2000 Honda Accord EX-V6 Coupe

The ABS light stays on right after having the front passenger wheel bearing replaced. The two Discount Brake (in Bothell, Wa) mechanics checked the ABS connection, lubed it, and also disconnected the battery to try and reset the light - but all to no avail.

I called a Honda dealership's parts dept and the sales clerk told me the wheeling bearing for my car does not have an integrated ABS sensor. Googling the issue I'm having points to a speed or ABS sensor problem. I highly doubt the ABS modulator had crapped out on the car.

I have an appointment this Friday to have the ABS light code read by another independent garage (Brakes for Less in Lynnwood, Wa), which is owned by a brother of the owner of Discount Brake. (A referral). Their fee is half of what the dealership is asking. If the code returned is related to the wheel bearing, then I will try to get Discount Brake to pay me back for the fee + repair costs.

My questions: is there anything I can do or check before Friday to try and remedy the issue with the ABS light? Also, any advice when I am at the second shop (note: the two shop owners are siblings ... I just don't want to get taken to the "cleaners").

Frankly, the guys at Discount Brake seems to be honest. And, the Google reviews on Brake for Less are positive. (But, we can't believe everything we read on the Internet, right?).

Thanks in advance for your response.

 

its a sensor.

and best of luck trying to get mechanics to pay for anything

 

prolly coinsidence, replace sensor and move on with life

 

since honda told you that the sensor is not integrated in the wheel bearing, then it's on the back side of the knuckle with the pulsar ring on the outer CV bell.

the guys at the shop would have needed to take the CV loose from the bearing when replacing it. if the pulsar ring was damaged or if the axle was not fully positioned in the hub (causing missalignment of the sensor and ring) it could be causing the light to be on. there's more to it than just a bad sensor.

these are posibilities, not certainties.. and i don't want to place the blame where it doesn't belong. however, i do feel that the shop should not have given you're car back with the ABS light on without offering comp'ed repair upfront. it's unprofessional in my view.

you can look to see if the pulsar ring (or gear ring) is aligned with the sensor. you may also want to look and see that the sensor is pluged in... and bolted down tightly. damage on either part shouldn't be too hard to spot while you're looking.

 

slammed4thgen:
The owner of Discount Brake says he will work something out with me if we find the problem was caused by the wheel bearing replacement. We'll see. I'll share the outcome with you guys.

hondamark35:
I'll just wait till Friday to find out what is going on with the ABS light. Stay tuned.

 

True. In the grand scheme of things, this is not a big deal. Albeit the abs is no longer functioning, the car is running fine otherwise. I just don't want to pay for the auto shop's mistake. That's all. After this ordeal is over, I will probably end up paying more for this job than I would have if I had the work done at the local dealership.

Lesson learned: don't let this shop doing any other work on my car - other than for brakes (that is until I find a better shop).

 

ABS light on issue has been resolved.

Brakes for Less determined the problem to be the ABS sensor cable. It must have gotten damaged when the mechanic at the other place tried to disconnect it before working on the wheel bearing. He wasn't able to dislodge it the first time so he just left it. On this trip, they showed me how stuck the sensor was in its housing. It had to be knocked out from the other side. This simple job turned out to be much more involved. I can tell you the mechanic was not pleased. He gets paid by the job.

After installing the new cable (ordered from a Honda dealership), the problem was gone.

Other than my time (about 4hr on two separate trips), this whole event did not cost me any additional money - as expected, but appreciated nonetheless. The owner of Discount Brake kept his words about fixing the problem if it was related to something they did.

Again, they only fix what needs fixing - unless you insist on fixing something that doesn't need fixing like I did with the front passenger wheel bearing. Next time, I will get a second opinion from a Honda dealership instead of another auto shop I am not familiar with in town.