SOLVED - Help with ABS issue - anyone had to something similar. Looking for ideas

[Not2Late]

Sorry for the long post, but feel I need to put in some context on the chance it matters to my issue.

Was wheeling in MOAB last month - Top of the World. What a trail! And my Mojave (35" tires with 2" lift) made it to the top. Just as I got there, a bunch of lights came on:

• ABS
• Service 4wd system
• Traction control not available
• 4wd not available
• etc..

I was a little scared as now I had no 4wd to get back down. Eventuallly figured out that if I turned the car off and waited a while, the car would start back up without the codes. And as long as I shifted into 4lo before I got moving, it would work. I was ether stuck in 4wd or 2wd depending on what I did after each restart. Just couldn't shift back and forth once the trouble lights appeared again.

Inspected everything I could see under the car. No pulled wires or damage observed. I did scrape a few times going up, but nothing I would consider hard enough to break something.

Drove home 900 miles with no cruise control as that wouldn't engage due to the trouble lights. Now that really sucked!

Had to buy a fancier scan tool and here are the results:

Here's what I have done so far:

• Checked the batteries. Both are newer (less than a year old), but I wanted to rule that gremlin out.
• I have replaced the front right wheel speed sensor with a new (mopar) one.
• One a whim, I also replaced the front right wheel hub thinking maybe it was starting to go out due to the rough trail.
• Visually traced the wires as best as I can.
• Checked the obvious grounding wires.
• Made sure fuses are good and the fuse box is well seated/nothing loose.

It's going into the dealer later this week for the shop foreman to try to diagnose, but I would appreciate any insight based on the collective knowledge of this group! Of course, I am out of warranty. ABS control module? loose ground I missed somewhere? Anyone have something similar happen and what the fix/result was?

My guess is it is something between the sensor wiring (since this is now new) and the ABS control module. Or the module itself as related to communication it has with that right/front wheel.
Thank you!!

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[PuddleJumper]

If its not the wheel sensor, or its wiring. It may be a fault with its control module. I have a Tazer and it has a disable ABS,TC,ESC, function. Which I would use to get around that fault. won't matter if its broke, if its off and unused. I think you may have solved the issue by changing the sensor out. But the code is a sticky one. So you'll need a device that can clear it and possibly do a relearn on the ABS system. Dealer should have you sorted in that regard.

 

[molevich]

Really obvious and overlooked thing when you have these issues. Is your streeing wheel sit straight?

 

[Not2Late]

Really obvious and overlooked thing when you have these issues. Is your streeing wheel sit straight?

Appreciate that! Yeah, I sometimes I miss the obvious. Steering wheel is straight. I remember going through all of that when I put my lift on and the front camera freaked out thinking I was in a slide before I re-centered the streering wheel.

 

[Not2Late]

If its not the wheel sensor, or its wiring. It may be a fault with its control module. I have a Tazer and it has a disable ABS,TC,ESC, function. Which I would use to get around that fault. won't matter if its broke, if its off and unused. I think you may have solved the issue by changing the sensor out. But the code is a sticky one. So you'll need a device that can clear it and possibly do a relearn on the ABS system. Dealer should have you sorted in that regard.

I have a Innova scanner that I cleared the codes with after replacing the wheel speed sensor. The dealer also cleared it once for me the first time I took it there and they could not replicate the issue. It was not doing it all of the time at that time. Had gone 50 miles without a trouble light. Now trouble light(s) all of the time. This is why this is so weird.

 

[PuddleJumper]

I have a Innova scanner that I cleared the codes with after replacing the wheel speed sensor. The dealer also cleared it once for me the first time I took it there and they could not replicate the issue. It was not doing it all of the time at that time. Had gone 50 miles without a trouble light. Now trouble light(s) all of the time. This is why this is so weird.

The hub you replaced was OEM mopar part right?

 

[Not2Late]

The hub you replaced was OEM mopar part right?

Yup, got the mopar part from the dealer and even put them (old and new) next to each other to make sure the part numbers were the same!

 

[PuddleJumper]

Yup, got the mopar part from the dealer and even put them (old and new) next to each other to make sure the part numbers were the same!

Sounds like a gremlin. Somewhere something is randomly losing contact.

 

[Pickle_Bill]

Got the exact same symptoms (drivers front on mine). Did all the same stuff except replace wheel hub. I have days where it will not come on, and then days where it keeps coming on. Thought I had fixed it after reseating all the fuses and canbus star connector, but it came back a couple weeks later. PLEASE update this thread if you discover the problem. I will do the same. Cheers.

 

[Not2Late]

Got the exact same symptoms (drivers front on mine). Did all the same stuff except replace wheel hub. I have days where it will not come on, and then days where it keeps coming on. Thought I had fixed it after reseating all the fuses and canbus star connector, but it came back a couple weeks later. PLEASE update this thread if you discover the problem. I will do the same. Cheers.

Yes, let's do that! Sounds like you have the same thing going on. Noticed yours is '21 Mojave as well. I've had a few other electrical issues with it - one being a bad power/communication lead to the transmition control module from the big electrical connecter behind the passenger wheel well. Wouldn't shift out of park. Tech had to run a bypass around the connecter. Starting to wonder if I got a "covid build" edition.

I will let you know what the tech at the dealership finds out. Thank you!

 

[Not2Late]

Took the car to the dealership. They found a broken wire in the wiring that goes from the connecter that the ABS sensor wire connects to leading to a bigger wire bundle up in the engine compartment. The wires were wrapped in tape, so it wasn't something I could have visually inspected - but I did stare at it a couple of times and wondered to myself if I should unwrap it when I was messing with the new sensor/hub to no avail!

Pictures of the new fixed and re-wrapped wires that were frayed/broken. Not sure how that could have happened unless the wheel drooped so much while wheeling that it stretched too much. It is not connected to the part of the axle assembly that drops. Figured I would have pulled on the brake line as well?

Thanks for all the feedback and ideas!

 

[Not2Late]

Got the exact same symptoms (drivers front on mine). Did all the same stuff except replace wheel hub. I have days where it will not come on, and then days where it keeps coming on. Thought I had fixed it after reseating all the fuses and canbus star connector, but it came back a couple weeks later. PLEASE update this thread if you discover the problem. I will do the same. Cheers.

Updated.

 

[Cburd61]

Glad you found the problem. We had a similar issue with our Grand Cherokee once. The way the wheel sensor wire was routed, it was rubbing on the very outer edge of the wheel. Always nice when it’s something fairly simple.

 

[Pickle_Bill]

Updated.

Thank you very much. Time for me to do some testing and wiring inspection. Cheers!

 

[TILVAL]

Yes, let's do that! Sounds like you have the same thing going on. Noticed yours is '21 Mojave as well. I've had a few other electrical issues with it - one being a bad power/communication lead to the transmition control module from the big electrical connecter behind the passenger wheel well. Wouldn't shift out of park. Tech had to run a bypass around the connecter. Starting to wonder if I got a "covid build" edition.

I will let you know what the tech at the dealership finds out. Thank you!

I have the same problem with my '21 Mojave. Will search for the broken wire today.

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