2001 Chevy Impala ABS light on after work

From the Chevy Cavalier and Monte Carlo to the Malibu, Lumina and Impala.
Ask our auto mechanics for help to all your Chevrolet car questions now.
Carl
Posts: 2
Joined: Sat Jan 26, 2013 7:19 pm

2001 Chevy Impala ABS light on after work

Unread post by Carl » Sat Jan 26, 2013 7:28 pm

I have a 2001 Chevy Impala. The front hub bearings started to go out on it, and at the same time it was due for some new brakes. So ... we put on new hub bearings (both sides), clipped the new sensor wires back on (is it just me, or is that weird that the sensor wire goes through where the half shaft fits in?), and then put new pads and rotors on (again, both sides).

Now the ABS and traction light both come on and stay on, and the service traction system light will come on when I start the car, but go off shortly thereafter. So how do I get those lights to go off? (I disconnected the battery for a full minute, was that not long enough?)

Note that my brother-in-law and I did the repairs ourselves, not a dealership - since all new parts at O'Reilly's were only $300, and we did this in an actual shop environment, with all appropriate tools (military base car workshop) and he and I both used to work in auto assembly plants, so we're not novices at repairing the actual mechanical issues - it's these trouble lights that bother us...

User avatar
ProTech
Posts: 651
Joined: Wed Oct 17, 2012 10:08 am

Re: 2001 Chevy Impala ABS light on after work

Unread post by ProTech » Sun Jan 27, 2013 9:10 pm

Well, there are a few possibilities that are the cause of your ABS and Trac lights.

First off, you could have bad new parts. I never, ever recommend anyone to purchase aftermarket hub bearings as they are pretty much junk. Yes, you probably saved twice the amount you would have paid for GM parts, but remember you get what you pay for. I can't tell you how many times I've had to replace someones brand new aftermarket parts with good GM parts. This may not be the cause in your exact situation, but it's something to consider and remember.

Secondly, the hub repair could be fine, but you could have a wiring issue going to one or both of the front hubs. Many, many times, a person replaces the hub when they have a wheel speed sensor issue, but it turns out to be the harness going to the hub. This is just about as common as the hubs going out. Moisture gets into the wiring and causes corrosion which leads to a corrupted wheel speed signal. You would have to check which side is setting the trouble code (get the car scanned) and then check the entire wiring harness from the hub connector to back along inside the frame where it goes up into the body area and connects to the EBCM.

Lastly, maybe there was an error or mistake in the previous repair. Possibly the wire came loose from the little clip that holds it at the knuckle and it rubbed through on the axle. This is fairly common as well.

The first step, obviously, would be to check the ABS codes and see which wheel is in fact causing the problem. You don't want to chase a problem at each corner and waste time or replace parts that aren't needed.
GM Dealer Technician For 18+ Years
In the automotive industry for 20+

Carl
Posts: 2
Joined: Sat Jan 26, 2013 7:19 pm

Re: 2001 Chevy Impala ABS light on after work

Unread post by Carl » Sun Jan 27, 2013 11:15 pm

Thanks for the reply!

I replaced the parts because the hub bearing was bad (as in making LOTS of noise when being driven). Your mentioning the wiring is interesting, because the wiring on the hub that was really bad, the outer casing was completely eaten through and the internals were exposed - yet there was no issue with the speed sensor.

There actually had been no previous repairs - these were the original hub bearings at 120,000 miles.

I will follow up and get it scanned to see what diagnostic codes come up and post the results here.

  • Similar Topics
    Replies
    Views
    Last post