Any Car junkies around? (96 Ford Contour Question)
urahonky
Cynical Old ManRegistered User regular
Cynical Old ManRegistered User regular
I know this is my second thread of the week, and I'm sorry.
I own a 96 Ford Contour that has had problem after problem since buying it off a friend for $650 (who had no problem before that, go figure). Well on Thursday of last week my car wouldn't start... I'd turn the key and it made a really bad sound but never turned over. So I went and bought a new battery Sunday, and replaced it. To my surprise my car started up just fine, and, bonus, the check engine light was off! (Has been on since I got the car)
Today. I get the car started and drive down the street... Then the check engine light comes back on, and a few minutes later the ABS light comes on in my car. Now I've seen the ABS light come on before, but it normally quickly goes away, but it stayed on from the time it came on until I got to work. I've not turned it on yet to see if it's still going.
Now the question is: What is the ABS light? What is it telling me? Is it brake related? Almost a year ago I had some place redo my brakes because whenever I pressed my brake pedal down, the car would stop, but it would slowly roll forward if I didn't pump my brakes.
Is this related? I'm pretty scared to drive this thing home, and I can't afford another $800 car repair bill right now. I JUST got some headway on my damn credit card.
e: I just recently checked the oil and transmission fluid. Each seem fine.
I own a 96 Ford Contour that has had problem after problem since buying it off a friend for $650 (who had no problem before that, go figure). Well on Thursday of last week my car wouldn't start... I'd turn the key and it made a really bad sound but never turned over. So I went and bought a new battery Sunday, and replaced it. To my surprise my car started up just fine, and, bonus, the check engine light was off! (Has been on since I got the car)
Today. I get the car started and drive down the street... Then the check engine light comes back on, and a few minutes later the ABS light comes on in my car. Now I've seen the ABS light come on before, but it normally quickly goes away, but it stayed on from the time it came on until I got to work. I've not turned it on yet to see if it's still going.
Now the question is: What is the ABS light? What is it telling me? Is it brake related? Almost a year ago I had some place redo my brakes because whenever I pressed my brake pedal down, the car would stop, but it would slowly roll forward if I didn't pump my brakes.
Is this related? I'm pretty scared to drive this thing home, and I can't afford another $800 car repair bill right now. I JUST got some headway on my damn credit card.
e: I just recently checked the oil and transmission fluid. Each seem fine.
urahonky on
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Best advice would be to get it checked by a mechanic as they would be able to hook up a computer to check for any sensor issues as well as any physical issues with the brakes.
Yeah, further research suggests that this is a common issue with my car too. I'm just hoping it's not an underlying issue.
Supposedly ABS is used to help stop on ice? So it should be safe to drive till I get my next paycheck then... I hope.
also have them check to make sure the alternator is charging the battery properly
Ah sorry, I bought the car about 2 years ago. :P But when I bought it I've had nothing but problems with it, and my friend didn't have one major problem with it while he owned it.
But yeah, if it's $90 I can afford that, but everytime I bring my car in to get a repair or something, it always ends up $400+.
Also, ABS = Anti-lock Braking System. Makes it so that when you stomp the pedal, you don't lock the tires and skid.
Can trade TF2 items or whatever else you're interested in. PM me.
ABS replaces "pumping the brakes" - when you slam on your breaks on a slippery surface (ice, rain-slicked pavement) it turns the brakes on and off, alternating much faster than you could possibly do yourself. This helps the car maintain steering ability while it slows down. It also helps the car stop faster on slippery surfaces than it would if the wheels just locked up.
Also, thanks for the explanation tsmvengy, so right now (no ice/rain) I should be okay. Hell I never really pressed my brakes all that hard anyway, especially when it's rainy/icy. But hopefully it doesn't come back on when I get back to my car in about an hour.
It was really, REALLY cold this morning so I thought maybe that could have something to do with it.
Also, if you haven't experienced the pushback of ABS, be warned--it's not hard or anything, but it can be startling the first time you experience it. Remember to keep your foot down on the pedal, otherwise you're defeating the purpose.
[Edit]
Also, my buddy's got an Alero and it's ABS light is always on. Our friend with an autobody shop says it's just the sensor and everything's actually fine. So, you may find out that this is something you can just ignore. I'd just be extra aware of how my ABS and brakes are performing, since the light won't tell you when something goes wrong (if it's on all the time).
No—if you have a malfunctioning ABS system, you will not be able to effectively brake in any emergency situation.
If you slam them on harshly. If you pressure in a controlled manner you'll be fine.
Anyway, if you've ever felt like someone is tapping your break pedal as you step down on them, that's your ABS. Scared the bejesus out of me the first time I got my new car.
Slamming them harshly in an emergency is exactly what you're supposed to do with a car with ABS.