MidNightRunner

That makes sense that there would be a way to pin point the problem. I mentioned the ABS issue to two mechanics over the years and I guess they just didn't have this tool.

I still cant imagine that it will be a cheap fix but to know the source of the problem would be great.

Camster

A few days ago,the ABS light came on for about 15 minutes and then went out.
Happened for about 5 minutes yesterday.It doesn't come on with every outing.
Today,both the ABS light and Traction light came on for about 10 minutes.On my way back home,after the car had parked for a while,nothing came on.
Shall I assume that the problem is with the rear sensors or rear brake components being dirty?Figured I'd do some cleaning for starters.
Thanks.

Update.The rear rotors had never been off this car,so I removed them,cleaned the sensors and stator wheels.Put in new rotors and pads,which I had in stock.On the test drive,fine for five miles,then the ABS light came on for one mile.The Traction light also came on for a split second,and then both went out.Fine for the rest of the two mile trip home.

Camster

Not to beat a dead horse...too much, ;-) but is this assumption correct?
If I only get the light after a few miles of driving,that indicates a bad sensor,not a bad brain.
If I get an ABS and trac light together,does that mean a bad rear sensor,or just a problem somewhere.
I'm getting the impression that I could put in new rear sensors )about $100 each)and I'd have good odds of solving the problem,without going to a dealer or paying for a scan.

Z28KLR

You really need a scanner for this. Check on Amazon, they have scantools capable of reading the usual powertrain codes as well as chassis/electrical and body dtc's; you can spend as much as you want on one but the last I looked there were some for around $50. That really is probably your most cost effective and time efficient option.

Your only other options are to start throwing parts at it. Which will definitely cost more than $50. Could be a bad wheels sensor; there are 4 of them so pick one and start working your way around the car. Could be a bad hydraulic control unit; what I've heard can happen is an electronic component can break free from the circuit board just due to age and vibration. Check on Youtube, it's been a while but there's a vid on there of a guy resoldering broken off things back onto the board to make it functional again. Obviously though you would need to remove it from the car and inspect it first for any visually obvious problems before coming to this conclusion.

Based on the nature of your symptoms being intermittent, I lean toward a bad electrical connection or something like I described with the HCU. The ABS and TC are tied together and ultimately reliant on ABS being fully functional, if a wheel speed sensor goes out at any one of the four corners it will take TC function out along with it; it has nothing to do with any sort of sensory bias of a front or rear wheel.

Camster

Thank you for a very informative response.
A friend might have the proper scanner,otherwise I'll probably spring for one.Thus far,I've been the only one to work on the car since new,so the challenge of continuing with that holds some appeal.I know exactly what has been done,and exactly what hasn't been done.

Drastang

I've had this problem for 6 years I love it screw trac control

Camster

A fair weather car,where the tac rarely goes over 2k.Trac control means nothing to me-I would like the ABS to work as it should,though even that isn't too important with my old man driving style.I just like to keep her as close to 100% AOK.

Gary Ugarek

I haven't had this problem yet, but I upgraded all my brakes anyway. Figured it was the best option. my 02 is almost 14 years old based on build date so with the 5.4L swap I needed to upgrade some stuff anyway, why not the brakes.

Camster

My local repair station put a scanner on her,and it said that it couldn't communicate.
I bought a scanner(code reader) myself-Innova 3100,which is indicated as having ABS capability for the Mustang- and got the same message.
....I'm thinking that means the module is bad??

Z28KLR

^ Assuming all fuses are good, then yes, "no communication" generally points to a bad module.

Found a vid on Youtube a couple years ago of a guy repairing the modules on these cars. Apparently one of the possible faults is due to vibration over a sustained period of time one or more of the electronic components attached to the circuit board will end up with a broken connection to the board. The guy in the vid was just simply re-soldering said component back to the board.

Before buying a new/used HCU, it may be worth your while to remove and visually inspect yours first, see if there isn't anything obviously wrong from that perspective.