Great video, thanks so much for sharing! I did this on my 2001 GMC Sierra, and so far it's fixed the problem that multiple garages and the dealer either couldn't track down or didn't bother to look into over the last 3 or 4 years. Couple things from my experience- on mine the case screws were T8 Torx instead of T10's. I picked up some silicone thermal grease at Radio Shack (it's used between heat sinks and CPU's in computers), and used it instead of straight silicone on the contact points to make any future disassembly easier. Not being as confident as you, after getting it open and resoldering all the major connections, before removing the old RTV and cleaning the board I put it back together and reinstalled it for a test run. No lights, and I took it down a dirt road and gave the ABS system a good work out, kicking them in 6 or 8 times for good measure. Worked like a charm, so I finished up as you did, removing the old RTV with a wire brush on my Dremel, cleaning the board with contact cleaner and then rubbing alcohol, then reassembling with new RTV and the heat sink compound. I had no issues with the torx screws thankfully. I used a T20 bit, on the inner ones with less clearance I used a 1/4" open ended wrench to turn the bit, and on the outer ones I had enough clearance to get a 1/4" socket on the bits. One final note- I read on some sites that refurb these units that you can drive without it, you just don't have ABS. While I was working on it initially, I wrapped the pump and connectors with a Ziploc bag and electrical tape to keep everything clean and dry, and did about 50 miles like that with no issues. Thanks again, awesome video! You saved me a ton of money by giving me the confidence to attempt this myself.
Man. Both lights came on my 2002 Chevy Tahoe Z71 this morning and literally lost it. Followed your directions exactly and wouldn’t you know it. The damn lights shut right off. You are a true life saver my brother. No taking this one to the STEALERSHIP to get ripped off!!!
You saved me a lot of money. 2 shops wanted a grand. I followed you to the tee. Never soldered before in my life. Un believable. I was scared at first but after a few watches of your video I went for it. I owe you
I finally conceded that the module repair was the only answer to the ABS warning light issue for my 2001 Sierra 1500. Ground checks along with connector checks did not solve it. Before doing the repair I wanted to assure myself that the solder joints were the cause. Lightly rapping on the module with a screwdriver handle while my wife watched for the warning light proved unequivocally that the module was failing when shocked by road bumps etc. The light came on every time the rap test was performed. Following this excellent video I re-flowed only the 6 noted solder joints. Prior to resealing the unit I temporarily reinstalled the cover and remounted the unit in the truck. Repeating the screwdriver rap test assured me of a successful soldering job. With that knowledge I was confident in this repair. 100 miles later everything is still working fine. Thanks a bunch to Skizzot7.
The white spots are a heat sink. used to transfer the heat from the chips on the bottom side of the circuit board to the aluminum cover. The board has small holes so the heat sink paste can contact the chip, and cover to transfer heat. I also soldered the relay pionts, all the leads from the plugs, and the two connections for each of the six selenoids. No more ABS lights! Thank you very much Skizzot7. This E Z fix saved me a ton of $$$$.
steve ness Read my video details concerning the heat sink paste. KH engineers were contacted and agree with my summary. Outside temperatures exceed internal operating temps and actually transfer heat INTO the module. (That extremely hot asphalt road vehicles sit over on 100 degree days...yeah, those are hotter than the components will ever get.) KH, although self-serving, believes that the location choice of their module by GM adds to the contact points being subjected to conditions that jeopardize the integrity of the unit.
Skizzot7, Just wanted to send a note thanking you for taking the time to put this instructional together. You saved me $1500 to repair my '99 Silverado. My total cost to repair was $6 for a tube of silicon. And being that is is a California vehicle; no corrosion, the 4 T20 Torx screws broke loose nicely. Thanks again for the "How To". Greatly Appreciated!!!!
Skizzot, you saved me big time, thanks! GM dealer was looking at ~ $400 (sent in and rebuilt 30 day + 2 hours labor ($105 per)). Parts store was looking at ~ $300, if they could even get the part. I followed your instructions step by step, success! Point of interest for any 2003 GMC Yukon. The top plate wasn't secured with T10 screws like the instructions, only held on with the RTV sealant.
Just another happy viewer sending thanks. My 02 Blazer had this problem for years and your tutorial fixed it. My solders looked good too as others have mentioned, but went ahead and touched them up with new solder. ABS works again and the dash lights have stayed off. Will feel better driving in snow this winter. I'll also echo others and mention that mine did not have the 10Tx cover screws either. Dabbed on some Artic Silver paste. Ran the RTV and placed a brick on top of the cover to help set. Now up to 181K+ views. No Tech bulletin, no recall...shame on "the old" GM for keeping this problem quiet. I wonder how may accidents could have been prevented had the vehicle braking system worked properly. GM owes you much more than a thank you! As do I for that matter. My family and I thank you Skizzot7! We're glad that you're ok from the accident. Cheers.
I've been driving around ignoring these lights for months now, didn't want to spend a fortune to get it fixed. I took my brake module apart and soldered the contacts. I also removed and cleaned up the grounds on the frame forward of the module and the lights are gone!! Appreciate you sharing your video!
I came back here to thank you for making this video. I added solder to all solder points you showed to be a problem even though only one had a hairline crack. I had the problem of abs and brake light coming on the dash every time when you drive but not in park. It has been 1 week and I have not gotten the lights at all. Thank you so much!
Thanks Man!! Fixed my 2001 Blazer in about an hour. Mechanic was going to charge me over $500 to fix and you showed me how to fix it for less than $4!! Awesome!
I like the fact that you actually have a diagnosis for the problem that fixes the issue. I took this into the dealer and they didn't even have a solution. Not even "buy a new one" type deal, which they usually are very good at spending your money. HOWEVER, I have one HUGE issue with this video. Glancing over the removal of the control unit from the ABS pump is criminal. There is no way to remove the unit because there is no clearance above it between frame and the t20 screws. This is the truly daunting part of this task because the only alternative I see is trying to remove the 3 VERY rusted bolts that hold the bracket in and then the brake lines (they are rigid) to pull it down and give clearance for even a sideways/lateral driver. This adds massive amount of time and effort, and also brake fluid to the problem and ends up putting this at the intersection of "DIY" and "pay a mechanic".
This worked like a charm. I had the truck getting transmission serviced and i had my mechanic take it off while it was on the lift took it apart with a razor blade no bolts to pull apart on mine. Cleaned up silicone, alcohol rubbed board. I put soldering on all the main and big points total of 11 including the ones by barcode. Mine looked perfect so i wasnt expecting a good result but i was wrong. It took me about 30mins to get it back in and tightened. I put black rtv as well on the inside and outside. It has been almost two weeks and no abs or brake lights on. Thanks alot for this video
Thank you for this video. I was getting a c0265 code on my 2003 Trailblazer. I followed your repair directions exactly on how to repair the control unit. No more codes! During removal, I did remove the three bolts that held the abs pump to the frame (leaving the brake lines attached). This allowed a little wriggle room to get a tool on the rearmost outward torx bolt. I also bought a very small flat 1/4 ratchet and a torx t20 socket to go with it. Took about 3 hours start-to-finish, including rtv glue dry time. I used white heat sink compound from radio shack (4$ for a tiny tube) for the 6 heat transfer spots on the cover.
Great video! This saved me over $1500! Followed the procedure and even though I could not see any visible cracking in the solder joints, I went ahead and re-soldered the 6 connections. To my great pleasure, the lights have been off for over 3 weeks now whereas before I couldn't make it 1 mile without the lights coming on. Thanks for your time and effort in helping everyone stay out of GM's pocketbooks!
Once again science and knowledge overcomes ignorance and superstition. Followed your instructions and your fix worked great. My first try at fixing this was to go to a salvage yard and buy a used unit from the same vehicle as mine (2000 GMC Sonoma). Guess what, it had the same problem as my original. Plan B was to remove and repair the existing unit. Been three weeks now with a couple hundred mile trip in the interim. Have not seen any ABS/Brake since.
Thanks for posting this!! Great instructions, saved me $450 for my mechanic to fix/rebuild. I had two torx screws that wouldn't take the bit, but used some compressed air for cleaning keyboards and it cleared out the debris so the bit seated properly. They are tough to access with the 3" of clearance above. After that everything went pretty smoothly. No more warning lights!
