Help w/2002 Sable

[Dragcity]

I am having multiple issues with my Wifes 2002 Mercury Sable DOHC Duratec. Has about 41,000 miles, around town driver.

1) Did brake job last year, all new stuff. Now the brake light is on and I can't re-set it. I pulled all the wheels and no issues. Re-adjusted rears, made 'em too tight, had to back them off a bit. I am thinking it is something with the parking brake, but it holds the car as appropriate, and releases fully every time. ABS is off when light is on (always). Rears lock up before fronts.... Fluid is at appropriate level.

What could be the problem? Sensors ?

2) Engine Icon lit this evening. Code P0401. Research says EGR or DPFE. I did notice the the EGR tube from vave cover to Air intake had a bunch of goop in it. I cleaned it and replaced a boogered up grommet. Flushed out the IAC and cleared the code, disconnected battery. Ran it and no light thus far.

Am I done, or am I in for the DPFE thing?

3) The red "THEFT" light is flashing every three seconds or so. This is new. I think I saw something about this on here before but couldn't find it.

Funny thing is the car is running just fine. Wife did fill up the tank the other day. Same station we always go to.

Any input from you masters would be great. May save me some time and $$$$

I think I need to drive this car for a few weeks. But that means I need to give up my Marauder to ....her....

Thanks fellas'.:coolman:

[larryo340]

Which brake light is on the red brake light or the yellow anti-lock light ? If the anti-lock light is on it should have put a code in the PCM.

P0401 you will probably have to replace the DPFE sensor. The engine light will come back on. They are not too expensive and easy to replace.

The "Theft" light flashing is ok as long as it only happens when ignition is OFF.

[Dragcity]

Thanks,

It's the red brake light, but ABS is disabled while on. Although the yellow light does not come on, only when key is in ACC II

[larryo340]

It may even be only the float in the master cylinder tank. I have seen them stick.

[RF Overlord]

P0401 you will probably have to replace the DPFE sensor. The engine light will come back on. They are not too expensive and easy to replace.Agreed. Had the same issue on my sister's Taurus...very common.

[Dragcity]

Took it for a hard ride today. Engine light did not return so far.

Working on brakes tonight. I'll first check the float, maybe change out the fluid. The rears lock up and fronts don't.

Thanks guys.

[larryo340]

Make sure to check the rear wheel cylinders and brake shoes to see that they are not sticking.

[Dragcity]

Yeah, everything is up to snuff. Rear wheels spin freely when no brake is applied. Everything hydaulic/mechanical is in good working order. Must be a switch or sensor somewhere in the system that is turning off the ABS. Parking brake is next on my list....

No "float" in the master cylinder. There is just nothing there. Will gravity flush the fluid on Sunday.

Man, do I want this light to go out and the ABS to work right for Wifey.

[RF Overlord]

Please disregard my reply above.

OBD-II code P0401 is "Insufficient EGR FLow". The code my sister's car had was P0402 "Excessive EGR Flow" and is almost always the DPFE sensor.
I did notice the the EGR tube from vave cover to Air intake had a bunch of goop in it.I should have read your post more carefully...the EGR tube goes from the exhaust manifold to the intake manifold. The tube you mention is for the PCV system and would not have any effect on the EGR system. You still could have a bad DPFE sensor, a bad EGR valve, or clogged EGR passages in the intake manifold.

[Dragcity]

The 'Engine' light is no more. Yeah, sorry PCV, silly me. Cleaned both PCV tubes, throttle body and MAF and car runs way better. Light has not returned in two days. I may be escaping the DPFE.

The damn brakes are still perplexing me. I have everthing apart and have loosened the parking brake cable.

Could be a parking brake switch.

[rayjay]

The 'Engine' light is no more. Yeah, sorry PCV, silly me. Cleaned both PCV tubes, throttle body and MAF and car runs way better. Light has not returned in two days. I may be escaping the DPFE.

The damn brakes are still perplexing me. I have everthing apart and have loosened the parking brake cable.

Could be a parking brake switch.

Bad or dirty ABS sensor?

[Dragcity]

Good call Ray, but I cleaned them this evening. I disassembled, cleaned and re-assembled everyhting. Loosened parking brake cable (thank you Oxy/Acetylene) and set everything up to specs.

Red light still on. No ABS. Rears lock up and fronts don't But fronts are offering stopping assistance.

Checked parking brake micro switch, visually and mechanically. All seems good. I have to get an ohm meter on it tomorrow and check per Ford manual.

I did not get around ot gravity bleeding the system. Doesn't feel like it needs it.

Thanks everyone

[Raudermaster]

I thought the Sable's had 4 wheel disc's? My Dad's old '01 Taurus had drums in the rear and disc's up front.

[larryo340]

If the fronts are not locking up, maybe you have a binding caliper??

[Dragcity]

Drums in back, disks in front.

