HELP!!! I need a scanner to bleed ABS module

[Scottyms]

Can anyone tell me for 100% sure what scanner will work to run the ABS auto bleed function on a 1997 C2500

Ive now bought and returned 3 that are advertised as being able to but won’t. I know the Tech 2 will but I can’t find one that I can get my hands on in less than 2 months. I’m sure there’s several Snap on scanners that will but there not in my budget.

Can anyone say I have this scanner xxxxx and it will do that ???

 

[dbrannon79]

There are fake tech2's available on flea bay that should work fine as long as you don't update them. GM updates break them. but there is a couple of threads here on them and how they work. I have not tried one myself though.

others will chime in soon with better knowledge than I have.

 

[Scottyms]

There are fake tech2's available on flea bay that should work fine as long as you don't update them. GM updates break them. but there is a couple of threads here on them and how they work. I have not tried one myself though.

others will chime in soon with better knowledge than I have.

I’ve seen them and would order one there but there all overseas and are 4-6 weeks shipping which more than likely turns into 6-8 weeks and I don’t have that much time.

 

[Will L.]

I once had a customer with a 1920 Overland Whippet, Jim Rogers if any of you saw his massive car collection, anyways we were redoing that car and he decided he wanted an original bumper not a reproduction. At first he thought he would not have us deal with it. He said he had been looking but couldn’t find any- but he was sure I could and he wanted it in a week as the rest of the car would be finished ina couple days. I spent a day sending out feelers and low and behold I found one in moderate condition for $10,000 and the owner would remove it from his car the next weekend and ship it on that Monday. (This was back in the 90’s).
When I told Jim he freaked out and said he would pay no more than $1,500, including shipping.

2 months later, he decided he wanted the car finished and paid me an additional $2000 to reproduce one from new steel. And the car was finished 21 days later.

Bumper... whippet... Will: this is a scan tool needed.
Yup. And unless someone is willing to pay an absolutely ridiculous price to buy an old used & beat up original one here- the result will be the same. Wait longer than originally planned to end up with the one available. It will take longer and cost more with otherwise same result.

Being partners owning that shop was years before I became a Mac Tools Distributor.
Snapon wont do it right, neither will OTC, Innova, motopower, ansel, foxwell, Autel, or many others.
You are dealing with an old truck that still had kinks to work out of the obd2 system.
Buy one from ebay and cross your fingers it is working properly. Or get a new one you have to wait for.

In the mean time- any wet grass near by...

 

[Scottyms]

I get and appreciate your annalagy but time is what’s not on my side… eBay knock off is 6 weeks away. No local shops have a tech 2, I’ve been laughed at more this week for asking if they had one than ever… there’s a couple in the states with $3000 dollar price tags…. Can’t justify that for a scanner I need for 10 minutes… I’m about ready to give up

 

[btfarm]

30 MPH on wet grass (better yet ice) and multiple hits is far more wallet friendly. It's worked for me for as long as I've done brake work on ABS systems.

 

[Rockabillyrat]

No need for a scanner. A few panic stops on gravel to activate the ABS then rebleed the system. Of course this only works if you have no trouble codes and the ABS functions properly. If not then you will need a scanner.

 

[Scottyms]

No need for a scanner. A few panic stops on gravel to activate the ABS then rebleed the system. Of course this only works if you have no trouble codes and the ABS functions properly. If not then you will need a scanner.

It also isn’t my first choice on a fresh repaint of the chassis and bottom of the truck… or when you don’t have a place to do that… if this was just a dirty old everyday truck I’d be all for the back field but it’s not an option on this one.

 

[jrsavoie]

30 MPH on wet grass (better yet ice) and multiple hits is far more wallet friendly. It's worked for me for as long as I've done brake work on ABS systems.

I recommend the neighbors grass.

 

[dbrannon79]

wouldn't a power bleeder work for the ABS unit inside the shop?

 

[Stoney]

No I tried a power bleeder. It wouldn't work. Evidently there is basically what amounts to a reserve area in the box. The only cycles fluid when you engage the ABS. Otherwise it bypasses that area. So bleeding with a power leader only bleeds the actual line not the reserve

 

[dbrannon79]

Just thinking outside the box here, but isn't the abs designed to activate when the truck thinks it's sliding with the wheels locked? if you were to put all fours up in the air, drop it in gear making the truck think your going 50 or so and then slamming on the pedal, would that cause the ABS motors to start activating?

