Dead battery now have traction control and abs lights on all the time - 2002 thunderbird

[PhilD]

hey my girl has sat in the garage through the summer due to the extreme heat here in arizona, never had a warning light or anything ever come up in around ten years of ownership. Last weekend performed an oil change, then went to start her up to just move the oil through the filter and she was dead, nothing. I put the battery on charge and next day she started but the traction control land abs lights never went out. I have now changed the battery for a new one and driven her around the block or two she runs fine, power steering is fine and all the dash lights works but those two warning lights are still on. Any ideas what has happened and is there an easy cure? thanks in advance. Oh I did check before changing the battery and I had no fault codes what so ever, now my scanner has gone in a moody and won't work for me I need a new one I know but still I'm thinking its about the battery somehow.

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[eldordobird]

hey my girl has sat in the garage through the summer due to the extreme heat here in arizona, never had a warning light or anything ever come up in around ten years of ownership. Last weekend performed an oil change, then went to start her up to just move the oil through the filter and she was dead, nothing. I put the battery on charge and next day she started but the traction control land abs lights never went out. I have now changed the battery for a new one and driven her around the block or two she runs fine, power steering is fine and all the dash lights works but those two warning lights are still on. Any ideas what has happened and is there an easy cure? thanks in advance. Oh I did check before changing the battery and I had no fault codes what so ever, now my scanner has gone in a moody and won't work for me I need a new one I know but still I'm thinking its about the battery somehow.

First does your code reader provide codes for abs system, not all code readers do? Second I had the abs codes appear twice over the years on a 2004 with about 30,000 miles on the bird. The factory cables going to the sensors on the wheels are two short, not allowing for enough flex. They stretch, break apart and cause an open circuit. I have replaced two, even the replacement units should have the cables an inch or two longer.

 

[PhilD]

First does your code reader provide codes for abs system, not all code readers do? Second I had the abs codes appear twice over the years on a 2004 with about 30,000 miles on the bird. The factory cables going to the sensors on the wheels are two short, not allowing for enough flex. They stretch, break apart and cause an open circuit. I have replaced two, even the replacement units should have the cables an inch or two longer.

Mines an older scanner and I would have to check but I think it does but there was no problem until the battery died so have no reason to believe its the sensor. I was kind of interested if anyone else has had this happen. I will check the sensors when I can get a cool time of day to do it, its 106 in my garage right now, phew to hot to do work. I have to figure it out within a month as it will be due for its emissions test and can't have any warning lights displayed. It just seems very convenient the battery died then I have these lights.

 

[biddle]

2002 2003 2004 2005 Ford OEM ABS Anti-Lock Brake System-Control Module 5W4Z2C219A

Common symptoms are ABS light on, Brake Light on. 2002-2003-2004-2005- ABS Control Module- Click here to purchase on ebay...

forums.fordthunderbirdforum.com

 

[PhilD]

2002 2003 2004 2005 Ford OEM ABS Anti-Lock Brake System-Control Module 5W4Z2C219A

Common symptoms are ABS light on, Brake Light on. 2002-2003-2004-2005- ABS Control Module- Click here to purchase on ebay...

forums.fordthunderbirdforum.com

Thanks but I don't have the brake light on just traction control and abs

 

[PhilD]

Okay so I am now really surprised, as I said just earlier I drove the car round the block a couple of times with the abs and traction control lights still on, well I just went out to scan it again with my obdII unit and when I turned the ignition key round to the on position guess what....no lights I even started her up to check. I have to assume they just needed time with a constant power source to scan and reset themselves. Wow am i pleased.

So its a good note for anyone else who has this, get a dead battery then have those lights on its just the loss of power, they reset after a while. I am so relieved, phew!

Thank you though to everyone who did make suggestions as to the cause and cure.

P.S. i ma looking into investing in a new scanner maybe the Launch Creader VII+ its a good price and covers a lot more stuff with explanations to codes. I saw reviews of the HFT one by zurich and it doesn't look good.

 

[WesTxStoner425]

Careful, I just read some reviews on Amazon, you have to make sure to deal with a LaunchTech USA dealer, there are foreign knockoffs that are inferior. One of the cautions was to read the ads, and if the language is a fractured English, purchase elsewhere. Always check with Amazon so you can read reviews; I always start with the one-star reviews and work my way up, because the 5-star reviews are sometimes fraudulent. You don't have to buy from Amazon, just use their rating reviews to help you make your decisions. LaunchTech USA won't service units that were not purchased from approved dealers.

 

[PhilD]

Careful, I just read some reviews on Amazon, you have to make sure to deal with a LaunchTech USA dealer, there are foreign knockoffs that are inferior. One of the cautions was to read the ads, and if the language is a fractured English, purchase elsewhere. Always check with Amazon so you can read reviews; I always start with the one-star reviews and work my way up, because the 5-star reviews are sometimes fraudulent. You don't have to buy from Amazon, just use their rating reviews to help you make your decisions. LaunchTech USA won't service units that were not purchased from approved dealers.

Yes I know they are more expensive from amazon but I'm thinking if there is a problem you can always return it to amazon where as ebay you have no chance.

 

[FANZ]

Glad you got your Bird back with the new battery fix...I also live in Sun Lakes and take a shower after going topless out in this 112 degree dry heat...lol....I just git back after a month in Pinetop so the Brid sat in my garner but it started right up and runs fine......