Nothing is binding. I am suspecting the parking brake switch, but don't know why the abs is off if that is the mailfunction??

Where are all the Ford Techs?

What a pain in the neck.

If I set the parking brake, and put the car in gear, the warning chime souonds. WHen I release the parking brake, the chime stops, but light stays on. The red light is always on, whether I set the parking brake or not.

Today is another day. Guess I'll keep plugging away.

[Dragcity]

Still having issued folks.

The "Engine" Light came on again. Picked up new DPFE at parts store. Pulled intake off. Wrong DPFE. Back up to store, they did not have the correct one. So, I got new plugs instead. Cleaned everything and put back together. Cleared code again. Guess I'll have to see if I can find the part I need.

There is a tube that runs out the bottom of the air intake intake rubber connector, to the trottle body. That seemed to be 'plugged', as the cleaner did not run down it. Is it a vacum only situation, one way valve??? Tube looked like it ran into the exhaust manifold or block near the firewall.

Damn Brake light is killing me. Seems the T/C is not working either. Anyone know what sensor/relay would make this happpen. What is the mailfunction? So the Red brake warning light is on, no ABS, no T/C and rears lock up before fronts. Just so we are clear, the car stops amazingly well, straight as an arrow. Parking brake releases fully.

[Dragcity]

I just wanted to follow up on what I have found out about all these things.

The Engine code P0401 was indeed the DPFE. $40 NAPA part, 10 minute3s to locate it on the car, 2 minutes to change it.

The brakes is an ABS module. I took it in to have it diagnosed, 100 buck - ouch....

Who has the skinny on ABS modules. They want 800 clams to replace it..

Can it be rebuilt?

[Aren Jay]

You answerd my quiry.

However is this a solution you are looking for?

I don't know or have any recommendation on this place.

http://www.bba-reman.com/content.aspx?content=mercury_s able_taurus_abs_pumps_commonly _failing


US Headquarters
BBA Remanufacturing Inc
300 Myles Standish Blvd
Taunton, MA 02780
Toll Free: 1 (866) 573 - 2740
Local: 1 (508) 822 - 4490
Fax: 1 (508) 822-4491
email: US-Sales@BBA-reman.com (US-Sales@BBA-reman.com)
Please include this form with all repairs sent to BBA (http://www.bba-reman.com/images/repair-request.pdf)
Hours of Operation: 9:00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. Eastern Time (GMT-5)

[Dragcity]

That's what I found and exactly why I asked.

Seems not too many people know about these mysterious black boxes.....

[Dragcity]

Here it is, Wednesday afternoon...

I have had it up to my eyeballs with this damn brake warning lamp and am ready to remove the module to send it off to Idaho for a rebuild. (I sprayed the bolts with PB Blaster last night.

I get home from work and my Lovely says the red light went out, the green traction light came on for a sec and the red light stayed out? I just checked it out and everything is working perfectly.

I don't know what happened, but I like it. Maybe the penetrating oil worked its way in the module and did something? Or it got scared I was going to ship it out to a far away place.

So there you have it folks. Ford and another bright idea, self-repairing parts....

[Dragcity]

Alrighty Then.

The red brake warning light stays out a couple days and all is right with the world. Then, it comes on and everything is screwy again. This has happened 4 or 5 times in the past week or so.

Yesterday evening, I took the dang flab control module off. What a pain to get to the 6 Torx screws holding it on. Had to remove the lower cowl, the battery-battery box- wiring harnesses. I don't think Snap-On or Mac make the proper tool to get onto the center screws. My fingers are killing me this morning.

So, I get it off, look it over and all looks really good. All the pins, wires and connectors look brand new. No corrosion, no discoloration, no grease. I check the mass of wires, one at a time, and find no breaks, cuts, burns, frays or errors... I spayed everything down with electrical contact cleaner, blew everyhting off with compressed air and carefully put it all back together again. I cleaned everything I touched in the process.

So far, so good. The light is off for now. For how long, I don't know. I would suspect that the COntrol module itself is a part that is either good or bad. These intermittent problems are always a bugger.

I am going to take it back up for diagnosis, providing the light stays out. Tech said he might get a different, more telling code if he can 'communicate' with the ABS Module.

On a good note, the replacement of the DPFE has permanently fixed the Engine code issue.

If anyone cares, I will keep this updated for future reference. I suspect this ABS module could become an issue with any so equipped vehicle.

[Dragcity]

Of corse, I get the light out and am on my way to my pal to plug it in and see what we get. 1 mile from the shop, the light comes on. Oh well.

So, I called up a Scrap yard in Indiana that had an ABS Control Mudule from a 2003 Sable with Traction Control. For $90, they sent it along. I pulled off the old one, put the replacement on, buttoned everyhting up and sure enough, problem solved. Only took 2 hours to R&R this time.

The ABS and T/C system has been working properly for four days now. I think I am done here.


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