HOW To Repair - ABS Light and Brake Light are On

Here I will document a few details of repairing my 1998 Dodge 1500 truck in hope that the information may help others with the same problem.

This evening I installed the new RWAL speed sensor (or ABS speed sensor or differential speed sensor or what ever you want to call it). The sensor mounts on the top of the rear differential on my '98 Dodge 1500 4WD pickup. Installation took about 20 minutes, but give yourself and hour. I had already taken the sensor out once and knew what to expect.

The problem was that the ABS and Brake light on the dash had come on. A little investigating on the internet indicated that this sensor was probably the culprit. My Haynes manual says that this means the ABS is disabled, fortunately the brakes still function, just no anti-lock functionality.

I tried 4 parts stores on Sunday looking for a replace sensor. Finally a mechanic who happened to be in the same store told me I would only be able to get it from the Dodge dealership. I went by the dealership and picked one up this morning. Total cost was about $46. Ouch! I was told I could expect to pay between $150 and $200 dollars to have have dealer fix this problem. I have not attempted to verify those numbers.

The good sensor measured 1.8k ohms between the two pins. The bad sensor measured OPEN or infinite resistance. This is a good test to determine whether the sensor is bad. I believe the MOPAR part number is 1-05014787AA. My truck has an automatic transmission. I believe trucks with a manual transmission use a different part. The dealership should be able to help you determine which part you need.

After hooking up the new sensor the lights all went out. Installation required two metric wrenches. One was a 15 mm. I don't recall the other. To remove the sensor, a nut is removed, the brake line bracket is removed from the bolt and then the bolt is removed from the diff. The sensor then pulls out of the diff. There is an o-ring on the sensor that holds the sensor snug in place. There is a pretty good picture in the brake section (chapter 9) of the Haynes manual for the Dodge truck.

I would recommend removing the part and looking at it before going to get a replacement. The parts stores I went to tried to give me three different incorrect sensors. Fortunately I had already seen what it should look like so I didn't take the wrong part home.

A brief review of the weekend:

Sunday I removed the gas tank from the cab of the '72 GMC. Tomorrow I will probably retrieve the engine hoist in preparation of removing the engine again.

Saturday afternoon we went to G's Uncle Richard's house near Athens. Tubing, water skiing, and jet skiing. Fun was had by all.

Friday evening we attended a Sunday school social.