Community Forums

wbhubbert3 · 08-24-2011, 05:14 PM

I recently purchased an extremly well maintained 2003 36 FDDS (40,000 miles) - my first RV. After a couple thousand miles, the "ABS" warning light started to come on periodically and now it's on about 85% of the time.

Today, I took the vehicle to a reputable shop (Freightliner dealer who also takes care of RVs) in Missoula, MT. In their attempt to locate the problem (harness, sensor, etc.) they are having problems locating the ABS ECU on the vehicle.

Does anyone know where the ABS ECU is located?

We also have a home in Puyallup, WA (western WA). Where have Alpine Coach owners received the best and most encompassing service in MT and WA?

Thank you for your help.

Bruce

Jeff and Cheryl · 08-24-2011, 07:46 PM

Brazil's in Centralia WA seems to know what they are doing with ABS systems. They are a sponsor of one of the irv2 forums. They have RV pads with hook-ups if you need to be there overnight.

Renipladlo · 08-24-2011, 10:32 PM

Bruce,

There are sensors which if I understand it correctly just push into a rubber gromet at each wheel. These sensor can because of vibration come out, and cause the ABS to report fault. I get one every time I turn the wheels hard to the left, it works it's way back our/in a few miles down the road. I believe you push it in all the way, then pull it out about 2mm or so, because you don't want it to rub on the rotor.

I have tried to lock up the brakes and cause the ABS to work, and have not been able to do it, and others have reported this as well, so I don't know how sensitative the ABS system is to being engaged. Other than that I don't know much about them. Hopefully one of the owners of a model close to yours will respond and give you some more ideas. If you choose to try to solve this yourself, make sure the air leveling/bag suspension system does not colapse on you, when you are under it, this can be accomplished by jack stands (12T Rated is safe), or lowering the jacks without dumping the air.

Your brake fluid should be flushed out at intervals not to exceed two years, if you don't know if the previous owner had it done, see Cummins in Yakama, as they were instrumental in helping WRV build these units. There are several folks who own alpines over that way, and they have reported good results form Cummins Yakima.

OldForester · 08-24-2011, 10:42 PM

Bruce,

I live in Tacoma, and bought our coach new in 2006 from Holiday Motorhomes In Fife, WA, along I-5. They were Alpine Coach dealers from the start until 2007 when WRV transferred sales to Uhlmann's. Holiday has a couple absolutely excellent technicians who worked on Alpines from the start, and they have a very knowledgeable service manager named Gordon. They have always liked Alpines and want to work on them. They aren't necessarily the cheapest shop around, but I have never had a repeat issue on anything I took to them and they have helped me diagnose some difficult problems, even giving me some input on my high idle issue that I need to check out with somebody who does that work.

if they can't fix your ABS issue they will tell you exactly where to go in the local area to fix it.

Old Scout · 08-25-2011, 07:26 AM

The ABS module on our 03 is located on the inside firewall, under the dash, at the far left of the driver's cockpit. Primary cause of light is the 4 wheel sensors--they can be pulled and cleaned and re-inserted. According to the Webco website and the 1-800 tech, you can fully insert the sensors and the bearing wobble in each wheel will "automatically" adjust the sensors to the correct gap. [After sensor adjustment, coach has to be driven to cycle ABS.] Fluid change may help also but that is a much more involved process to do correctly/completely [see comments on this forum].