Well, I was comming out of the parking lot at work today, and I got down on it pretty hard. Then I passed a car and got down on it again. About a mile later I noticed my ABS Inop light was on. The brakes dont feel any different, and my 3rd brake light lights up, but I cant tell if maybe one of the bulbs is blown. Anyways, I was wondering if it turns out that my 3rd brake lights are fine, if it is ok to just say "**** it" and drive the car anyways. I am in college, and dont have the money to take it to a dealer and let them BS me. Also, can I just disconnect the battery and hope the light goes off, or maybe take it to autozone and get them to scan it? If the ABS is in fact inoperable, would you guys recommend me not driving it? Thanks for any help!

 

Without holding any liability to myself,,, all the ABS INOP light means is you do not have the anti lock function, your brakes should function just like normal but no ABS.

I would check the system out for leaks, keep an eye on the fluid to make sure you don't have further problems coming. I would still drive it as long as I knew it was JUST the ABS system that was not functioning.

 

If the brakes still function properly than you simply need to be concerned with the possibility of locking up the brakes and not having the ABS to save you. I would have AutoZone get you a code and see what it tells you. Otherwise it might be a good idea to bleed the brakes thoroughly. Remember that this is an ABS car, and as such you need to use the proper procedure to bleed the brakes.

 

well it went out....hopefully for good. Everything still works ok. Ill keep yall updated if anything else happens.

 

Just as a warning... ABS inop light likes to go off if the alternator or bat are having trouble. If there is a low charge in the electrical system, the car shuts of ABS to conserve power, watch your amp guage, check your battery terminals, and alternator cable all the way to the battery(I had mine corode at the alternator and break loose)


This of course is assuming your brakes are all fine, and all your bulbs are good.

 

Probably some dirt on a wheel sensor.

 

well figured it out. I guess whenever i came out of the parking lot, the battery must have moved a little and there was a loose connection. Problem solved. Once again, thanks everyone for saving me mucho dinero.

 

How is it different to bleed an ABS car from a non-ABS car? Do you still start at the wheel farthest away from the master cylinder and work your way to the closest one?

 

your suposed to use a GM tech2 scanner to energize the pump before bleeding. You can semi do this yourself by priming the key several times and leaving the car on while bleeding. Never let the pedle go all the way to the floor tho.

 

I do not remember the specifics for the Camaro, but it is remarkably different than your "standard" method. The Haynes/Chilton manual has it outlined quite well and walks you through it step by step. Just a typical bleeding will suffice, but you may not be so lucky as I was when I made that mistake and it may give a few problems.