ABS light on (one possible fix)

[XTC90BII]

Jerry C

I replaced all 4 of them when I completely overhauled the brake system back in Sep of 2015 when I got the B2. I think the only thing I did not replace regarding the brakes was the Master Cylinder. New rotors, drums hardware, lines everything.

Dennis

 

[JerryC]

Well, I felt froggy and decided I would flush the front brakes. Ugh, it was nasty. Had the color Coke. Even got some grit out of there.
I'm thinking I didn't get the fluid flush I paid for four years ago. Garage kept and about 7k miles since then. I think it will take a couple of flushes to get it cleaned up or even new calipers.
So I take it out today and yep the light is back on and the brake pedal is hard like manual brakes feel instead of that little bit of softness you get with power brakes.
It stops great as it is. I think I'll let it like it is for a while and see what happens. I may be doing MC and calipers sooner than I wanted to
Regardless, I rolled the window down and drove 40 miles around town this morning ?

 

[wildbill23c]

I still haven't done anything with my ABS light, just left the tape over the light. I did finally cure my oil burning and plug fouling issue by replacing the engine this past year LOL. Runs and drives awesome now....now its onto the small pesky little things that I run across occasionally. I believe my ABS issue is the valve/wiring connections, I've played with it a bit and got the light to go out while messing with the wiring at those connectors, so I'll pull them apart one of these days soon and clean them up and worst case chop the connectors off and rewire some different connectors back there, and replace the valve while I'm at it too.

 

[JerryC]

Well, true to its nature the light has gone out again.

 

[wildbill23c]

Remove the bulb problem solved LOL, that way you'll never know if the light is on or not. I have yet to even dig into the issue with mine, the electrical tape seems to be working fine though. I need to pull the dash panel off to see why my radio doesn't do anything except making static noise on all AM stations and a horrendous screeching noise on FM...last time I turned it on it wouldn't do anything except static on both AM/FM...cassette player works still LOL.

 

[JerryC]

I keep the electrical on it and I can peel it back a little to check the light.
Radios are cheap, if you have that far apart put a new one in. I really like having hands free phone in the old BII. All my songs on usb is really nice too.

 

[wildbill23c]

I keep the electrical on it and I can peel it back a little to check the light.
Radios are cheap, if you have that far apart put a new one in. I really like having hands free phone in the old BII. All my songs on usb is really nice too.

I've been thinking of doing a radio swap LOL, I haven't had much luck with aftermarket CD player equipped units though, so I was trying to figure out what to do, buy one with a tape deck and continue to use the cassette adapter to hookup to my mp3 player, or get one with a usb port and do as you are with the USB. My B2 has the premium stereo system in it supposedly so it has some sort of amp or pre-amp in the dash, not really too sure it does anything anyways, and I'm not that great at wiring stuff in the first place when it comes to stereos, but was also thinking of doing new speakers, not sure yet on those, speakers may be fine just the radio itself may have been the reason speakers would cut in and out all the time depending on how you hit a bump HAHA!!!

My ABS light comes on about a minute or 2 after starting it up, and is on all the time, I'm assuming maybe a sensor given its not immediately on, but the least of my worries at this point. I need to find a shop manual and see if I can find the wiring diagram to find what wires are back there for the sensor so I can start tracing them and checking everything. I'd think having rear ABS may be a help in the winter, but not really all that important, my 84 Ranger never had ABS it did just fine in snow/ice, as does my 91 Ford Tempo...err did until the head gasket blew about a month ago .

Just trying to get stuff caught up so I can figure out what to do for covering up some missing paint areas on the roof and rear hatch, I was thinking sanding those areas down and at least shooting them with primer, better than being left bare to rust on the roof and disintegrate the rear hatch. So far so good on the new engine, been about 3,000 miles into it after rebuild runs great, initial lifter tick at startup which has been much quieter after adding some zinc additive to the oil. Added a class 2 receiver hitch I picked up for $20 at a pick a part last year, not planning on towing but would like a little cargo carrier so that'll work for carrying that.

 

[JerryC]

Check Crutchfield, they are really good at showing what you need to put in a radio/speakers. They provide really good instructions too.
IMHO spend money on good front speakers, either in dash or door. Most of the clarity will be from the front speakers. If you are like me and keep the cargo cover rolled out it covers the rear speakers and will dampen the highs and mids so you want good front speakers for those highs and mids.

New radios will probably have an Aux jack for your MP3 player, but once you load your music on a USB you'll never do it any other way.

Mine had a hitch when i got. I haven't towed with it, I leave it on there just in case and for when I may need a place to hook up a recovery strap to pull somebody out of the snow.

