Newbiew Here - ABS issues

[nwngunner]

Hello, i am new to the forums. How ever i have done some searching around and i havnt found my problem.
I have came here to ask the experts on what could possibly be wrong with my truck.
I have a 2000 dodge 3500 4x4 V10 DRW. Now the issue is this. When I am coast up to a stop light, my abs starts going off. This usually happens when i am below like 5mph. It does it when i am just above idle speeds, like you would be when your @ a big out door lumber yard. My abs keeps kicking in, when i am NOT touching the breaks.
Also when i go to stop they don't want to stop me. They keep engaging and there is no stopping power. It seems like when i have a load on, +5,000 pounds (smallest load i carry /pull) it doesn't do it.

Now, lately i have had the number 3 fuse pulled so i avoid burning up the abs main valve, or what ever its called. My breaks work perfectly. They are there as soon as you TOUCH the peddle. They have tons of grip. In august i replaced the ABS sensor in the rear pumpkin. That just got rid of the abs light on in my dash.

That didnt fix this early/premature activation of my abs. I know the truck has abs on all four wheels, I can feel it in the steering wheel when they go off. Is there a rear ride height sensor in these trucks? The dealer told me no.

I have no idea what is going on with it, how ever i need to find out. The local dodge dealer doesn't know with out tearing in to the truck. I would like to get the abs working so i have them for this winter. Now that the snow is starting to fly here in iowa. sorry for the wall of text, it isnt holding the formatting for some reason.

[mudseeker]

welcome to the forum.

have you had the codes pulled? with out those codes it would just be a guessing game.
my guess is you either have a U or B code and a typical code reader will not be able to retrieve them. i suggest you save yourself the headache and take it to a shop where they can put it on a scanner.

[leolkfrm]

Yep scanners can save a lot of guessing and dollars in the right hands

[nwngunner]

Had it on a snap on scanner yesterday.

It was only throwing a front o2 sensor. That has been reset and didnt come back on .

We " my mechanic and my self" took the truck for a test drive.

When i have the fuse pulled for the abs pump, the breaks are perfect. Touchy but perfect. I don't mind touchy breaks because i haul heavy loads.

How ever back on topic, When we put the fuse back in, no error codes. He rechecked it 3 or 4 times.

How ever when you are @ slow just above idle speeds. The abs kept going off and you could feel it in the steering wheel. This lead me to beleive it had front abs. It has front disk. I just went out in the snow and looked it does have two sensor wires going down to each front hub.

When the abs goes off, you dont even have to touching the break peddle. Is it possible that the breaks are set up way to far? Causing the sensor to do that?

I know i dont want to have to pay for the front hubs in that monster either. Along with a new abs sending unit.

As for the breaks being touch, i mean you have less then 1/4" of peddle before you have stopping power. You push it another inch or two, it will throw you forward against the seat belt.

Also the dealer has no idea what is wrong with it. So i am looking for suggestions before i go paying some one 60 and hour to start tearing my truck apart with no idea what is wrong.

[leolkfrm]

What kind of condition is your brake fluid in? as it ages it thickens and will affect the system. If you know how to bleed brakes it would be an easy check

[nwngunner]

I didnt think of checking the break fluid, i know its full by looking @ the bottle. i had some people tell me it might be the front hubs, but the scanner that my shop had it on said those front sensors are good.

Only one person atm, and its snowing and cold. My shop is full with trying to rebuild a frame on a 79 dodge snow commander

[leolkfrm]

full is one thing but I have found after time it gets like molasses, and can affect even new calipers

[nwngunner]

I will go up and check it. I just dont see how that can be the problem when my abs is unplugged i have perfect breaks.

My question is what is causing the abs to engage @ slow speeds, when i am & not touching the break peddle.

[mudseeker]

did you try to activate the ABS with the snap-on scanner. i'm not sure if the snap-on has that option or what scanner works best with dodge, but with a TECHII i can activate the ABS on my chevy truck.

[nwngunner]

No he didnt do that, i dont think his has the ability to do it either. How ever i have had the abs work when i was pulling a load and i was pulling up to a stop sign on a gravel road and the wheels started to slip. The abs engaged and it was just any other vehical i have drove with abs.