The short story, I brought my Isuzu Trooper in to have the front axle boots replaced and they broke my Anti Lock Brake (ABS) system. The ABS dash light was NOT on when I brought it in but their technicians noticed it was on AFTER they completed replacing the axle boots. After trying to fix the ABS dash light being on (including replacing an ABS wheel sensor they said they "may" have broken) they told me to pick it up (with the ABS dash light still on) saying they wouldn't try fixing the problem any further with used ABS modules (which is all they could find), printing on the receipt "TRACE PROBLEM TO ABS MODULE NOT COMMUNICATING, NEEDS ABS MODULE ALL POWER AND GROUND CIRCUITS GOOD." After spending hundreds of dollars including replacing the ABS module (per their recommendation) with a tested and warrantied used module (which is the best I could find) and trying 3 other repair shops over the last 2 months to fix the problem with still no success (consensus is it was caused by an electrical problem, maybe a short - see details below). After all the hassle, time, and money spent on this, I don't know where to go from here to get it fixed. All I know is, if I get in an accident due to braking, I know who I am going to sue first.
Here's the details:
5/11/21 Brought Isuzu Trooper in to have front axle boots replaced (which they said they do all the time).
5/18/21 Picked up Trooper with axles and axle boots replaced, ABS dash light on (see above for how it played out).
5/25/21 Took Trooper to my regular mechanic who I trusted, this was the first date they could fit me in (the reason I didn't take it here first was because I was going on a 1 1/2 week camping trip when I noticed one of the front axle boots was torn and they didn't have time to repair it before I planned to leave so I took it to Baughman & Turner Automotive who said they could, needless to say I never went on that camping trip). They verified they couldn't communicate with the ABS module. They noted the ABS module connector locking mechanism had been broken and was "fixed" using a tie strap. They said they couldn't find an ABS module through their usual contacts but said they would install it if I could find one.
5/29/21 Picked up Trooper from my regular mechanic and began looking for an ABS module.
6/8/21 After spending considerable time researching and searching for an ABS module I found a used module which had been tested and came with a 1 year warranty and purchased it.
6/15/21 ABS module I purchased arrived.
6/16/21 Contacted my regular mechanic that I had found a tested used ABS module but they couldn't work on it because he was going on vacation and to bring it in on 6/25/21.
6/25/21 Brought Trooper into my regular mechanic with used ABS module I had purchased. They said they couldn't communicate with this one either. He said the problem probably was with the connector or wires going into the connector. He didn't have the time to continue diagnosing the problem via the connector and wiring bundle. Picked up Trooper 6/26/21, ABS dash light still on.
7/2/21 After researching ABS module problems further tried reading the ABS error codes by jumpering pins 4 and 12 on the Diagnostic Link Connector (DLC) (ABS dash light flashes error codes when the key is turned to ON position). ABS dash light just stayed solid (further indicating non communicating ABS module).
7/7/21 Took Trooper to another auto repair shop recommended by a trusted friend for finding electrical problems. They were actually able to communicate with the ABS module with one of the scanners they had. They said it dumped a lot of error codes (10+) which usually indicates an electrical issue. They said when they see that many error codes they don't usually work on it because it takes to long and too much effort to try to figure out the actual problem. They recommended a shop in Orange that they send people with hard to diagnose problems, they were the best, if they can't figure it out, give up. Picked up Trooper 7/10/21.
7/12/21 Contacted last ditch effort brake shop recommended above. They were so busy with custom hot rod brake installations and converting drum to disk brakes on vintage cars that they couldn't get to my issues. I'll keep looking for a shop to fix this problem but it looks like for now the journey ends here. Thanks for nothing Baughman & Turner Automotive... read more