Thanks for getting back to me. I figured out the top was simply glued down with some sort of gasket compound. About 30 minutes of breaking the seal with a razor and prying apart with small screwdrivers, I was able to get it apart. Sad thing is, upon close inspection with a 10x magnifying glass there were no bad solder joints. I added solder to ones that were a little "light". Reinstalled the unit and, thought I was lucky for about 7 miles then that damned light came back on!
just a couple pokes at the video..... first, let me say that i've been working on electronics for about 20years, and a mechanic almost my whole adult life. that being said, take note of that heat sink compound, and please edit. if you look at the board, every white spot corresponds to a power driver transistor surface mounted to the other side, almost certain mosfet. even at idle/minimum power, they can cook themselves in about a second without the heat being transferred away. silicone insulates, and at the least use some dielectric silicone, if you cannot source some transfer paste/ heatsink paste/compound. the stuff is quite expensive, have you, but can also be found in those little jobber tear packets at electronic stores, like radio shack, or wire/electrical supply stores. i guarantee if you live in a freezing climate, the board will cook, as that is all you have left to take the bulk of the heat, and likely short the fets. second, the aluminum is usually already coated/filmed to a condition that it will not likely start to corrode. best thing to do is not touch it at all, much less expose fresh aluminum to start the oxidation process. third, when soldering, you need to keep your tip in good "tinned" shape. that's why they sell all those tip cleaners. heating the entire part to take the solder is sure to cause heat damage, like melting the plastic body of the relay, or potting in the coils. you do want to have a fresh tinned tip, then heat the part leg for 1 sec, and if it will not take solder, hit the tip and let the flux and fresh solder flow to the leg, and then follow with feeding the leg more solder, once it has started to take it. if you have much experience soldering, you should have a sucker, or wick, so don't be afraid to glob it and then wick/ suck the old solder off, and add an appropriate amount of new solder. you do this, because the dry connection (proper term for what we are fixing here) has been arcing and oxidizing for quite some time and created a large amount of contamination. the reason these dry connections appear on things is because it is "flowed" at the factory, meaning, they apply molten solder to somewhat cool parts. it's like welding cast, or molly parts when you use an iron. third, the body screws are true t-9........ yes, i've seen many cheap t-10 that would actually tap into t-9, but that's just because they are cheap, and good to use when you strip the head some. my suggestions: first, use either the little kobalt bit driver/rachet wrench kit, or a bit with 1/4" rachet and force the bit into the screw square with enough force to nearly pick you up from the floor to carefully break the first couple pops loosening the screws, and you can prevent slippage, then, after you sepearte and solder, skip the cleaning, rather a swipe of alchohol, if needed, and apply a thin film of silicone sealant to the cut areas and screw together. next, if, in the likely event that you are in your cool, humid garage, heat the module to real warm, you can use the kitchen oven on it's lowest setting, starting by checkin at less than a min. upside-down, and carry covering the coil hole with a dry towel as you carry to the truck and instantly set in place and screw down. as long as the part is a good 20 degrees above room temp, it should keep the moisture out, and stay internally dry. up to you. dealing with the compound issue: up to you and your resources, if you cannot source new compound, then just reassemble without disturbing what is there, or use a thin film of "tune-up grease" to coat what is there, just barely. also, make sure there is not silt, or whatever keeping you from sinking the bit all the way in the head. compressed air, and cleaner is your friend here.
Thank you very much for making this video. I have been trying to sell my pickup and everyone is turned off by the Abs and Emergency brake light coming on. This fixed my issue, I am so thankful there are people like you. you helped me add a $1500 value to my truck. You are Awesome!!!!!!
Thanks for this video. I did this twice. The first time my soldering iron wasn't working well. I suspect the original solder is higher temp than what I am used to working with. After the first time I ordered a new higher wattage iron. I was still getting the code but in a little different pattern than before so I still thought the solder joints were the problem. I redid it with the new iron a couple of weeks ago. I could tell immediately that the solder was flowing much better. I now declare mine fixed.
This is a very good video. People have a tendency to talk alot about nothing, you don't do that, what you have to say is on point and very important, fixed it myself, thank you.
Hold up!! before pulling that module out try this. Wiggle the power connector to the module. By accident I found that by moving the plug I could make the ABS and Brake lights come on or go off. Probably some corrosion on the terminals. I slightly bent the male lugs so they would make better contact when the plug is reconnected. It's been awhile and both lights are still off. Probably a good idea to check the grounds too.
Going to give that a whirl too before I take out the ebcm. Easier to check all power points before messing with anything else. Thanks for an excellent idea!
Worked like a charm! My solder joints looked fine, but they were apparently not. Thanks for the great video. I had both lights on and the motor was running all the time. Both symptoms are gone now.
Thank you! I opened up my module on a 2002 Astro Van and touched up those solder joints and sure enough, no more ABS and Brake light coming on. My 2002 module did not have those T-10 screws, the holes were there but the module was basically just glued together with the gasket. Thanks for saving me money and aggravation!
Nice video... Just FYI if no one else has told you, using some solder flux help with heat transfer and ensures that the solder flows to the contact points, also the white paste is actually a heat sink compound for the transistors and IC chips on the board. The solid metal cover is used to dissapate the heat when the circuit board has power on it. I am a retired Navy Aviation Electronics Tech Chief and have performed many repairs such as the one that you have shown... I'm going to find the box on the 1999 GMC truck that has this issue and see if I can fix it. Thanks a lot for sharing the information!! I'll be sure to post if it helped me!!
Thanks for this video. Took mine apart and did not see problems with the soldier, but hit the connections with heat anyway. Worked great, no more lights.
Just back from installing the box...works great! After studying the large multi-pinned connector, I am VERY suspicious of it being the root cause of the intermittent action. After I pushed it in and locked it, it still moved about a bit! The pins are very small signal pins and if there is any size discrepancy on the female mate, I could see an issue for intermittent contact. I reseated my three connectors about 10 times each while I had the truck on a lift. I still like the video!
Thank you, thank you, thank you. This appears to have fixed my ABS & Brake warning light problem on my 2001 Suburban 1500. It's been working fine for a couple of days now after 3 years of being on. I had problems removing the mounting screws - ended up drilling out 2 of them out with a Dewalt 90 degree drill attachment with a stubby drill bit. Although all of the solder joints looked fine to me, I resoldered all of the connectors coming into the board along with the relay contacts. The hardest part of the job for me was getting the unit off. The rest went very smoothly. Thanks again. I wouldn't have attempted this without your video.
Many thanks for your clear explanation. I has helped perfectly me to fix the abs problem of my Chevy Blazer 2.4 Advantage Flex 2008 (Brazilian built). Because I am not experienced in solding circuitboards, I asked the local television repairman to do that for me. Which he did without any charges. Total costs $ 5,00 (R$ 10,00) spent on the silicon gasket. Weak connections that were noticed: the solded points that fix the multipin connector to the circuitboard.
First let me say that your procedural detail and specific areas where we should be careful and tread gently were absolutely outstanding and I commend you for sharing your wisdom with us. There have been a couple areas where some further clarity might be helpful... For the most part, the real difficulty in separating the heat sink (cover) from the plastic pc board housing rests in severing the gasket from the cover enough that you can introduce two flathead screwdrivers and lever open the join to determine the board is free of the cover all around. You can then use a little more force and 'pop' the halves apart; this parts all the heat sink joins and (at least in my case) causes no harm to the pc board. It has been mentioned many times that the white substance on each of the heat sink lands is actually a compound specifically meant to enhance heat transfer from the board to the cover (read here 'heat sink'). What hasn't been mentioned is that it can be re-used upon assembly without serious loss in heat transfer; just run a tooth-pick size bead of sealant down the center of the split gasket on one component or the other and use the #8 torx screws to put things back together. In my case, as apparently in yours, it took about 5 minutes to install (quite a bit longer to figure out how to get it out, in spite of your excellent instructions) and all appears well thus far. I'll need to take the truck for a long drive up in the mountains to be sure, considering how it was acting up in my case. BRAVO Sir! I'm sure we are all very grateful and applaud you. Regards, W
Have an 01 Silverado and the abs and break light will come on sporadically and remain on until the vehicle is turned off and than started again. I followed the video's instruction and reflowed the specific points mentioned along with pretty much all of them. So far so good. The issues I had was the torx which holds the case together was not a 10. It was smaller. Either an 8 or 9. Other than it taking forever to carefully open the case, everything went as the video showed. Thanks for the detailed video. Hopefully it saved me the money to get it repaired at a mail in shop.
Thanks for the video! I used this video and repaired my 2001 GMC Sierra 1500 EBCM and the lights haven't came back on since the repair (2 weeks now)! Thanks again for a very helpful tip that saved me hundreds on repair/replacement!!!
If you had to take the entire unit off the frame, you would not take the bolts all the way out. The frame is slotted so all you have to do is loosen the bolts enough to slide the unit forward. The bolt heads are 13mm. I know this because I am replacing all of the rust rotted hard lines along the frame and rear axle. What a PITA! If you own a 1999-2005 truck or SUV on this chassis line, you really should check your lines. Especially along the frame and rear axle as well as under the radiator. I was fortunate that my line blew while I was stopped and not when I had to try to stop this 5000 lbs. hunk of steel! Anyway, while I have the module out of the truck, I am addressing the intermittent lights so I sincerely appreciate this video! The 6 screws that hold the plastic module to the are T8, not T10.
With all the hard lines still attached, it's impossible to slide the unit forward. The only thing that worked for me was completely remove the bracket (all three 13mm bolts in the frame) and then two 6mm Allens on each side of the pump. That yielded enough room to reach up and attack the four screws holding this on with an air grinder (two were stripped).