 

[PhilD]

Glad you got your Bird back with the new battery fix...I also live in Sun Lakes and take a shower after going topless out in this 112 degree dry heat...lol....I just git back after a month in Pinetop so the Brid sat in my garner but it started right up and runs fine......

I'm in San Tan Valley, AZ. I prefer to drive my bird with the top down all the time but this summer has been crazy hot so just haven't run her much. Its my own fault but also as you may know batteries don't last so long here due to the heat and this one was 3 1/2 years old. I have one of those new digital chargers from HFT tools and it told me the battery was defective, I didn't want to believe it so tried charging with an old charger I still have but it seems it was right.

I think its kind of like the tpms on other cars when it tells you your tire pressure is low, even after you fill them up it still lights up until you drive some distance for it to scan and reset.

I had actually read it on a ford truck forum about driving the vehicle after the battery died and they had abs and traction lights on so it must have worked, just grateful as the emissions test is going to be due next month.

 

[PhilD]

Just an update, took my TBird out to pop to an ace hardware and the abs & traction control lights appeared again but when I stopped her at the store and restarted her to go home they were gone so maybe I have a faulty abs sensor. All started due to the battery going dead on me, I hope they stay off for a little while as I have to go get the emissions test done in the next week or so and don't want to mess about with it and cause anymore issues.

 

[edward301]

You are having the same issues I had with my high mileage Black 2002 Bird. I bought a new code reader since my old one had
few features. The new FOXWELL OBDII code reader allowed me to look at all four wheel sensors, and showed the speed the sensors were
reading, which showed me all four sensors were good. Just yesterday I was going to fix my abs module, and decided to
open the connector and cleaned with DeOxit both sets of contacts. Put everything back together, and everything works
perfectly. May work for you.

 

[highwayghost]

Just an update, took my TBird out to pop to an ace hardware and the abs & traction control lights appeared again but when I stopped her at the store and restarted her to go home they were gone so maybe I have a faulty abs sensor. All started due to the battery going dead on me, I hope they stay off for a little while as I have to go get the emissions test done in the next week or so and don't want to mess about with it and cause anymore issues.

Low battery/voltage will confuse the computers. It’s likely that the computer sensed a failure when the battery died. Then just needed driven so the computer could test and check everything before turning off the warning lights. Theses running tests are called modules, and are often running in the background when conditions change. Some OBD scanners will tell what modules are running.

 

[PhilD]

Low battery/voltage will confuse the computers. It’s likely that the computer sensed a failure when the battery died. Then just needed driven so the computer could test and check everything before turning off the warning lights. Theses running tests are called modules, and are often running in the background when conditions change. Some OBD scanners will tell what modules are running.

Yes I read that on a ford f150 forum when searching and did do that and the lights cleared but then they came back saturday then cleared so I am assuming I didn't drive it long enough the first time. Here's hoping fingers crossed. But I will get round to looking at the sensors just to clean the area up round them in case they are caked in dirt from years gone by.

 

[highwayghost]

The sensors are magnetic and can pick up some brake dust and rust particles. This can interfere with the pulse signal being sent from the tone ring to the ABS controller. Cleaning the tone ring and sensor may help.

 

[PhilD]

Okay update on the issue with the abs and traction control lights that came up after a dead battery.

All lights are now out and staying out but went to get it smog tested and they cancelled the test as the evap, egr, etc systems weren't ready. seem sits in a drive cycle setting which is the computer relearning everything after it was wiped form the dead battery. the guys at the test station were real good and said just drive it until its ready then come back to retest, there was no charge, I have since driven it around for the morning both on and off freeway, checked it on my scanner when i got home and it states the "system readiness test" is incomplete so looks like I will have to drive it around for a week until its hopefully relearned everything and settled down. Basically when its in this state they cannot ready the computer systems necessary for a smog test.

I have to say the staff at the test centers in Arizona are really helpful and don't make a big deal of unlike when I lived in California.

So lesson to learn is don't let your battery go dead if you can help it.

 

[biddle]

So lesson to learn is don't let your battery go dead if you can help it.

Back in the old days, people would reset the check engine light and then get the car tested, as you can now see, the party is over on that. They know if the car was reset recently, either from no power or an OBDII scanner.

 

[PhilD]

Back in the old days, people would reset the check engine light and then get the car tested, as you can now see, the party is over on that. They know if the car was reset recently, either from no power or an OBDII scanner.

Yes its a pain, I checked it last night and it still needed the evap system to be completed, I looked online and that required me to go on the freeway and run it between 45 and 65 mph for ten minutes, you can imagine the happy people shooting past me. ten minutes is a long time when you go to do it.
This site lists the drive cycles required for certain makes of vehicle http://www.obdii.com/obdii.html

I think I pretty much covered the rest by driving around a lot yesterday.Thing is usually we do this and don't think about it as we go about our business in the car and it settles down, its just it happened right when I needed my smog test done.

 

[PhilD]

I also want to add I bought myself a new diagnostic scanner (been promising myself one for years and years). I bought the Launch CRP123X, many versions of this model but I got this as it covered more than what I understand on them plus it has the large touchscreen and also the buttons as well in case something fails. Bought via amazon through the launch seller with a $10 coupon off on the listing page. It arrived worked great and yes it did update okay, the auto vindetection doesn't work on our cars as they are a little to early but you just input the vin and it works fine plus you can email yourself reports on the scan done and also take screen shots of what you are looking at. (The vin auto detect did work on my two other younger vehicles, I think they have to be 2006 and onwards).