It's hot in Phoenix (temporary ABS failure)
#1
06-26-2015, 03:46 PM
It's hot in Phoenix (temporary ABS failure)
2005 XJ8L 144K miles.
Has anyone had ABS problems when in very high ambient temperatures?
I live about 100 miles North of Phoenix (and 20 degrees cooler). Yesterday I had a meeting in Phoenix. It was about 109F ambient temperature. I parked in the sun for a couple hours from 11 to 1PM. When I started the car up the ABS and DSC failure lights came on as soon as the car started, before I put it in gear or moved. The failure warning stayed active while driving to another meeting, after parking for a couple more hours, and during the 2 hour drive North. After I got back home the failure warning went off.
I have a spare ABS computer so I swapped it out this morning. The spare computer is also working without any warning signals. If the failure recurs, I'll know it was probably NOT the ABS computer. If it does not recur I will know I have to start ABS diagnostics again.
Is there anything else I should check for an impending failure, or am I limited to just waiting to see what happens?
I know this is my fault, as I was bragging at lunch that I had finally, after a full year of puttering, have gotten absolutely everything working on the car. As friend of mine used to say, hung by the tongue.
Has anyone had ABS problems when in very high ambient temperatures?
I live about 100 miles North of Phoenix (and 20 degrees cooler). Yesterday I had a meeting in Phoenix. It was about 109F ambient temperature. I parked in the sun for a couple hours from 11 to 1PM. When I started the car up the ABS and DSC failure lights came on as soon as the car started, before I put it in gear or moved. The failure warning stayed active while driving to another meeting, after parking for a couple more hours, and during the 2 hour drive North. After I got back home the failure warning went off.
I have a spare ABS computer so I swapped it out this morning. The spare computer is also working without any warning signals. If the failure recurs, I'll know it was probably NOT the ABS computer. If it does not recur I will know I have to start ABS diagnostics again.
Is there anything else I should check for an impending failure, or am I limited to just waiting to see what happens?
I know this is my fault, as I was bragging at lunch that I had finally, after a full year of puttering, have gotten absolutely everything working on the car. As friend of mine used to say, hung by the tongue.
#2
06-26-2015, 04:27 PM
#3
06-27-2015, 09:00 AM
Wow, interesting especially since I was coming here to post that my Air Bag light has been acting up.....only comes on when I leave for lunch at noonish here in Chandler, AZ, when the temps are 100 plus, basically over 100.
It started last week when we hit 115. Its never on in the morning and the car is garage kept. If I put the car in my shop during the day then it doesn't come on for my 10 minute drive home. Initially I thought maybe clock spring issues (searched online about this) but maybe mine is also tied into battery ? I will be curious what others have to say. Hope you got your issues resolved.
It started last week when we hit 115. Its never on in the morning and the car is garage kept. If I put the car in my shop during the day then it doesn't come on for my 10 minute drive home. Initially I thought maybe clock spring issues (searched online about this) but maybe mine is also tied into battery ? I will be curious what others have to say. Hope you got your issues resolved.
#4
06-28-2015, 12:39 PM
The battery is about a year old and I don't see any signs of diminished capacity.
After my trip to Phoenix I swapped out the ABS / DSC module with a spare. Yesterday I was in Tucson, ambient temperature officially 105 but the car thermometer showed 110, parked in the sun for a couple hours around noon at the convention center while visiting with a customer. The ABS / DSC did NOT show any failures during this trip. I am hopefully optimistic that the failure in Phoenix was in the other ABS / DSC module. I am not curious enough to swap back to the original to see if it repeats, but I'm hopeful.
Decades ago when I worked for a major corporation in the Consumer Products Testing lab we had a customer return a consumer product that had melted. She said it had been left on her dash in Phoenix. We laughed and thought it was a joke as the plastic we used had a melting temperature of about 220 F. Part of good failure analysis is following through even when you are absolutely convinced of the end results. I had a guy I knew in Phoenix put a thermocouple on his black metal dash, full sun, at noon. The temperature got over the 220 F melting point. The point is, our cars get hot in the sun, especially under the hood, and in the trunk. The battery doesn't get as much heat soak as the engine compartment, but it still gets hot The typical specification for automotive parts operating range is -40C to 125C, which is about 257F
If we have parts intermittently failing in an ambient temperature of 110F there is a module or component that is PROBABLY degraded and has become more heat sensitive. Transient or intermittent failures are really difficult to diagnose or trouble shoot in any product. We used to use CRC Freeze Spray to cool off specific electronic components, but you could trouble shoot a module with a cold pack or bag of ice cubes.
Or just wait a month until the weather cools down a bit.
After my trip to Phoenix I swapped out the ABS / DSC module with a spare. Yesterday I was in Tucson, ambient temperature officially 105 but the car thermometer showed 110, parked in the sun for a couple hours around noon at the convention center while visiting with a customer. The ABS / DSC did NOT show any failures during this trip. I am hopefully optimistic that the failure in Phoenix was in the other ABS / DSC module. I am not curious enough to swap back to the original to see if it repeats, but I'm hopeful.
Decades ago when I worked for a major corporation in the Consumer Products Testing lab we had a customer return a consumer product that had melted. She said it had been left on her dash in Phoenix. We laughed and thought it was a joke as the plastic we used had a melting temperature of about 220 F. Part of good failure analysis is following through even when you are absolutely convinced of the end results. I had a guy I knew in Phoenix put a thermocouple on his black metal dash, full sun, at noon. The temperature got over the 220 F melting point. The point is, our cars get hot in the sun, especially under the hood, and in the trunk. The battery doesn't get as much heat soak as the engine compartment, but it still gets hot The typical specification for automotive parts operating range is -40C to 125C, which is about 257F
If we have parts intermittently failing in an ambient temperature of 110F there is a module or component that is PROBABLY degraded and has become more heat sensitive. Transient or intermittent failures are really difficult to diagnose or trouble shoot in any product. We used to use CRC Freeze Spray to cool off specific electronic components, but you could trouble shoot a module with a cold pack or bag of ice cubes.
Or just wait a month until the weather cools down a bit.
Last edited by prescottaz; 06-28-2015 at 12:40 PM. Reason: typo
#5
06-28-2015, 03:48 PM
Id still do a battery test
The easiest way is to confirm the volts do not drop below 12.2 when you start the engine. If this fails you still have time to get a replacement under warranty
As for temps you are not seeing hotter temps than we get here in OZ.
We don't see heat related issues like you indicate
Cheers
34by151
The easiest way is to confirm the volts do not drop below 12.2 when you start the engine. If this fails you still have time to get a replacement under warranty
As for temps you are not seeing hotter temps than we get here in OZ.
We don't see heat related issues like you indicate
Cheers
34by151
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