Since the Internet is always right...I followed this procedure, and hot damn, it worked! I paid very close attention to "slicing" the RTV away, and prying the cover off. The solder joints looked OK, but I hit them up anyway. Rpad test, and all is good. RUclips to the rescue again!
Just wanted to say thanks for the video, whether it worked for me or not. Like Grapevine, I didn't see any bad solder joins either, but touched up the ones you found bad on yours, just in case. My pair of lights used to come on only when the system seemed to get warm. On days below 60 degrees, I would never see the lights. But when it got over 60, they'd come on. In the summer, the lights would come on within a couple miles of driving.
Thanks for the walkthrough! This helped me repair mine and get rid of the dreaded ABS light and C0265 code. I would like to add that my Kelsey-Hayes 325 module did NOT have any lid retaining screws, it was only held on by RTV. As a tip for some that might have the same problem, some of the torx bolts that hold the module to the ABS block on mine rounded off and had to be ground down with a dremel. I chose to replace them with philips-head stainless hardware from Lowes (just take an old one with you to find the correct thread pitch).
Very nice video, helped to solve the problem of my S10 2010 here in Brazil. I remade all the big points of soldering on the board, putting more solder and leaving the iron 25W heat up well. I also made the connectors points (soldering). My module is a little bit different, the cover is not fixed with screws, only RTV silicon, then should wait an hour to vulcanize, with a small weight on top, before to reattach in the car. Another important detail, spend a bit of silicone grease on the gasket which lies between the hydraulic pump and the module to prevent moisture.
Thank you man! It help me once , for maybe 7 or 9 months but still good, pass inspection, now light came back again, no complain to your instructions, I have to search for youe video again to do it once more and see if it works again, however if it does or not this time I wan to thank you for thia video , me coming back again for instructions means you arw the to go guy whne this situations arise , if anyone dislike your video, dont knkw what they really talking about , belive me whoever is looking at utube is because theu dont want to waste mony at the dealership and many expect this to solve any single issue and ia not like that, you help a lot of people the way you explain this so I want to give you a big THANK YOU for thaking the time!
Just to add a note to a great explanation. USE---- Thermal grease (also called thermal gel, thermal compound, thermal paste, heat paste, heat sink paste, thermal interface material, or heat sink compound) is a kind of thermally conductive (but usually electrically insulating) adhesive, which is commonly used as an interface between heat sinks and heat sources (e.g., high-power semiconductor devices). The grease gives a mechanical strength to the bond between the heat sink and heat source, but more importantly, it eliminates air (which is a thermal insulator) from the interface area. It will help keep the board cooler, this is what is used in your PC,& laptop computers.
Thanks for the video! Did this over the weekend. 2002 suburban. Sucked because I had to remove the entire abs unit as the screws were too corroded to be able to remove while on vehicle. Oddly my EBCM had none of the small screws holding the lid on. I ended up using rtv and letting it sit overnight with the lid clamped on. I found a place on eBay where I got new stainless screws to hold the EBCM to the abs unit. They are 3mm hex head screws. Also put anti seize on the screws to hopefully prevent corrosion.
I just wanted to say it worked for me. 2001 GMC sonoma. To be clear I did clean the three plugs that hook this thing up first. OK was not that, still had the same problem. then I opened it up, didn't see any problem with the solder joints, but went ahead and did a re-solder on the spots he said and a few more. WORKS NOW. Thanks skizzot7 u de man.
Thank you for this video! Followed the thorough instructions, took me 3.5 hours to do the job, and it worked! ABS lights are out, no codes, and ABS works great!
Thanks so much for the vijao! I REALLY appreciated the detail regarding removing the cover without cracking the circuit board. (BTW, if you orient the cover like the letter “L” viewed from above, the bottom left outside corner is the tricky one.) Also, the Dremel & wire wheel trick to remove the RTV was a revelation! Your (mostly) focused video was well done also. My 2004 Astro didn’t have the T10’s, so I lightly clamped the cover down until the RTV cured. Note that RTV curing can be accelerated with a light misting of water. Anyway, the fix worked like a charm, although the ABS/Brake lamps initially stayed on for about five drive cycles, but after that only for bulb check. You saved me over 400 doll hairs! Multitudes of blessings upon you for taking the time and effort to pass along this information!
Hereby I want to send a special thanks, first for taking the time to do this tutorial and thanks to this this day I could repair my suburban 2002. From Mexico ... many thanks.
Thank you for your video. I was very reluctant to attempt this but after this video I went for it and in just a few short hours no more lights. You made it very clear and easy to understand, thanks for helping me save some big money. Mark
Awesome video.... I checked those solder points with a magnifying glass and flashlight and they looked fine but I resoldered them anyway. It's been 3 days and still no lights...... Thanks
The white stuff is a thermal heat compound. it is silicone based but is not silicon. It is a thermal heat transfer. You can get it at Radio Shack or an electronics store. As someone said, it is similar to a grease but not a grease.
Amazing. Thank you so much. Did this with my brother helping do the soldering, as I’ve never soldered before, and to my surprise it actually worked. Like others have said, my circuit board looked fine but we hit those spots anyway and I guess it did the trick. I’m thrilled. No more annoying lights!
hi, i had that problem (abs light on the dash) unfortunately i was not able to remove the module without removing the whole pump unit. fix it and the light disappear, but im having a big problem to bleed the air out of the system. i've investigated and the results were that i need a special electronic scanner in order to bleed the system, so disappointed, you got it right because you didnt have to remove the brake lines, thanks for you video.
Before you replace the module you might want to check the connectors! I have a 1999 Silverado 1500 that was showing the ABS and brake lights intermittently. I pulled out the rear speed sensor for the rear wheels (which is connected to the transmission). Then I went to the two connectors attached to the ABS module, and noticed that the main connector was somewhat loose. I took both apart and cleaned them with electronic connector spray. I reattached them and the lights went away. If the lights come back I will pull apart the prongs of the EBCM and make the main connection tighter.
awesome video. i basically figured my abs would never work again as i was not spending the money on a new module.. i even considered pulling the bulbs from my dash to make them go away. this repair seems very easy to do and i will be trying it here this week. thanks alot for all the great information
Like the video. Thanks a lot, One thing that you never mentioned I feel is VERY important, is you need to bleed the abs hydraulic control mod. This must be done with a scan tool to bleed the unit internally. After that you MUST also bleed your base brake system.
This worked great. Thank you. One thing that helped me, since I had to dremel the heads of the frame side screws completely off, was to remove the 3 bolts that hold the pump bracket to the frame. once removed, you can move the whole unit over till it touches the transfer case. This allows for a lot of extra room.
Very good video. I have a 95 blazer. Bought it second hand... abs never worked. changed everything. Going into the module again thanks to your video. Hope i get it fixed. I now know what to expect inside. thanks
Again, a great video! I just opened the box and re-soldered several points. You made this easy and if it works, it saves all of us boo-koo bucks! Thanks! I'll know tomorrow if it makes a difference when I reinstall it.
Great video. Solved the problem for me. Couple weeks and going strong. Couple of differences on my end that may have been said but there are 181 comments: Some of the Kelsey-Hayes 325 (like mine in my 03 S10) don't have the T10 screws. I also went ahead and resoldered the contacts opposite the bar code in at 7:18 for good measure. Thanks so much! Saved about $999 dollars following this video.
Awesome video my friend. Did this on my 2001 Tahoe. Originally removed the ABS fuse, I dont mind not having ABS or Traction control, but the light was bugging me lol. Quick tip, I used an oscillating tool with a bi-metal/wood blade to cut through the RTV gasket and it does save time, but as you mentioned the board is very easy to damage so you have to be careful. Rubber side down!!👊👌
Thanks for this VERY informative "how to" video. I have watched your video about four times to be sure I understand everything that needs to be done before tackling this job for real. My vehicle is a two-door 2000 Chevy Blazer ZR2 with Off-road package and the 4.3L engine. Symptom: After driving only a few minutes, both the ABS light and the P/brake light come on the dash, and usually stay on for the rest of the day. Occasionally after turning the engine off for awhile, the lights won't come back on right away. But eventually they do. However, I notice no adverse braking issues...but I also don't test the ABS system...don't want to push my luck. Fortunately for me, my EBCM is located topside, next to the Master Cylinder. I just now removed the EBCM from the vehicle with no issues, including removing the four T20 Torx screws and the three electrical connectors. However, after bringing the unit inside the house to work on, I discovered that my unit does not use T10 screws--it uses T08 screws. So I'm off to the auto parts store to purchase a T08 driver. So far so good. I REALLY hope that this is the issue. If not, I guess it didn't hurt for me to beef up those solder points. Will update on the progress later, and the result. Thanks again!
UPDATE: All the solder points have been reworked and built up, and the module has been reassembled and reinstalled. Took the ZR2 for its test drive, and for the first time in I don't know how long, no ABS / P brake lights appeared on the dash. I am cautiously optimistic that this did the job. Thanks again...grateful !!
