Legacy "ABS" system motor keeps running and drains

[teddysmith1952]

Hello all,
My daughters 1995 Legacy has a problem that’s driving me nuts! Her
battery keeps draining and I am hearing a "hum" and feeling a
vibration coming from the ABS (whatever it is!) device located in the
front left area under the hood as you look directly under the hood.
This "device" often keeps running two hours or more after the car is
shut off. This ABS device has an electical connection and several
tubes and fitting running in and out of it. The battery is brand new.
Has anyone heard of this problem and whether it’s an easy fix?
Thanks in advance to anyone that can offer some help!
Jim
Layton, Utah

 

[mike]

Your ABS is your Anti-lock Braking System
the hum you feel is the valves opening & closing for emergency stop
operation.
The problem you are experiencing is most likely the relay switch in your ABS
is bad ( It gets stuck on the ON position & hence flattens your battery).
The good news is that it is a cheap part to fix.
From memory I cannot remember exactly where the relay switch is. Its either
in the black fuse box in the engine bay or in the ABS unit under the black
cover(and I'm pretty sure its here). If you remove this relay switch the ABS
brakes will not work, the car's brake will still function but without this
added safety feature.
Regards
Mike

 

[teddysmith1952]

Your ABS is your Anti-lock Braking System
the hum you feel is the valves opening & closing for emergency
stop
operation.
The problem you are experiencing is most likely the relay
switch in your ABS
is bad ( It gets stuck on the ON position & hence flattens
your battery).
The good news is that it is a cheap part to fix.
From memory I cannot remember exactly where the relay switch
is. Its either
in the black fuse box in the engine bay or in the ABS unit
under the black
cover(and I'm pretty sure its here). If you remove this relay
switch the ABS
brakes will not work, the car's brake will still function but
without this
added safety feature.
Regards
Mike

message

Hello Mike,

I really appreciate your troubleshooting expertise, and will take a
look for that relay switch tomorrow morning.

Thanks very much!
Jim

 

[64vair]

You need to address that problem NOW! Issues with ABS can be serious. It is rare, but I have seen ABS issues cause NO brake power. We had a Ford and I had to disable the ABS because as I slowed down, when I got to just a few miles per hour, the ABS would NOT let the car stop! Not saying that will happen with your daughter's car, just that it is possible, so get it fixed!
Tom