 

[wildbill23c]

Thanks for the Crutchfield recommendation, I've used them in the past, they're great. The front speakers are in the dash, rear speakers if I recall are in the sides by the rear seats, I don't have a cargo cover, it was missing when I bought the B2, haven't looked much for one, found one but it was in a wrecked B2 and was in really bad condition anyhow.

I haven't done any towing with my B2 either, maybe around the property if I need to move one of my trailers out of the way, but don't think it would fare so well on the road with a trailer. I need to look at the trailer wiring for it anyhow as only the tail light pin gets power, the others are dead, so either not hooked up properly, or corroded wiring, broken connections, who knows LOL.

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

Make sure you seal the primer, it is not water proof.

 

[wildbill23c]

Make sure you seal the primer, it is not water proof.

I'll do so. Need to get it done while the weather is nice so its ready for winter. Been driving it daily since I got the engine replaced and really enjoying it so I want to finish the rest of it, but for now I need to protect the surfaces that are a little lacking in paint HAHA!!!

 

[JerryC]

I don't have the spec at hand but I remember the BII's had a surprisingly high tow rating. ~4500lbs?

 

[wildbill23c]

Maybe more like 2500lbs LOL, the Rangers maybe 4500lbs but that short narrow wheelbase on the B2's I don't think could handle 4500lbs. I keep finding different results as to the towing capacity. In the owner's manual for my 88 Bronco 2 with automatic transmission and 3.73 axle GCWR says 8500lbs. Door sticker says 4200lb GVWR...from what I can gather a Bronco 2 weighs around 3500lbs...that don't leave much towing capacity does it? I'd be worried about a trailer weighing 5k+ would end up dragging that poor little B2 all over the place, maybe its more stable than I think, but I highly doubt it considering a side wind really whips the Bronco 2 around.

I like my Bronco 2 and enjoy driving it but if I needed to tow anything over about 2000lbs I'd use my truck anyhow LOL.

The manual shows 2,000-4,500lb trailer weight capacity...So I guess the 4500lbs you found would be doable....I'm not sure anyone has done that though, and I certainly wouldn't probably how the springs became flattened out and rear end sagging in my 84 Bronco 2 by the previous owner of it.

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

I towed a 6x10 enclosed trailer with all my renovation tools in it. I had an 85 with a 4.0l/5spd/4:10 gears/31" tires. It pulled it fine but I was tense all the time. If the trailer would have had brakes on it I would have felt a lot better.

 

[wildbill23c]

I doubt the 2.8L V6 would have fared very good at all with that box on wheels though, frontal area of the trailer really kills your acceleration ability in an already power lacking engine .

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

True enough.

 

[JerryC]

GVWR is the max weight of the vehicle, passengers, cargo and trailer tongue weight. Actual trailer weight is separate .

Motorweek Bronco 2 review, tow rating at the one minute mark.
There's some lines that will make you smile
"Best ride in the class"'
"most powerful engine"
"almost too fancy to get dirty"

and seeing it get some air was cool too.

It's too bad the removable rear glass didn't make it to mass production.

 

[wildbill23c]

I saw that video just the other day LOL. To think of the stuff in today's vehicles its ridiculous how any of us survived without a dozen cup holders, heated and cooled seats, a dozen air bags, in dash navigation, etc. Still love my Bronco 2 over anything made today, its just really fun to drive for some reason, as was my 84 Ranger. I still really miss that truck .

Once you add vehicle, passenger, cargo weights you really don't have much left for tongue weight which means not much left for towing capacity I wouldn't think. 4500lbs is way too much to try and lug around behind a Bronco 2....unless I guess you were cruising around town at like 20mph, but I don't see that working out at today's 70+mph speed limits on many highways and freeways.

So I found a really corroded connection at the speed sensor on my B2, thinking that may be the ABS issue LOL. I'll dig around and see about it tomorrow...may just need cleaned up and rewired IDK.

 

[JerryC]

Yeah, a driver and 500lbs of tongue weight and that's it. You'd need a trailer brake or I'd want one before I'd think towing that much with a BII.

There was somebody that towed a teardrop camper all over with a BII. I don't know what they weigh but I wouldn't think it anywhere near 4500lbs. I don't remember if they posted here or on the old BII.org.

 

[wildbill23c]

I think those teardrop campers are about 1000lbs maybe a little more or little less, but they're by far well suited to be towed behind a Bronco 2 or similar carry all type vehicle.

I'd definitely want trailer brakes as well, the more stopping power the better off you'd be. When I redo the wiring for the trailer plug on my B2 it'll be wired to accept a trailer brake controller if the need ever arose it would be ready to just hook one up.