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My ABS light came on and stays on. The front end only makes a noise when braking for the first time but is fine stopping every other time until I put it in park and shut it off. I will run into a store and when i take off it will do the same thing but only for the first stop. It makes a winding noise with alittle clunking also. I can feel the clunking in the brake petal while i stop for that 1st time. What could that be? Please help.

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  • Welcome to the site. Sounds like a problem with the ABS sensors, what is the year/make/model of the vehicle?
    – MooseLucifer
    Commented Mar 7, 2016 at 14:39
  • it is a 2010 Chevy Equinox. The traction control light is also on so im thinking a wheel speed sensor maybe? lol i've been reading alot online.
    – D.Davis
    Commented Mar 7, 2016 at 18:14

2 Answers 2

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It sounds it could be one of two things:

Easier fix - PIT-5171 - Debris is preventing the speed sensors from reporting correctly. To diagnose this problem, remove the fuse for the ABS/TCS system and see if the problem persists. If that eliminates the problem, reconnect the fuse and clean the speed sensors with a toothbrush and an electronics cleaner.

Harder fix - PIC-5428 - If removing the fuse does not solve the problem, it will likely be PIC-5428, a faulty harness that is causing the speed sensors to report different speeds.

TSB References:

PIT-5171: THE BRAKE, TRACTION, OR STABILITY LIGHTS ARE ON BECAUSE OF DEBRIS STUCK ON THE WHEEL SPEED SENSOR.

PIC-5428: A COMMUNICATION FAULT, REGARDING SERVICE STABILITY TRACTION AND ABS REAR WHEEL SPEED DTC OR CHASSIS EXPANSION BUS, WHICH IS RELATED TO AN INTERNAL WIRE BREAK INSIDE WIRE HARNESS INSULATION TO X411 CONNECTOR. MODELS 2010-2

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    GM's typically use a hub and bearing setup where removing the sensor is almost impossible and requires a new hub and bearing which will include the ABS sensor.
    – Ben
    Commented Mar 7, 2016 at 23:31
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    @ben thanks for the info. I don't have any experience with this myself, but the forums seemed to indicate that if you got the wheel off and turned to the lock position, you could at least get a brush in there.
    – MooseLucifer
    Commented Mar 7, 2016 at 23:38
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Last time the ABS light came on for me in a car it was caused by one of the ABS sensors failing but I've also had it happen when the voltage regulator on my bike failed and put 15V through all the electrics. If you have a multimeter, check the voltage on the battery when the engine is running, it should be around 14.6V and definitely between 14V and 15V. If the battery voltage is normal when the engine is running, you'll need a fault code reader to determine what's wrong, any mechanic that specialises in your car make should have one.

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  • Many auto shops will read the codes for free, although their scanners may not have any make/model-specific messages.
    – TMN
    Commented Mar 8, 2016 at 20:42

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