Thanks for putting this together! I've watched the video a couple of times over the last year but I didn't actually try it until tonight. I thought the EBTCM was going to be a bitch to pull out but it was pretty easy coming out and going in. The hardest part was popping the case open and cleaning all of the old RTV out of the channels. I used my 100W soldering gun and just touched up the contacts that you specified as well as one other that I could see was cold. A few dabs of heat sink compound and a new bead of RTV got it back together. No lights yet!
I have a 2004 envoy (not sure if its the same computer modular though) with this same problem. Its been driving me crazy for a LONG time, tried cleaning connectors, changing grounding washer to star washer etc. nothing works I will try this out and if it works you are my hero!!
Dude, you are my hero. Yes, I crawled under my vehicle and found the location of the break controller. I am trying less intrusive measures, i.e., checking connections, fuses, etc. Hopefully that will solve the problem. In the meantime, thanks for the great demonstration and information. At least I know why to do now.
Don't be fooled when you open the unit and the solder point look perfect. Mine looked pristine. I redid then as per instructed and the unit has been working ever since.
2004 Chevy Tahoe w/160k. Mine didn't have the 6 screws and joints didn't appear to need touching up but i tried it anyway. I touched up all the joints and sealed up with rtv silicone 20 minute quick cure lightly clamping while it cured. Its been about 4 weeks and the light hasn't come on once. We'll see how long it last. Thanks for your help!
The whole world now depends on modules...which no one seems to be able to diagnois and fix...at least you found this problem similar to honda fuel pump relay issue..thanx
Some observations: The paste is between the case and the thermal sinks for several high-heat power devices. While I am sure standard silicone-based paste will work, the paste should be a thermal transfer paste. It can be found at radio shack and other stores. I noticed the main connectors into the circuit board are where you are soldering. It may be the connecters themselves are tarnished and when they are reseated, they fix the problem. I would suggest re-seating all of the connectors first.
FYI, per repair site instructions, if you need to drive around without the module attached, remove your ABS fuse, as well, so the ABS motor doesn’t possibly burn out.
Thanks for the video bro. I have no idea how much it would have cost to fix at the dealership but it did't cost me shit thanks to your video. ABS and Brake light are off again can't fukin believe it!!! Worked great on my 03 GMC Safari
Great video, worked like a charm. It's only been a few days but no more ABS light, Yahoo. I think my bad ones were right by the barcode label. I went ahead and touched up the relay ones too. I had to knock out the bit on my T20 socket and use a 1/4 inch wrench because the clearance just wasn't there for the socket. I didn't have a T08 or T10 so I ground down an old screwdriver to pull the cover off. Thanks for saving me the big bucks...
I've put 15k miles on this truck following the repair and still not issues. It's worth you're time to try it rather than spending about a thousand bucks replacing the unit.
The factory solder seems lead free and very hard, and mine definitely had solder cracks. I'm convinced reflowing quality 60/40 lead based solder will cause those particular joints to out last OEM...it's the ones that you do not resolder that are going inevitably fail.
Also check the frame grounds right there too. TSB on it. Rust and corrosion cause bad ground. Clean apply dielectric grease then reinstall. The module should be a 12ga wire ground near there
Thank you so much for this video. You know what, the breaksteam autoshop in Tigard OR at the greenberg st. they tried to fixed it but this problem does not go away and they charge me $900... I think, same problem with my Chevy Tahoe 2001. For sure this video gonna works on mine too. Thanks so much and much save money for all of us who have the same problem. Peace...
Hey man I appreciate the video that is going to help me immensely. That white stuff on the inside is actually for heat dissipation. its to distribute the heat equally and not one point overheat. Thanks again for the video and I appreciate the heads up on how careful you have to be to take this top off I do appreciate it.
+Lovely Jaytee This addresses an intermittent open that represents the majority of problems with these units. A closed circuit condition requires component level replacement. If ABS is staying active...that's a closed circuit condition indicating a malfunctioning component.
Just to clarify this response about ABS staying active. My ABS module continuously cycles unless 60A fuse is removed. Would your ABS module rebuild resolve this issue?
What Tim Robbins said below. You DEFINITELY need to re-coat the pads with thermal compound/grease, otherwise you'll be burning up the (power transistor?) drivers for solenoids and be replacing the whole module. Just a thin layer will do - enough to transfer heat between those points on the board to the aluminum case.
I have an 03 Chevy Express brake light was coming on and was getting chiming alarm the fix for me was unplugging and plugging in the wiring connector to the module evidently after 16 years there was some oxidation at the connection point that fix the problem. Which is interesting because if I would have gone through the whole process I may have thought that was the problem when it was just the connection. Also another tip on this Express vehicle they used a fine braided copper cables to ground the engine to the frame when that fails the gauges will act up and possibly not start due to fuel pump not working because of lack of ground
Skizzot7, thank you kindly for your helpful video. I didn't want to risk a bad solder job, so replaced the entire ebcm, $490 at the Chevy dealer. Would also like to point out the largest of the 3 connectors has a pink locking tab that should be pulled away from the ebcm before disconnecting the connector from the ebcm. Also, care should be taken when removing the 4 T-20 torx screws. They can strip out if your T-20 torx bit is not lined up nice and straight.
This worked for me. Did this exact process yesterday 2/5/2015. 2004 Yukon.Total time (2hrs.) removal, work on unit and install. I did leave unit sit prior to install to allow silicone to set. NO dash lights after 1 hour of evening and morning drive. My dash lights would light up immediatly or within one block after leaving my driveway.
Just took mine out of my 2001 Silverado C1500. The 6 Torx screws to open the unit on this one were T8 rather than T10. I didn't have anything smaller than a T8 but fortunately Home Depot had a Huskey 8-in-1 Torx Screwdriver set that has T4 thru T10. Nice little screwdriver for $5.97 and worked perfectly. My solder joints don't look that bad at all, but I'm going to hit them with some solder anyway and hope. I REALLY don't want to pay $663 for a new module!
Just spent 5 hours getting this SOB off because both torx against the frame rail stripped out. It's clear GM never intended for this to be serviced, because it was obviously designed to be installed when the body is off the frame. Only way I got it off was removing the big ass bracket and fitting an air grinder up there to attack the bolt heads (and ate up some of the plastic in the process).
Metals expand and contract with temperature fluctuations. If you have a bad solder joint that fluctuation may be enough to briefly cause a loss of contact on the board and send the fault to trigger the warning lights. When in the contracted (cold) state the joint is making perfect contact.
I have this exact problem on my '03 Silverado, but only when its -30c out. both lights will come on, they will go out after 4 key cycles and that exact codes sets. then it usually takes about 2 weeks and it will do it again if its cold. hasn't done it since January, but it did it 4 times in Nov/Dec. its under my drivers door, but there are massive amounts of rust covering everything. this sounds like a cheap easy fix, but I'm thinking of going the route of replacement of the module and lines, local GM dealer has them in a set for like $150, they are a big rust through issue up here in this area of Canada, they said they sell a lot of these units and lines. the lines are so close together above the frame all the road crap builds on them and rusts them through. but I do believe I am going to keep the old module and do this to it, and keep it for a spare.
The white past is aluminum oxide heat transfer paste. Purchase a tube of past and put a dab on eachpoint. Do not use silicone RTV. The use of silicone RTV will cause overheating of the electronics. The case of the module acts as a heat sink. Even in 100 F weather, the case acts as a considerable heat sink for keeping the electronics below the damage threshold. Also do not overheat the contacts when soldering. Use a temperature controlled soldering iron.
Thank you for making this video my 01 blazer was doing the same thing if it was cold out light would not come on if it was warm out it would be on I followed your video and now no abs light!
Great video, thanks so much for sharing! I did this on my 2001 GMC Sierra, and so far it's fixed the problem that multiple garages and the dealer either couldn't track down or didn't bother to look into over the last 3 or 4 years. Couple things from my experience- on mine the case screws were T8 Torx instead of T10's. I picked up some silicone thermal grease at Radio Shack (it's used between heat sinks and CPU's in computers), and used it instead of straight silicone on the contact points to make any future disassembly easier. Not being as confident as you, after getting it open and resoldering all the major connections, before removing the old RTV and cleaning the board I put it back together and reinstalled it for a test run. No lights, and I took it down a dirt road and gave the ABS system a good work out, kicking them in 6 or 8 times for good measure. Worked like a charm, so I finished up as you did, removing the old RTV with a wire brush on my Dremel, cleaning the board with contact cleaner and then rubbing alcohol, then reassembling with new RTV and the heat sink compound. I had no issues with the torx screws thankfully. I used a T20 bit, on the inner ones with less clearance I used a 1/4" open ended wrench to turn the bit, and on the outer ones I had enough clearance to get a 1/4" socket on the bits. One final note- I read on some sites that refurb these units that you can drive without it, you just don't have ABS. While I was working on it initially, I wrapped the pump and connectors with a Ziploc bag and electrical tape to keep everything clean and dry, and did about 50 miles like that with no issues. Thanks again, awesome video! You saved me a ton of money by giving me the confidence to attempt this myself.