 

[Rockabillyrat]

Go to the parts store and get one of those cheap plastic oilling cans with the pump handle. fill it full of brake fluid and back fill the system though the bleeders. Then do a normal pedal pumping bleed and see if that gives you some sort of a pedal. That should give you enough brakes to drive it to a shop and pay to have them finish the job with a scanner.

Alot of times I have to use a pressure bleeder and a scanner to bleed these at work.

 

[Stoney]

@Rockabillyrat have you ever seen a faulty ABS make a brake drag? Like if it has air trapped in the module?.
Another thing I had /have trouble with on mine is the bleeders on the abs module itself. Could never get the bottom one to push in for the longest time.. them one day the pushpin in the center of that bleeder literally disappeared.. honestly don't know if it got sucked in or if it popped out of the module and fell into the ground. Never could find out if just the bleeder part is replaceable.
I would think if he were to back bleed the system as rockabilly said, couldn't he then have somebody push the bleeder in on the module and have somebody pushing the brake pedal at the same time? Or will that still bypass the reservoir?

 

[Will L.]

You HAVE TO ACTIVATE the abs.
No, stopping the wheels with truck in the air wont do it. On gravel, grass, etc. what happens is the system recognizes the rears are locked and pulses the fluid pressure.
So it starts relaxing and applying more pressure like 100 times a second as the tires gain and loose traction.
It doesn’t always work the first time or two. Not uncommon to spend half a dozen times doing it.

Nice looking rig btw- I get why you aren’t fond of the gravel method.

 

[Scottyms]

You HAVE TO ACTIVATE the abs.
No, stopping the wheels with truck in the air wont do it. On gravel, grass, etc. what happens is the system recognizes the rears are locked and pulses the fluid pressure.
So it starts relaxing and applying more pressure like 100 times a second as the tires gain and loose traction.
It doesn’t always work the first time or two. Not uncommon to spend half a dozen times doing it.

Nice looking rig btw- I get why you aren’t fond of the gravel method.

Thank you and I’m glad somebody else realizes that there’s no way to work around the auto bleed function. Now I just wish I could find someone local with a tech 2. I’ve talked to 3 local shops and nun of them have a Tech 2. The local dealership even says they don’t have one and the service manager was quite a jack ass when I asked.

 

[Scottyms]

Just thinking outside the box here, but isn't the abs designed to activate when the truck thinks it's sliding with the wheels locked? if you were to put all fours up in the air, drop it in gear making the truck think your going 50 or so and then slamming on the pedal, would that cause the ABS motors to start activating?

You have to get all 4 wheels over 13 mph before the abs will become active, so on a 4wd you maybe could do that but it’d be awfully hard on a 2wd…

 

[dbrannon79]

There is a thread on here somewhere where folks have listed their locations and some contact info for whose who have tech 2's and other devices for these rigs.

there is also a windows application that mimics the tech 2 (I can't remember the name of it) but you will need a usb to obd2 cable to connect a laptop. iirc the software is free and should do all the tech 2 functions. maybe others have some experience with this.

 

[Rockabillyrat]

Thank you and I’m glad somebody else realizes that there’s no way to work around the auto bleed function. Now I just wish I could find someone local with a tech 2. I’ve talked to 3 local shops and nun of them have a Tech 2. The local dealership even says they don’t have one and the service manager was quite a jack ass when I asked.

Yes there is. 20 years as a mechanic and I have successfully bleed brakes on plenty of GMs with out a scanner. Back fill it and panic stop in the wet grass if you don't want to risk stones chipping the paint. Also plenty of aftermarket scanners can do the autobleed. My snap on scanner has that function. Your 97 should be OBD2 so plenty of good aftermarket scanners can do the autobleed.

Also I have had a few that wouldn't bleed even with a scanner. That's when I bust out the pressure bleeder, and perform the autobleed with that installed on the master. Newer Gms actually require a pressure bleeder to do the autobleed now.

@Rockabillyrat have you ever seen a faulty ABS make a brake drag? Like if it has air trapped in the module?.
Another thing I had /have trouble with on mine is the bleeders on the abs module itself. Could never get the bottom one to push in for the longest time.. them one day the pushpin in the center of that bleeder literally disappeared.. honestly don't know if it got sucked in or if it popped out of the module and fell into the ground. Never could find out if just the bleeder part is replaceable.
I would think if he were to back bleed the system as rockabilly said, couldn't he then have somebody push the bleeder in on the module and have somebody pushing the brake pedal at the same time? Or will that still bypass the reservoir?

Never had one cause a drag... but I did had one cause a pull in a 90s dodge van.

 

[Rockabillyrat]

Wait you live in Grafton? I work in Brunswick. Your not far from me at all