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View Full Version : Strange problem with '01 SS--need some help.



Ralph LoGrasso
07-17-2005, 05:29 PM
Hey guys,

I had a very strange problem with my car last night while with some friends, and I've got no idea what went wrong. Let me try to preface the situation for you, and maybe you can figure something out, be fore-warned, it's a bit of a complicated issue and thus a confusing story, but here goes--

I start my car up, turn off the ASR (traction control), and head out of the parking lot. I drive about 1.5 miles to another parking lot, take a slow lap around the parking lot, and then head back onto the street (I was looking for a friend of mine. I make a right, and lay into my car a little bit. I shifted 2nd gear at about 5k, 3/4 throttle, proceed to shift 3rd gear in the same fashion. I then see my friend coming down the other side of the street/highway. I flash my brights at him twice, put on my left indicator, and make a U-turn at the light up ahead. I follow him back down to the light, and I notice that my left turn signal in the dash is still on, it's dim though, and not flashing. I pull into the parking lot, and my friend tells me my headlight is out. I then look down at the dash again, and notice my ABS INOP light is on. I pull into a parking space, and turn the car off. I turn the car back on, and the headlight is now working, but the ABS light is still on, and the ASR is off (the ASR automatically turns on when you start the car). I shut the car off, turn it back on--same problem. I wait a few minutes, turn the car on and the ASR came back on (as it's supposed to), the ABS light was off, and everything was back to normal. Suspecting the ASR was the problem, I turn it off again, and it shuts off like normal, no ABS light, no other problems. I break the tires loose a little bit to make sure it's really disabled, get to my house, break out the code reader and scan the computer. No codes. I'm at a loss as to what happend here? The only thing I can think of is between the ASR being off, the headlights on/flashing brights, the indicator, and the radio, the ASR circuit got overloaded, and thus disabled itself and the ABS? ASR and ABS sensors are pretty close to each other on the rear.

So to recap this undoubtedly confusing story--Radio is running (actually ipod), brights flashing, indicator on, ASR disabled. Pull into parking lot after acceleration, and notice indicator is still on (in the dash, not actual indicator) but dim, ABS INOP is light up, and when i turn the car off, the traction control won't turn back on automatically, nor when i push the switch. Wait a few minutes, start car and turn off, repeat and all is fine. No codes are thrown.

Very strange to say the least, but any ideas on what might have happened?

Thanks for any help!

MrQuick
07-17-2005, 05:31 PM
you might have a faulty connection in you instrument cluster. The bulb problem? See if you have water in the lens.

Ralph LoGrasso
07-17-2005, 05:32 PM
P.S. It was VERY humid out--probably about 95% humidity (you could cut the air with a knife). I doubt that plays into the situation, but figured I'd throw that fact out there.

deadcarny
07-17-2005, 05:32 PM
i know that the ABS Inop light comes on often when the cars go on the dyno and when people do some hard driving/shifting at the drag strips. not sure about the turn signal deal....

Ralph LoGrasso
07-17-2005, 05:33 PM
you might have a faulty connection in you instrument cluster. The bulb problem? See if you have water in the lens.


Lens look good, I checked the connections on the headlights and they looked good as well. At first I was thinking either a bad connection, or the alt was going, but they have no control on the ASR, do they? Then again, the ABS inop should have thrown a code if it was really on. Maybe it's time to pull the cluster and check?

Ralph LoGrasso
07-17-2005, 05:35 PM
i know that the ABS Inop light comes on often when the cars go on the dyno and when people do some hard driving/shifting at the drag strips. not sure about the turn signal deal....


The strange thing is after the lights went off, I went out and laid into the car pretty good to make sure the traction control was fully disabled. I powershifted 2nd and got sideways--yet no ABS inop light and no problems with ASR.

zbugger
07-17-2005, 11:25 PM
Ralph, it may just be an intermittent code thing. I don't remember too well, but it may be historical and it's also possible that your code reader may not read those. Often times, they only read current codes. Can you drive the car and try doing something similiar to make it happen again? When it does happen, try hooking up the reader to read it again.

Nine Ball
07-18-2005, 05:31 AM
ABS inop won't throw an SES code.

Check the wiring harness that goes from your rear axle up to the floorpan (connects right behind the driver's side rear seat. Sometimes that harness plug gets loose and causes ABS inop or traction control issues.

Ralph LoGrasso
07-18-2005, 11:56 AM
Ralph, it may just be an intermittent code thing. I don't remember too well, but it may be historical and it's also possible that your code reader may not read those. Often times, they only read current codes. Can you drive the car and try doing something similiar to make it happen again? When it does happen, try hooking up the reader to read it again.

Bug,

I was thinking it wouldn't read the historical codes as well, it's a pretty good scanner, and I thought it did, but looks like it may not. I've tried simulating conditions a few times, and still could not get anything to happen in regards to the lights. The weather has been pretty much consistent between the last 3 days as well (97% humidity! :sad4: ).

Ralph LoGrasso
07-18-2005, 12:00 PM
ABS inop won't throw an SES code.

Check the wiring harness that goes from your rear axle up to the floorpan (connects right behind the driver's side rear seat. Sometimes that harness plug gets loose and causes ABS inop or traction control issues.

Tony,

Thanks! I'll check that harness, hopefully that's what's wrong. I was thinking maybe one of the sensors came loose--I had that happen on my Tahoe, and it caused the ABS light to come on. I'm thinking about disabling ASR permantely, if I didn't sometimes get stuck in the rain, it would be a no brainer, hmm---decisions, decisions. :3gears:

Thanks for the help everyone! Hopefully the harness plug is just loose as that would be the easiest fix.