today while out on a very snowy trail and in 4 low my abs light came on and stayed on. this was after getting stuck and activating the abs many times while in 4wd. i've never noticed it doing this before. put it back into 4hi and the light stayed on. i turned off the truck then started it again and that light was on. after driving about 15 min or so it finally went off. i tested my abs and they seem to work fine. anyone know what the deal is?

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Silver Ice Xterra Xe
4x4 auto 3pk

The light is triggered when a sensor detects a malfunction. The sensor could have been covered with snow and therefore the system thought there was a malfunction. Keep an eye on it and if it happens again in normal conditions, take it in and have the system checked.

My old Z3 did this once too after I drove through some fairly deep snow (for a Z3 that is).

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2000 Silver Ice SE 4X4 Auto
MAXC member (killerx_xoc)
http://albums.photopoint.com/j/AlbumIndex?u=1406935&a=10805120

[This message has been edited by killerx (edited 03-05-2001).]

I had the same thing and it has not gone of yet (it went on two weeks ago).

I have not had time to get it into the shop but triggered it the same way. Deep snow and backing up doing a three-point turn.

Does not seem to be a big deal and I think (hope) that it's just a malfunction with the sensor.


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rhombus -- SOXC Member
www.soxc.org

Mines done this twice, both times in sand. The first time I was in pretty deep sand and it took about 5 minutes of manuvering to get out. The second time I was high-centered and ended up getting sand all over the place. Both times the light went out after about 15-20 minutes.

I'm guessing that you had some snow on the sensor and after it was cleared away, all was well and the light went off.

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'01 SE Just Blue 4x4
-PNWX member-

cool thanks for the response. i'll watchout for it to reappear.

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Silver Ice Xterra Xe
4x4 auto 3pk

I also had the same thing happen to me after driving trough a mud pit a couple dozen times. It went off after I drove around a little longer. When I posted this same question, I was also assured that this is normal when you get the sensor mucked up. So I wouldn't worry about it.

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Mindie
2001 Silver Ice
4x4 Automatic SE

Mine came on once when I locked 'em up in the snow. Stayed on even after I shut it down some time later and restarted. Went out later that day though. No big deal...

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If you spin the tires on sand, snow, or ice for more than 30 seconds: the light will come on.
This does not indicate a malfunction.
It will go off after a while.
I don't know why it does this-it just does.
Fugghetaboutit.

Your pal in all things X:
Gary


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I am going to dig in-depth as to why this occurs. The ABS sensor uses a reluctor wheel with a magnetic sensor. As each tooth passes the sensor, it continuously makes and breaks a magnetic field that produces a voltage that is decoded by the computer. If the teeth on the reluctor wheel become clogged with sand, mud or snow, the computer will see no voltage. This means that a wheel is locked up. The computer is smart enough to know that the truck isn't driving 300 miles with a wheel locked up, so it perceives it as a problem and activates a problem code.

To cure this problem you need to make sure after you have traversed mud or sand and the ABS light comes on that you either take off the front wheels (they are ALWAYS the ones causing the problems since they have open reluctor wheels) or turn them where you can get behind them with a water hose and spray off the dirt and crud from the reluctor wheel. As for snow, it is merely frozen water and will eventually melt. But if you are in a climate that this may not happen for several days, you will need to do the same with it.

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Gordon "The Warmonger" White

Interesting, I spend a lot of time in mud and deep sand and I've only had the ABS light come on when I've been in deep water a lot. Granted, I've never gotten stuck in mud or sand, so that may be the reason. If I turn the engine off, pull the key then restart the X, the light goes off.

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Michael Girardo
Member - MAXC | Moderator - XOC
www.avaloninternet.net/users/bythebay/xterra <---Redesigned

Swampwrecker,

You don't know how many times members of FLXX have asked me about this problem. As a matter of fact, it occured to one of our members in Ocala this weekend. It has happened twice to mine. Both times I had been buried to the hilt in mud. It stayed on until I rinsed off the back side of the wheels in both instances.

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Gordon "The Warmonger" White