Man. Both lights came on my 2002 Chevy Tahoe Z71 this morning and literally lost it. Followed your directions exactly and wouldn’t you know it. The damn lights shut right off. You are a true life saver my brother. No taking this one to the STEALERSHIP to get ripped off!!!
You saved me a lot of money. 2 shops wanted a grand. I followed you to the tee. Never soldered before in my life. Un believable. I was scared at first but after a few watches of your video I went for it. I owe you
I finally conceded that the module repair was the only answer to the ABS warning light issue for my 2001 Sierra 1500. Ground checks along with connector checks did not solve it. Before doing the repair I wanted to assure myself that the solder joints were the cause. Lightly rapping on the module with a screwdriver handle while my wife watched for the warning light proved unequivocally that the module was failing when shocked by road bumps etc. The light came on every time the rap test was performed. Following this excellent video I re-flowed only the 6 noted solder joints. Prior to resealing the unit I temporarily reinstalled the cover and remounted the unit in the truck. Repeating the screwdriver rap test assured me of a successful soldering job. With that knowledge I was confident in this repair. 100 miles later everything is still working fine. Thanks a bunch to Skizzot7.
The white spots are a heat sink. used to transfer the heat from the chips on the bottom side of the circuit board to the aluminum cover. The board has small holes so the heat sink paste can contact the chip, and cover to transfer heat. I also soldered the relay pionts, all the leads from the plugs, and the two connections for each of the six selenoids. No more ABS lights! Thank you very much Skizzot7. This E Z fix saved me a ton of $$$$.
Heat sink compound. Car Quest part # 52-1301
Thank you for important point.
steve ness Read my video details concerning the heat sink paste. KH engineers were contacted and agree with my summary. Outside temperatures exceed internal operating temps and actually transfer heat INTO the module. (That extremely hot asphalt road vehicles sit over on 100 degree days...yeah, those are hotter than the components will ever get.) KH, although self-serving, believes that the location choice of their module by GM adds to the contact points being subjected to conditions that jeopardize the integrity of the unit.
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Skizzot7, Just wanted to send a note thanking you for taking the time to put this instructional together. You saved me $1500 to repair my '99 Silverado. My total cost to repair was $6 for a tube of silicon. And being that is is a California vehicle; no corrosion, the 4 T20 Torx screws broke loose nicely. Thanks again for the "How To". Greatly Appreciated!!!!
Skizzot, you saved me big time, thanks! GM dealer was looking at ~ $400 (sent in and rebuilt 30 day + 2 hours labor ($105 per)). Parts store was looking at ~ $300, if they could even get the part. I followed your instructions step by step, success! Point of interest for any 2003 GMC Yukon. The top plate wasn't secured with T10 screws like the instructions, only held on with the RTV sealant.
Just another happy viewer sending thanks. My 02 Blazer had this problem for years and your tutorial fixed it. My solders looked good too as others have mentioned, but went ahead and touched them up with new solder. ABS works again and the dash lights have stayed off. Will feel better driving in snow this winter. I'll also echo others and mention that mine did not have the 10Tx cover screws either. Dabbed on some Artic Silver paste. Ran the RTV and placed a brick on top of the cover to help set. Now up to 181K+ views. No Tech bulletin, no recall...shame on "the old" GM for keeping this problem quiet. I wonder how may accidents could have been prevented had the vehicle braking system worked properly. GM owes you much more than a thank you! As do I for that matter. My family and I thank you Skizzot7! We're glad that you're ok from the accident. Cheers.
I've been driving around ignoring these lights for months now, didn't want to spend a fortune to get it fixed. I took my brake module apart and soldered the contacts. I also removed and cleaned up the grounds on the frame forward of the module and the lights are gone!! Appreciate you sharing your video!
I've been ignoring them over a year now! I'm going to try this now that I've found this video :D
I came back here to thank you for making this video. I added solder to all solder points you showed to be a problem even though only one had a hairline crack. I had the problem of abs and brake light coming on the dash every time when you drive but not in park. It has been 1 week and I have not gotten the lights at all. Thank you so much!
Thanks Man!! Fixed my 2001 Blazer in about an hour. Mechanic was going to charge me over $500 to fix and you showed me how to fix it for less than $4!! Awesome!
I like the fact that you actually have a diagnosis for the problem that fixes the issue. I took this into the dealer and they didn't even have a solution. Not even "buy a new one" type deal, which they usually are very good at spending your money. HOWEVER, I have one HUGE issue with this video. Glancing over the removal of the control unit from the ABS pump is criminal. There is no way to remove the unit because there is no clearance above it between frame and the t20 screws. This is the truly daunting part of this task because the only alternative I see is trying to remove the 3 VERY rusted bolts that hold the bracket in and then the brake lines (they are rigid) to pull it down and give clearance for even a sideways/lateral driver. This adds massive amount of time and effort, and also brake fluid to the problem and ends up putting this at the intersection of "DIY" and "pay a mechanic".
This worked like a charm. I had the truck getting transmission serviced and i had my mechanic take it off while it was on the lift took it apart with a razor blade no bolts to pull apart on mine. Cleaned up silicone, alcohol rubbed board. I put soldering on all the main and big points total of 11 including the ones by barcode. Mine looked perfect so i wasnt expecting a good result but i was wrong. It took me about 30mins to get it back in and tightened. I put black rtv as well on the inside and outside. It has been almost two weeks and no abs or brake lights on. Thanks alot for this video
Thank you for this video. I was getting a c0265 code on my 2003 Trailblazer. I followed your repair directions exactly on how to repair the control unit. No more codes! During removal, I did remove the three bolts that held the abs pump to the frame (leaving the brake lines attached). This allowed a little wriggle room to get a tool on the rearmost outward torx bolt. I also bought a very small flat 1/4 ratchet and a torx t20 socket to go with it. Took about 3 hours start-to-finish, including rtv glue dry time. I used white heat sink compound from radio shack (4$ for a tiny tube) for the 6 heat transfer spots on the cover.
Great video! This saved me over $1500! Followed the procedure and even though I could not see any visible cracking in the solder joints, I went ahead and re-soldered the 6 connections. To my great pleasure, the lights have been off for over 3 weeks now whereas before I couldn't make it 1 mile without the lights coming on. Thanks for your time and effort in helping everyone stay out of GM's pocketbooks!
Happy to report a month later, not a single issue since making this fix. Lights are gone, brakes work fine. Thank you SO much for this tutorial.
Once again science and knowledge overcomes ignorance and superstition. Followed your instructions and your fix worked great. My first try at fixing this was to go to a salvage yard and buy a used unit from the same vehicle as mine (2000 GMC Sonoma). Guess what, it had the same problem as my original. Plan B was to remove and repair the existing unit. Been three weeks now with a couple hundred mile trip in the interim. Have not seen any ABS/Brake since.
Thanks for posting this!! Great instructions, saved me $450 for my mechanic to fix/rebuild. I had two torx screws that wouldn't take the bit, but used some compressed air for cleaning keyboards and it cleared out the debris so the bit seated properly. They are tough to access with the 3" of clearance above. After that everything went pretty smoothly. No more warning lights!
Thanks for getting back to me. I figured out the top was simply glued down with some sort of gasket compound. About 30 minutes of breaking the seal with a razor and prying apart with small screwdrivers, I was able to get it apart. Sad thing is, upon close inspection with a 10x magnifying glass there were no bad solder joints. I added solder to ones that were a little "light". Reinstalled the unit and, thought I was lucky for about 7 miles then that damned light came back on!
just a couple pokes at the video..... first, let me say that i've been working on electronics for about 20years, and a mechanic almost my whole adult life. that being said, take note of that heat sink compound, and please edit. if you look at the board, every white spot corresponds to a power driver transistor surface mounted to the other side, almost certain mosfet. even at idle/minimum power, they can cook themselves in about a second without the heat being transferred away. silicone insulates, and at the least use some dielectric silicone, if you cannot source some transfer paste/ heatsink paste/compound. the stuff is quite expensive, have you, but can also be found in those little jobber tear packets at electronic stores, like radio shack, or wire/electrical supply stores. i guarantee if you live in a freezing climate, the board will cook, as that is all you have left to take the bulk of the heat, and likely short the fets. second, the aluminum is usually already coated/filmed to a condition that it will not likely start to corrode. best thing to do is not touch it at all, much less expose fresh aluminum to start the oxidation process. third, when soldering, you need to keep your tip in good "tinned" shape. that's why they sell all those tip cleaners. heating the entire part to take the solder is sure to cause heat damage, like melting the plastic body of the relay, or potting in the coils. you do want to have a fresh tinned tip, then heat the part leg for 1 sec, and if it will not take solder, hit the tip and let the flux and fresh solder flow to the leg, and then follow with feeding the leg more solder, once it has started to take it. if you have much experience soldering, you should have a sucker, or wick, so don't be afraid to glob it and then wick/ suck the old solder off, and add an appropriate amount of new solder. you do this, because the dry connection (proper term for what we are fixing here) has been arcing and oxidizing for quite some time and created a large amount of contamination. the reason these dry connections appear on things is because it is "flowed" at the factory, meaning, they apply molten solder to somewhat cool parts. it's like welding cast, or molly parts when you use an iron. third, the body screws are true t-9........ yes, i've seen many cheap t-10 that would actually tap into t-9, but that's just because they are cheap, and good to use when you strip the head some.
