How to Troubleshoot Bendix ABS Brakes
Bendix is most widely known for its brake pads. However, their anti-lock brakes, or ABS brakes, are used on some commercial trucks. The Bendix ABS braking system consists of brake pads, rotors, and the ABS sensor. Bendix brakes replace the factory original brake system on your vehicle and give you improved stopping power over many factory original parts. Once these brakes wear out, you can replace them with another set of Bendix brakes if you have a dealer near you, or if you find an online merchant that is an authorized distributor of Bendix brakes. Before replacing them though, troubleshoot the ABS brakes to make sure that they need to be replaced.
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Instructions
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Turn the lug nuts on the front wheels 1/4 turn counterclockwise with a tire wrench. If your vehicle is a large or moderately sized commercial truck, you may need a special tire wrench to remove the lug nuts.
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Raise the front of your vehicle onto jack stands. Lift up on the front of your vehicle using the front jack point located behind the radiator. Place a jack stand under each of the front pinch welds and lower the vehicle onto the stands.
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Remove the lug nuts and pull the wheel off the wheel hub.
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Inspect the brake pads and rotor surface. Any pitting or score marks in the rotor surface means that you'll need to replace the brake rotors. If the Bendix brake linings are 1/8 inch or less, you'll need to replace the brake pads as well.
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Turn the ignition key to the "II" position. If an ABS light illuminates and stays lit, your ABS system is malfunctioning.
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Check the ABS wiring at the wheel hub. Bendix ABS sensors are typically mounted to the back of the vehicle's wheel hub assembly and secured by 2 or 3 screws. The sensor itself may have become dirty, which might cause a malfunction. This is common especially on commercial construction-oriented vehicles that travel on seasonal roads. You can clean the sensor with brake parts cleaner by spraying the sensor down with the cleaner and allowing it to air dry. Check the wiring running to the sensor. Any frayed or damaged wiring will require that the sensor be replaced. If the ABS sensor light stays on, but your wiring looks fine, you will need to have your ABS system serviced by a professional mechanic. In all likelihood, the sensor wiring has shorted out, and the sensor needs to be replaced.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit brake calipers image by Tom Oliveira from Fotolia.com
