. Also on the Auto Zone site has a section for vehicle maintenance. Go to the look section and brake light on. Have fun. Bookmark the site.

http://www.autozone.com/servlet/UiBroker?UseCase=S001&UserAction=viewSimpleDiagInfo&Parameters=info

This is what is on the site for light being on.

Priority Action Part Type Cause
1 Inspect Master Cylinder (Brake System) Worn or leaking brake master cylinder.
3 Inspect Brake Fluid Type Brake fluid loss or contamination
4 Inspect Brake Hose Brake hose leaking
5 Inspect Brake Power Booster Damaged booster diaphram
6 Inspect Parking Brake Release Handle Improper installation/adjustment or damaged brake components
7 Inspect Wheel Cylinder Worn or leaking wheel cylinder(s).


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Answer 2

2001 Pontiac Sunfire

Answer 3

it is not your brake pads. your abs does not know if your brake pads are worn. possibilities are:
abs sensor/ ring problem (one on each wheel, the most common problem)
wiring problem/ fuses, etc.
computer problem
hydraulic problem (least likely if the brakes feel ok, and usually the red brake light would be on for this)

and- just to be safe- check the brake fluid level. usually this will turn the red brake light on, but better safe than sorry, it takes like two minutes.
when the abs light comes on, there is a "trouble code"saved in the computers memory. this needs to be retrieved, using a capable scanner. next step- test according to the code as needed, etc.....

you should be ok to drive until you can get it checked out, as long as the brakes feel ok. you will still have your normal brakes, you just wont have the antilock feature (rain, snow, etc.) whitch some cars dont even have. when there is a serious urgent brake problem, the red brake light will light also. im assuming from your question that only the yellow abs light is on. the answers you are getting here are for the red brake light, not the abs light. hope this helps, good luck.


oh also- dont disconnect the battery if you want to find out why it came on!! it will erase the memory. if it was a one time problem, and "fixes itself", the light will eventually go out on its own.

Answer 4

I had the same thing but on another vehicle. A brake inspection showed that it was the abs sensor. And all that had to be done was to clean it, which was much less costly than the brake inspection itself. You can drive without abs anyway. All abs does it pump the brakes for you when stopping in slippery conditions. This you can do yourself. I know some people who actually prefer no abs, and disconnected it.

Answer 5

May just need new brake pads. Disconnect the battery for about 2 or 3 minutes, reconnect it and see if the light comes on right away. Whatever the cause, it needs to be addressed asap. your brakes are not something to put off. Consider buying a Chilton or Haynes repair manual for your car, you can find most answers in there with a little reading.