my suggestions: first, use either the little kobalt bit driver/rachet wrench kit, or a bit with 1/4" rachet and force the bit into the screw square with enough force to nearly pick you up from the floor to carefully break the first couple pops loosening the screws, and you can prevent slippage, then, after you sepearte and solder, skip the cleaning, rather a swipe of alchohol, if needed, and apply a thin film of silicone sealant to the cut areas and screw together. next, if, in the likely event that you are in your cool, humid garage, heat the module to real warm, you can use the kitchen oven on it's lowest setting, starting by checkin at less than a min. upside-down, and carry covering the coil hole with a dry towel as you carry to the truck and instantly set in place and screw down. as long as the part is a good 20 degrees above room temp, it should keep the moisture out, and stay internally dry. up to you. dealing with the compound issue: up to you and your resources, if you cannot source new compound, then just reassemble without disturbing what is there, or use a thin film of "tune-up grease" to coat what is there, just barely. also, make sure there is not silt, or whatever keeping you from sinking the bit all the way in the head. compressed air, and cleaner is your friend here.
Thank you very much for making this video. I have been trying to sell my pickup and everyone is turned off by the Abs and Emergency brake light coming on. This fixed my issue, I am so thankful there are people like you. you helped me add a $1500 value to my truck. You are Awesome!!!!!!
Thanks for this video. I did this twice. The first time my soldering iron wasn't working well. I suspect the original solder is higher temp than what I am used to working with. After the first time I ordered a new higher wattage iron. I was still getting the code but in a little different pattern than before so I still thought the solder joints were the problem. I redid it with the new iron a couple of weeks ago. I could tell immediately that the solder was flowing much better. I now declare mine fixed.
This is a very good video. People have a tendency to talk alot about nothing, you don't do that, what you have to say is on point and very important, fixed it myself, thank you.
Hold up!! before pulling that module out try this. Wiggle the power
connector to the module. By accident I found that by moving the plug I could make the ABS
and Brake lights come on or go off. Probably some corrosion on the
terminals. I slightly bent the male lugs so they would make better
contact when the plug is reconnected. It's been awhile and both lights
are still off. Probably a good idea to check the grounds too.
Going to give that a whirl too before I take out the ebcm. Easier to check all power points before messing with anything else. Thanks for an excellent idea!
The white paste is not silicone it's a heat transfer paste
it ain't now.......no more heat sink paste for that one...hope it works
I was wondering that..... Just like a CPU and Cooling fan in a Computer
Worked like a charm! My solder joints looked fine, but they were apparently not. Thanks for the great video. I had both lights on and the motor was running all the time. Both symptoms are gone now.
Thank you! I opened up my module on a 2002 Astro Van and touched up those solder joints and sure enough, no more ABS and Brake light coming on. My 2002 module did not have those T-10 screws, the holes were there but the module was basically just glued together with the gasket. Thanks for saving me money and aggravation!
Nice video... Just FYI if no one else has told you, using some solder flux help with heat transfer and ensures that the solder flows to the contact points, also the white paste is actually a heat sink compound for the transistors and IC chips on the board. The solid metal cover is used to dissapate the heat when the circuit board has power on it.
I am a retired Navy Aviation Electronics Tech Chief and have performed many repairs such as the one that you have shown...
I'm going to find the box on the 1999 GMC truck that has this issue and see if I can fix it.
Thanks a lot for sharing the information!! I'll be sure to post if it helped me!!
Thanks for this video. Took mine apart and did not see problems with the soldier, but hit the connections with heat anyway. Worked great, no more lights.
Just back from installing the box...works great!
After studying the large multi-pinned connector, I am VERY suspicious of it being the root cause of the intermittent action.
After I pushed it in and locked it, it still moved about a bit!
The pins are very small signal pins and if there is any size discrepancy on the female mate, I could see an issue for intermittent contact.
I reseated my three connectors about 10 times each while I had the truck on a lift.
I still like the video!
Thank you, thank you, thank you. This appears to have fixed my ABS & Brake warning light problem on my 2001 Suburban 1500. It's been working fine for a couple of days now after 3 years of being on. I had problems removing the mounting screws - ended up drilling out 2 of them out with a Dewalt 90 degree drill attachment with a stubby drill bit. Although all of the solder joints looked fine to me, I resoldered all of the connectors coming into the board along with the relay contacts. The hardest part of the job for me was getting the unit off. The rest went very smoothly. Thanks again. I wouldn't have attempted this without your video.
Many thanks for your clear explanation. I has helped perfectly me to fix the abs problem of my Chevy Blazer 2.4 Advantage Flex 2008 (Brazilian built). Because I am not experienced in solding circuitboards, I asked the local television repairman to do that for me. Which he did without any charges. Total costs $ 5,00 (R$ 10,00) spent on the silicon gasket. Weak connections that were noticed: the solded points that fix the multipin connector to the circuitboard.
First let me say that your procedural detail and specific areas where we should be careful and tread gently were absolutely outstanding and I commend you for sharing your wisdom with us. There have been a couple areas where some further clarity might be helpful...
For the most part, the real difficulty in separating the heat sink (cover) from the plastic pc board housing rests in severing the gasket from the cover enough that you can introduce two flathead screwdrivers and lever open the join to determine the board is free of the cover all around. You can then use a little more force and 'pop' the halves apart; this parts all the heat sink joins and (at least in my case) causes no harm to the pc board. It has been mentioned many times that the white substance on each of the heat sink lands is actually a compound specifically meant to enhance heat transfer from the board to the cover (read here 'heat sink'). What hasn't been mentioned is that it can be re-used upon assembly without serious loss in heat transfer; just run a tooth-pick size bead of sealant down the center of the split gasket on one component or the other and use the #8 torx screws to put things back together. In my case, as apparently in yours, it took about 5 minutes to install (quite a bit longer to figure out how to get it out, in spite of your excellent instructions) and all appears well thus far. I'll need to take the truck for a long drive up in the mountains to be sure, considering how it was acting up in my case.
BRAVO Sir! I'm sure we are all very grateful and applaud you.
Regards,
W
Have an 01 Silverado and the abs and break light will come on sporadically and remain on until the vehicle is turned off and than started again. I followed the video's instruction and reflowed the specific points mentioned along with pretty much all of them. So far so good.
The issues I had was the torx which holds the case together was not a 10. It was smaller. Either an 8 or 9. Other than it taking forever to carefully open the case, everything went as the video showed.
Thanks for the detailed video. Hopefully it saved me the money to get it repaired at a mail in shop.
Thanks for the video! I used this video and repaired my 2001 GMC Sierra 1500 EBCM and the lights haven't came back on since the repair (2 weeks now)! Thanks again for a very helpful tip that saved me hundreds on repair/replacement!!!
Thanks for the video. I got a C0265 code. I followed your instructions and my Yukon is now fixed! Thanks for the video and good work!
If you had to take the entire unit off the frame, you would not take the bolts all the way out.
The frame is slotted so all you have to do is loosen the bolts enough to slide the unit forward.
The bolt heads are 13mm.
I know this because I am replacing all of the rust rotted hard lines along the frame and rear axle. What a PITA!
If you own a 1999-2005 truck or SUV on this chassis line, you really should check your lines. Especially along the frame and rear axle as well as under the radiator.
I was fortunate that my line blew while I was stopped and not when I had to try to stop this 5000 lbs. hunk of steel!
Anyway, while I have the module out of the truck, I am addressing the intermittent lights so I sincerely appreciate this video!
The 6 screws that hold the plastic module to the are T8, not T10.
With all the hard lines still attached, it's impossible to slide the unit forward. The only thing that worked for me was completely remove the bracket (all three 13mm bolts in the frame) and then two 6mm Allens on each side of the pump. That yielded enough room to reach up and attack the four screws holding this on with an air grinder (two were stripped).
Since the Internet is always right...I followed this procedure, and hot damn, it worked! I paid very close attention to "slicing" the RTV away, and prying the cover off. The solder joints looked OK, but I hit them up anyway. Rpad test, and all is good. RUclips to the rescue again!
Just wanted to say thanks for the video, whether it worked for me or not. Like Grapevine, I didn't see any bad solder joins either, but touched up the ones you found bad on yours, just in case. My pair of lights used to come on only when the system seemed to get warm. On days below 60 degrees, I would never see the lights. But when it got over 60, they'd come on. In the summer, the lights would come on within a couple miles of driving.
