ABS Functioning???

[shosound]

hello, I have a '93 MTX with ABS

However in '99 a Ford dealer had to replace my instrument panel because of a faulty Spedometer. When they replaced the gauge cluster they used one made for a vehicle without ABS so there is no light. Obviously I see no light on startup and I have tried to get the ABS to kick in but have been unsucessful. Will the system even turn on without the dashboad light? Is there a way to check this system WITHOUT bringing it to ford?

 

[shosound]

Maybe I should clarify, I am knowledgable in electronics so a complex solution is welcome, I hate relying on ford, cause they are usually wrong around here. Does anyone make an ABS scanner that's affordable, is there a way to force the system to engage so I can have a clue as to how much work is ahead of me. I again need another cluster because of speedo slippage and just don't want to repeat a mistake. Any suggestions are welcome.

 

[sdpatt]

Testing if the ABS is working or not is quite straightforward. If you stand on the brake pedal while the car is in motion, do the tires lock and skid or does the brake pedal rumble with the on/off pulses of the ABS to keep the tires at incipient slide with the pavement? This test is less dramatic if performed on more slippery surfaces such as wet or snow covered pavement or a low friction surface such as gravel or dirt.

 

[rangerj]

What kind of vehicle did the cluster come out of? Was it a new cluster? As far as I know Ford did not make clusters for non ABS and clusters for ABS. Your cluster should have a place for an ABS bulb and the circuitry for your ABS system. Either the bulb was never put in, or the ABS connection was not made. An easy way to determine if this is correct is to go to the Ford dealer and have the parts guy look up the part numbers for your model year. If there are two different part numbers, one for an ABS cluster and one for a non ABS cluster, then I am wrong. If there is only one number then the Ford dealer should correct its mistake at no cost to you.

 

[shosound]

as far as slamming the brakes to check, I've done that. I have no ABS working. I know for a fact that the cluster was new from ford installed by ford and it has no ABS light, or the stenciled letters even. I was unaware there was circuitry for the abs in the cluster, can anyone verify this? Did they make a non-sho cluster that went to 140mph?
If that's the case then that's my problem. I think asking ford will be a waste of time, they've told me other parts were unavailable that I later purchased at other ford dealerships, I don't think they have a clue about anything older than 10 years. BTW a dealer will not correct a mistake from 6 years ago, no matter how big.

 

[rangerj]

As far as I know all SHOs have ABS brakes, except the 89s. IF the cluster is a SHO cluster it should have the ABS circuits and the cars harness has the ABS connection for the cluster. If the dealer could not find the correct part(s) what did they install in your car? A regular Taurus cluster, or a Sable cluster, should also be capable of being installed in an ABS car, even if the car does not have ABS brakes.

If there are different clusters for a SHO and a regular Taurus they will have different part numbers. You could also compare your cluster to another SHO of the same model year and notice any differences. Lastly, you could try to find a correct cluster from a salvage SHO of the same model year, if your cluster is not correct.

The amber colored BRAKE light is part of the ABS circuit.

And I agree, after six years the dealer will not correct their mistake. Why did it take that long to notice the problem?

 

[shosound]

well I just bought the car a few months ago, and the previous owner never bothered to check everything out in the car after repairs. as far as replacing the cluster, I don't want to replace it unless I have to cause my mileage will be impossible to prove when I sell the car. there are different clusters for the sho's and non-sho's, I've seen 4 variants personally so far.

 

[rangerj]

The four instrument clusters should be 1. Standard (analog gauges) Taurus, 2. Standard Sable, 3. Optional Sable with diagnostic warning lamps which is the optional cluster used in the SHO, and 4. Electronic instrument cluster which could have been ordered for a SHO. All of the clusters I can find referrences for have the ABS slot for an ABS amber "BRAKE" light. Yours may be blacked out.

The gauge, that is the spedometer and odometer, can be easily (carefully)removed and replaced into a replacement cluster in order to save the odometer milage.

Before doing anything with the cluster I would check and see if all the ABS components are in the car, ie sensor rings on the axels, sensors at the axels, ABS pump, and ABS ACU, and all related components and wiring harness. Next check the VIN number and determine if that is consistent with a SHO. I have never heard of anyone cloning a SHO, but you never know.