Looking for some guidance here. Replaced the right rear wheel bearing a couple of months ago. Drove it afterwards and no problem. About a week later made a 120 mile round trip to Doctors appointments and about 25-30 miles in the ABS light and MIL lit. At the end of the first leg (60 miles), plugged in my OBD and it gave me C1165, right rear speed sensor fault.
Didn't drastically change braking ability other than when I would stop then back out of anywhere both lights would go out. Then first time I touched the brakes, it sounded like the ABS was running (you know the sound from under the hood inside the cabin). Then it would just brake normally with both lights lit again and no ABS sound for the rest of the time driving it.
Decided to wait for better weather to replace the sensor. Well today crawled under and replaced it. Took my little boroscope phone thing and spun the tire looking in the sensor hole at the reluctor ring on my phone app. It looked fine. Replaced the sensor and took it for a drive. No ABS sound on touching brakes, so I figured I fixed the problem. 1 mile later ABS light comes on, smfh!.
Stopped and connected my OBD and yup C1165 came back. Cleared it. Drove less than a block (still no ABS "pumping sound" and it's back on. Tried clearing and driving 3 more times with same results.
Input? Guidance?

 

Hi Dell,

We probably have to assume the recently replaced sensor is OK.
If you have excluded the reluctor ring with your borescope inspection, then you are probably just down to two things.....
1/ Checking you do not have a wiring problem between the sensor and the ABS module.
2/ ABS module intermittent problem.

Start with the wiring as that is the cheapest home repair option.
Practically measuring from the ABS module connector under the bonnet to the right rear wheel sensor connector is impractical with a conventional meter standard lead lengths. Unplug the ABS module plug and then by using a cheat trick unplug the right rear sensor. Put a shorting link across the plug in place of the sensor, then you should be able to measure that introduced short back through the loom at the ABS module plug (J45 pins 30 and 31). If you can measure the short (or a very low resistance of just a couple of ohms) then the wiring loom would appear to be OK - barring any intermittent connection.

The ABS module might then be your next suspect. If you are lucky it might just have a bad solder joint somewhere on the PCB (most likely on the main connector connections down onto the PCB).

Let's hope it is a wiring issue as I am picking that is something you are probably more comfortable dealing with at home.

 

Dell, as said above. What I would say to do is to connect a multimeter between the two wires for the rear sensor and then unplug the sensor and install a jumper wire between the two pins. If you put the multimeter on "continuity", it should give an audible beep as long as you have a good connection. You can then move the wiring around and see if the audible beep starts going in and out. If it does, then that confirms a bad wire. I believe there is a short harness that goes from under the rear seat to the speed sensor. So, that should not be too expensive. If you can move the wiring around and not have a blip in the beep sound, then that to me would be pointing at the ABS unit.

 

One of my rear reluctor rings was no longer round due to rust underneath. Eventually it swelled enough to be rubbing on the sensor but other than a tiny little clean spot where the rust was scraped off 2 of the reluctor "teeth" there was no visible clue I had a problem with the reluctor. My point being if you visually inspect the reluctor ring for cracks you might not see the problem is actually it is no longer sufficiently round to give a consistent signal. Back when that happened I was able to buy a reluctor ring from SNG Barratt for $15 and was pleasantly surprised at how easy it was to remove the old one, scrape and wire brush the surface clean, and install a new reluctor ring. Looking at SNG Barratt website just now to get you a part number I don't think they carry it anymore.

How do you like the phone boroscope? I am thinking of buying one.

 

@Thermo Yeah, the new sensor has sensor and the electrical line all in one. Sensor connects to you know where, then the line is run towards an access hole (held in with push pins) to the connection under the rear seat. So I’m pretty sure the sensor and line are not the problem.

@dh53 The phone boroscope is pretty handy and has a "bulb" mid-line with a light brightness control and a camera/video start/stop/still frame button, depending on what option you select (video/photo). The one I bought is real small in diameter so it would fit in idk about a 1/4 - 3/8 inch opening. When I received mine it included a QR scanning icon to direct you to the phone app to use the boroscope.

 

UPDATE =

So color me stupid. I ruminated over the weekend as to my next step(s). I decided to crawl under the car this morning (so fun = NOT) and remove just the bolt holding the sensor in place and once more using my little phone endoscope, look at the reluctor ring. Still looked fine. So....I decided to spray a little PB Blaster on the ring as we all know they are prone to rust and there were flecks on the ring.
Started bolting the sensor back in with the Torx bolt that holds it in place. The last time I was sorta doing it my "feel" for tightness. I reached that point again of where it felt snugged in place. Inspected my work (and had also PB Blasted the bolt) and it WAS NOT snugged tight. Hhhhmmmm....
Started screwing it in ever so carefully concerned I could overtighten it and break the plastic ring with the metal ring the bolt passes through. It felt wrong, tight, but moving. I was tightening it maybe 1 screw thread at a time.
I then heard an audible "snap" that sound like plastic breaking. ****! Did I just break the bolt hole ring? Inspected it and nope, bolt was still about 1/16 - 1/8 from full seat. Okay, ever so gingerly tightened the bolt and it stopped with a satisfactory "snug" feeling.
Okay, drive time = no M.I.L. no ABS. Drove it 15 miles = nothing, all is well. Had my OBD connected which verbally alerts to a code. At first start off it alerted for P1000, but nothing on the drive. Manually checked fault codes after the drive and only thing showing is the P1000 and the information screen shows emmisions not yet completed.
Whew!! Think I got it fixed guys!

P.S. The cruise control was intermittent with my problem. If the M.I.L. AND the ABS were lit, the cruise worked. If JUST the ABS lit with a VERY rare Brake (red one) light lit or not lit, no cruise. Tested cruise on my test drive today and it works as well.

 

BTW, my back after working on my car, LMAO!!!