Thanks for the walkthrough! This helped me repair mine and get rid of the dreaded ABS light and C0265 code. I would like to add that my Kelsey-Hayes 325 module did NOT have any lid retaining screws, it was only held on by RTV.
As a tip for some that might have the same problem, some of the torx bolts that hold the module to the ABS block on mine rounded off and had to be ground down with a dremel. I chose to replace them with philips-head stainless hardware from Lowes (just take an old one with you to find the correct thread pitch).
Very nice video, helped to solve the problem of my S10 2010 here in Brazil. I remade all the big points of soldering on the board, putting more solder and leaving the iron 25W heat up well. I also made the connectors points (soldering). My module is a little bit different, the cover is not fixed with screws, only RTV silicon, then should wait an hour to vulcanize, with a small weight on top, before to reattach in the car. Another important detail, spend a bit of silicone grease on the gasket which lies between the hydraulic pump and the module to prevent moisture.
Thank you man! It help me once , for maybe 7 or 9 months but still good, pass inspection, now light came back again, no complain to your instructions, I have to search for youe video again to do it once more and see if it works again, however if it does or not this time I wan to thank you for thia video , me coming back again for instructions means you arw the to go guy whne this situations arise , if anyone dislike your video, dont knkw what they really talking about , belive me whoever is looking at utube is because theu dont want to waste mony at the dealership and many expect this to solve any single issue and ia not like that, you help a lot of people the way you explain this so I want to give you a big THANK YOU for thaking the time!
Just to add a note to a great explanation.
USE---- Thermal grease (also called thermal gel, thermal compound, thermal paste, heat paste, heat sink paste, thermal interface material, or heat sink compound) is a kind of thermally conductive (but usually electrically insulating) adhesive, which is commonly used as an interface between heat sinks and heat sources (e.g., high-power semiconductor devices). The grease gives a mechanical strength to the bond between the heat sink and heat source, but more importantly, it eliminates air (which is a thermal insulator) from the interface area.
It will help keep the board cooler, this is what is used in your PC,& laptop computers.
Thanks for the video! Did this over the weekend. 2002 suburban. Sucked because I had to remove the entire abs unit as the screws were too corroded to be able to remove while on vehicle. Oddly my EBCM had none of the small screws holding the lid on. I ended up using rtv and letting it sit overnight with the lid clamped on. I found a place on eBay where I got new stainless screws to hold the EBCM to the abs unit. They are 3mm hex head screws. Also put anti seize on the screws to hopefully prevent corrosion.
I just wanted to say it worked for me. 2001 GMC sonoma. To be clear I did clean the three plugs that hook this thing up first. OK was not that, still had the same problem. then I opened it up, didn't see any problem with the solder joints, but went ahead and did a re-solder on the spots he said and a few more. WORKS NOW. Thanks skizzot7 u de man.
Thank you for this video!
Followed the thorough instructions, took me 3.5 hours to do the job, and it worked! ABS lights are out, no codes, and ABS works great!
Thanks so much for the vijao! I REALLY appreciated the detail regarding removing the cover without cracking the circuit board. (BTW, if you orient the cover like the letter “L” viewed from above, the bottom left outside corner is the tricky one.) Also, the Dremel & wire wheel trick to remove the RTV was a revelation! Your (mostly) focused video was well done also. My 2004 Astro didn’t have the T10’s, so I lightly clamped the cover down until the RTV cured. Note that RTV curing can be accelerated with a light misting of water. Anyway, the fix worked like a charm, although the ABS/Brake lamps initially stayed on for about five drive cycles, but after that only for bulb check. You saved me over 400 doll hairs! Multitudes of blessings upon you for taking the time and effort to pass along this information!
Hereby I want to send a special thanks, first for taking the time to do this tutorial and thanks to this this day I could repair my suburban 2002.
From Mexico ... many thanks.
Thank you for your video. I was very reluctant to attempt this but after this video I went for it and in just a few short hours no more lights. You made it very clear and easy to understand, thanks for helping me save some big money.
Mark
Wow! This worked for me just fine..no ABS/Brake light anymore on my 2003 S10...thanks a lot, really!
Awesome video.... I checked those solder points with a magnifying glass and flashlight and they looked fine but I resoldered them anyway. It's been 3 days and still no lights...... Thanks
The white stuff is a thermal heat compound. it is silicone based but is not silicon. It is a thermal heat transfer. You can get it at Radio Shack or an electronics store. As someone said, it is similar to a grease but not a grease.
Also the scews on the case is a T-5 vice T-10. But this is a good info program. Thank you
Amazing. Thank you so much. Did this with my brother helping do the soldering, as I’ve never soldered before, and to my surprise it actually worked. Like others have said, my circuit board looked fine but we hit those spots anyway and I guess it did the trick. I’m thrilled. No more annoying lights!
hi, i had that problem (abs light on the dash) unfortunately i was not able to remove the module without removing the whole pump unit. fix it and the light disappear, but im having a big problem to bleed the air out of the system. i've investigated and the results were that i need a special electronic scanner in order to bleed the system, so disappointed, you got it right because you didnt have to remove the brake lines, thanks for you video.
Before you replace the module you might want to check the connectors!
I have a 1999 Silverado 1500 that was showing the ABS and brake lights intermittently.
I pulled out the rear speed sensor for the rear wheels (which is connected to the transmission). Then I went to the two connectors attached to the ABS module, and noticed that the main connector was somewhat loose. I took both apart and cleaned them with electronic connector spray. I reattached them and the lights went away. If the lights come back I will pull apart the prongs of the EBCM and make the main connection tighter.
awesome video. i basically figured my abs would never work again as i was not spending the money on a new module.. i even considered pulling the bulbs from my dash to make them go away. this repair seems very easy to do and i will be trying it here this week. thanks alot for all the great information
did this repair and everything is back to normal now. once again thanks alot man great video. and yeah that cover is a pain to get off
I just used this fix. Worked for me. The solder joints looked fine but it cured the warning light problem. Thanks.
Good video, especially the camera work, that wasn't jerking around, and the explanation was also excellent...Thanks to the gent that made it.
Like the video. Thanks a lot, One thing that you never mentioned I feel is VERY important, is you need to bleed the abs hydraulic control mod. This must be done with a scan tool to bleed the unit internally. After that you MUST also bleed your base brake system.
This worked great. Thank you. One thing that helped me, since I had to dremel the heads of the frame side screws completely off, was to remove the 3 bolts that hold the pump bracket to the frame. once removed, you can move the whole unit over till it touches the transfer case. This allows for a lot of extra room.
Very good video. I have a 95 blazer. Bought it second hand... abs never worked. changed everything. Going into the module again thanks to your video. Hope i get it fixed. I now know what to expect inside. thanks
Again, a great video! I just opened the box and re-soldered several points. You made this easy and if it works, it saves all of us boo-koo bucks! Thanks!
I'll know tomorrow if it makes a difference when I reinstall it.
Great video. Solved the problem for me. Couple weeks and going strong. Couple of differences on my end that may have been said but there are 181 comments: Some of the Kelsey-Hayes 325 (like mine in my 03 S10) don't have the T10 screws. I also went ahead and resoldered the contacts opposite the bar code in at 7:18 for good measure. Thanks so much! Saved about $999 dollars following this video.
Bethesda UMC Youth mine had T8 screws
Awesome video my friend. Did this on my 2001 Tahoe. Originally removed the ABS fuse, I dont mind not having ABS or Traction control, but the light was bugging me lol. Quick tip, I used an oscillating tool with a bi-metal/wood blade to cut through the RTV gasket and it does save time, but as you mentioned the board is very easy to damage so you have to be careful.
Rubber side down!!👊👌
Thanks for this VERY informative "how to" video. I have watched your video about four times to be sure I understand everything that needs to be done before tackling this job for real.
My vehicle is a two-door 2000 Chevy Blazer ZR2 with Off-road package and the 4.3L engine. Symptom: After driving only a few minutes, both the ABS light and the P/brake light come on the dash, and usually stay on for the rest of the day. Occasionally after turning the engine off for awhile, the lights won't come back on right away. But eventually they do. However, I notice no adverse braking issues...but I also don't test the ABS system...don't want to push my luck. Fortunately for me, my EBCM is located topside, next to the Master Cylinder.
I just now removed the EBCM from the vehicle with no issues, including removing the four T20 Torx screws and the three electrical connectors.
However, after bringing the unit inside the house to work on, I discovered that my unit does not use T10 screws--it uses T08 screws. So I'm off to the auto parts store to purchase a T08 driver.
So far so good. I REALLY hope that this is the issue. If not, I guess it didn't hurt for me to beef up those solder points.
Will update on the progress later, and the result.
Thanks again!
