My son just bought a 1999 Subaru Legacy Outback. The car is from an estate sale by a bank, and has been sitting unused for over 2 years. The ABS light is on ,the pedal isn't very firm at all. I'm going to go through the rotors and pads as a matter of course. What should I look for that would trigger the ABS light?
While you are doing the brakes, check the wheel sensors and the connecting wireing. For starts. And of course, change the brake fluid,which can be a pain on ABS.
What ABS code is it?
If 99 is close to a 98 there will be bleeders at the ABS unit on the pass side inner fender well. Looking at the way the system is plumbed will give you a headache and make you wonder how the hell you'll ever get all the air out.
As above take a look at the sensors there 6mm round posts with a flat ground on the ends crap can stick to them and in the slotted wheel on the hubs too.
Best of luck 44
Check the front wheel bearings too, that seems to make the light come on if they are really bad.
There's lots of surface rust on the calipers,backing plates,etc. from having sat for so long and being driven for 10 Michigan winters. Getting the calipers off has taken several hours, and I've only got the left side removed so far. I've tried to open the bleeders, but they haven't budged yet and I don't want to exert any more force on them. PB Blaster on it all right now. I'm wondering if the "teeth" on the ABS could be badly corroded and bothering the sensors. I haven't tried to read the code yet. It must have had a brake job shortly before the PO passed away, because there's lots of pad left and the rotors barely have a ridge at the outer edges. Pedal goes a long way,so it needs to be bled. I'll leave the ABS sensor bolts soak up some PB Blaster for a few days, if need b,before reefing on any of them.
The ABS sensors are held in with one 6mm bolt but the plastic body slides in to a tight fitting steel ring that will rust so hard in to the sensor body you'll never get it out with out distroying it....they run $125 from Rock auto per sensor... My wifes ABS light is still on too. Have to fix by Nov to get a inspection...
Ouch! Hope I don't need to buy any sensors. Anyone know if the teeth are part of the front and rear hubs, or are they cast into the brake rotor?
there bolted to the back side of the hubs but without pulling the hubs you can't get them off
I was looking at other forums and found some decent schematics of the whole assembly. There's enough rust that I haven't even been able to get the front rotors to come off the wheel studs. In this heat this is turning into a PITA !
It may not be worth it to even mess with it if it's that rusty. It's not uncommon for the outer cv joint to get stuck into the hub so tight that the spindle, hub and cv joint can't ever be taken apart without breaking them. In that case all you can do is toss the whole thing and replace it all (cv joint, spindle, hub, wheel bearing).
Ojala wrote: What ABS code is it?
Sorry Ojala, I wasn't ignoring you, just managed to miss your post. I checked the OBD2 port,but nothing is showing. That may be because my code reader may not pick it up, or there's something I don't understand.
Dwarf44, are the ends of the sensors visible any other way than by removing them from the knuckle?
yes they stick out about 3/4 of a inch or so. Grab a tooth brush sizes wire brush you should be able to get it in there and clean followed by compressed air.
You are right about needing a different code reader. Not all read ABS codes. But it sounds like that is the last of your worries. The cause of your problems seems to be a potent mix of rust, bad seals, and gunked up sensors. Sounds like you are doing what needs to be done.
I have to admit I was about to say that I was surprised that you were having so many problems. I just did a brake and wheel bearing job on a friends 98 Legacy and I did not have any of the same problems. But then I looked and saw that you were up North and thanked FSM that I don't have to deal with road salt and rust like you do.
44Dwarf wrote: yes they stick out about 3/4 of a inch or so. Grab a tooth brush sizes wire brush you should be able to get it in there and clean followed by compressed air.
Do I need to get the rotors off to do this?
Ojala, we bought the thing because it wasn't rusted as badly as many others we looked at. Really, it's in good shape overall, just the calipers,knuckles,backing plates are rusted, body is very solid. I'll get it up on 4 jackstands tomorrow and use up all the PB Blaster I've got. Patience is in order. Once it's all apart I can put a lot of the parts in a vinegar bath and get rid of the rust easily enough.
The inner pad on the LF brake is worn at an angle. I'm assuming that a dual piston caliper should press evenly and the pad should remain relatively flat, therefore the caliper may need to be replaced.
One of the pins that the caliper floats on was seized in the bracket. That would explain the uneven wear on that side. I'm contemplating just rebuilding all the calipers with those Beck-Arnley kits. I've never done it before, but I'm assuming it's pretty straight forward. Anyone got experience with doing it, or horror stories ?
Pins do seize often one is metal on metal the other goes in to rubber. Rebuild kits are fine you'll figure it out easily enough. Need compressed air and lots of rags. Yes you need the rotors off. Heat only as last resort the bearings and seals are close.
Not sure how to read code for ABS I know whats wrong with my wifes....I cut the wires and used a BFH to get the old sensor out when doing a axle bearing....
I found a site that tells how to do the code reading by finding a plug buried up under the dash. Right now, I'm just trying to get everything freed up. Fronts are done ,except for the sensor bolts and the darned bleeders.
If you have the time, patience, and enjoy a project, then getting the rebuild kit will work fine for you. Been there, done that on a couple of cars, and will never--unless it's big $$--buy another rubuild kit. So much easier all the way around with a completely rebuilt caliper. As far as the float pin the caliper rides on, that I don't know about in your case. But, often they are a dealer only item, and in the case of my Protege, they were locked in so tight, I had to have them pressed out. I love road salt.
I was able to pull 3 of the pins out by hand. Even the stuck one came out with a punch and hammer. They're all soaking in vinegar. In a day ,or two I should be able to see if there's any serious pitting or not. If the stuck one is pitted I may have to go to rebuilt calipers because the kits are normally just the soft parts.
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