UPDATE: All the solder points have been reworked and built up, and the module has been reassembled and reinstalled. Took the ZR2 for its test drive, and for the first time in I don't know how long, no ABS / P brake lights appeared on the dash. I am cautiously optimistic that this did the job. Thanks again...grateful !!
Thanks for putting this together! I've watched the video a couple of times over the last year but I didn't actually try it until tonight. I thought the EBTCM was going to be a bitch to pull out but it was pretty easy coming out and going in. The hardest part was popping the case open and cleaning all of the old RTV out of the channels. I used my 100W soldering gun and just touched up the contacts that you specified as well as one other that I could see was cold. A few dabs of heat sink compound and a new bead of RTV got it back together. No lights yet!
I have a 2004 envoy (not sure if its the same computer modular though) with this same problem. Its been driving me crazy for a LONG time, tried cleaning connectors, changing grounding washer to star washer etc. nothing works I will try this out and if it works you are my hero!!
Dude, you are my hero. Yes, I crawled under my vehicle and found the location of the break controller. I am trying less intrusive measures, i.e., checking connections, fuses, etc. Hopefully that will solve the problem. In the meantime, thanks for the great demonstration and information. At least I know why to do now.
Don't be fooled when you open the unit and the solder point look perfect. Mine looked pristine. I redid then as per instructed and the unit has been working ever since.
2004 Chevy Tahoe w/160k. Mine didn't have the 6 screws and joints didn't appear to need touching up but i tried it anyway. I touched up all the joints and sealed up with rtv silicone 20 minute quick cure lightly clamping while it cured. Its been about 4 weeks and the light hasn't come on once. We'll see how long it last. Thanks for your help!
BTW, I didn't see any cracked solder joints, but redid the ones on your video anyway and that did the trick!!!
Thank you for making such an informative video! I feel more confident taking this on now.
The whole world now depends on modules...which no one seems to be able to diagnois and fix...at least you found this problem similar to honda fuel pump relay issue..thanx
Some observations:
The paste is between the case and the thermal sinks for several high-heat power devices. While I am sure standard silicone-based paste will work, the paste should be a thermal transfer paste. It can be found at radio shack and other stores.
I noticed the main connectors into the circuit board are where you are soldering. It may be the connecters themselves are tarnished and when they are reseated, they fix the problem. I would suggest re-seating all of the connectors first.
Just finished...thank you and it only took 3 beers...
Update: After approximately 100 miles through the San Jacinto mountains, I believe the we have resolved the issue. Many thanks, once again.
This video saved me from buying another module. THANKS!
FYI, per repair site instructions, if you need to drive around without the module attached, remove your ABS fuse, as well, so the ABS motor doesn’t possibly burn out.
Thanks for the video bro. I have no idea how much it would have cost to fix at the dealership but it did't cost me shit thanks to your video. ABS and Brake light are off again can't fukin believe it!!! Worked great on my 03 GMC Safari
Great video, worked like a charm. It's only been a few days but no more ABS light, Yahoo. I think my bad ones were right by the barcode label. I went ahead and touched up the relay ones too. I had to knock out the bit on my T20 socket and use a 1/4 inch wrench because the clearance just wasn't there for the socket. I didn't have a T08 or T10 so I ground down an old screwdriver to pull the cover off. Thanks for saving me the big bucks...
I've put 15k miles on this truck following the repair and still not issues. It's worth you're time to try it rather than spending about a thousand bucks replacing the unit.
The factory solder seems lead free and very hard, and mine definitely had solder cracks. I'm convinced reflowing quality 60/40 lead based solder will cause those particular joints to out last OEM...it's the ones that you do not resolder that are going inevitably fail.
Also check the frame grounds right there too. TSB on it. Rust and corrosion cause bad ground. Clean apply dielectric grease then reinstall. The module should be a 12ga wire ground near there
Thank you so much for this video. You know what, the breaksteam autoshop in Tigard OR at the greenberg st. they tried to fixed it but this problem does not go away and they charge me $900... I think, same problem with my Chevy Tahoe 2001. For sure this video gonna works on mine too. Thanks so much and much save money for all of us who have the same problem. Peace...
Hey man I appreciate the video that is going to help me immensely. That white stuff on the inside is actually for heat dissipation. its to distribute the heat equally and not one point overheat.
Thanks again for the video and I appreciate the heads up on how careful you have to be to take this top off I do appreciate it.
Can't believe this worked! I almost bought a new module. Thanks!
+liberato casaol like I said, worked for me, sorry bout your luck.
+Lovely Jaytee This addresses an intermittent open that represents the majority of problems with these units. A closed circuit condition requires component level replacement. If ABS is staying active...that's a closed circuit condition indicating a malfunctioning component.
Just to clarify this response about ABS staying active. My ABS module continuously cycles unless 60A fuse is removed. Would your ABS module rebuild resolve this issue?
Thanks for the video ! Can't imagine how sorry somebody must be to come on here and thumbs down a video that was put out there to help people!
What Tim Robbins said below. You DEFINITELY need to re-coat the pads with thermal compound/grease, otherwise you'll be burning up the (power transistor?) drivers for solenoids and be replacing the whole module. Just a thin layer will do - enough to transfer heat between those points on the board to the aluminum case.
helps if you use a heat gun to help warm up the rtv and also solder with lead free solder as it isn't as soft as lead solder.
I have an 03 Chevy Express brake light was coming on and was getting chiming alarm the fix for me was unplugging and plugging in the wiring connector to the module evidently after 16 years there was some oxidation at the connection point that fix the problem. Which is interesting because if I would have gone through the whole process I may have thought that was the problem when it was just the connection. Also another tip on this Express vehicle they used a fine braided copper cables to ground the engine to the frame when that fails the gauges will act up and possibly not start due to fuel pump not working because of lack of ground
Skizzot7, thank you kindly for your helpful video. I didn't want to risk a bad solder job, so replaced the entire ebcm, $490 at the Chevy dealer. Would also like to point out the largest of the 3 connectors has a pink locking tab that should be pulled away from the ebcm before disconnecting the connector from the ebcm. Also, care should be taken when removing the 4 T-20 torx screws. They can strip out if your T-20 torx bit is not lined up nice and straight.
This worked for me. Did this exact process yesterday 2/5/2015. 2004 Yukon.Total time (2hrs.) removal, work on unit and install. I did leave unit sit prior to install to allow silicone to set. NO dash lights after 1 hour of evening and morning drive. My dash lights would light up immediatly or within one block after leaving my driveway.
Just took mine out of my 2001 Silverado C1500. The 6 Torx screws to open the unit on this one were T8 rather than T10. I didn't have anything smaller than a T8 but fortunately Home Depot had a Huskey 8-in-1 Torx Screwdriver set that has T4 thru T10. Nice little screwdriver for $5.97 and worked perfectly. My solder joints don't look that bad at all, but I'm going to hit them with some solder anyway and hope. I REALLY don't want to pay $663 for a new module!
My 2000 Tahoe LT 5.3 had this problem. I did exactly as show on video and it worked as demonstrated.
Thank you Skizzot
Just spent 5 hours getting this SOB off because both torx against the frame rail stripped out. It's clear GM never intended for this to be serviced, because it was obviously designed to be installed when the body is off the frame. Only way I got it off was removing the big ass bracket and fitting an air grinder up there to attack the bolt heads (and ate up some of the plastic in the process).
THANKS! Just completed this on my 2003 Yukon XL. easier fix than expected. only difference was my controller did not have screws attaching the lid..
Metals expand and contract with temperature fluctuations. If you have a bad solder joint that fluctuation may be enough to briefly cause a loss of contact on the board and send the fault to trigger the warning lights. When in the contracted (cold) state the joint is making perfect contact.
I beleive the termal paste is needed to cool down the circuit, so it transfert the heat to the aluminum case
Yeah I was thinking that looked like thermal paste as well.
I have this exact problem on my '03 Silverado, but only when its -30c out. both lights will come on, they will go out after 4 key cycles and that exact codes sets. then it usually takes about 2 weeks and it will do it again if its cold. hasn't done it since January, but it did it 4 times in Nov/Dec. its under my drivers door, but there are massive amounts of rust covering everything. this sounds like a cheap easy fix, but I'm thinking of going the route of replacement of the module and lines, local GM dealer has them in a set for like $150, they are a big rust through issue up here in this area of Canada, they said they sell a lot of these units and lines. the lines are so close together above the frame all the road crap builds on them and rusts them through. but I do believe I am going to keep the old module and do this to it, and keep it for a spare.
The white past is aluminum oxide heat transfer paste. Purchase a tube of past and put a dab on eachpoint. Do not use silicone RTV. The use of silicone RTV will cause overheating of the electronics. The case of the module acts as a heat sink. Even in 100 F weather, the case acts as a considerable heat sink for keeping the electronics below the damage threshold. Also do not overheat the contacts when soldering. Use a temperature controlled soldering iron.
Thank you for making this video my 01 blazer was doing the same thing if it was cold out light would not come on if it was warm out it would be on I followed your video and now no abs light!