2000 Pontiac Grand Prix ABS Light is on - I need to invest in a scan tool for this vehicle - which one do you recommend?
Hello Scotty,
Thanks for all you do. I really enjoy and appreciate all of the automotive knowledge you share with all of us.
I have a 2000 Grand Prix GTP I owned since it was new. Recently the ABS and TRAC OFF lights are staying illuminated on the dash. It started as an intermittent problem but now the lights seem to be staying on all the time. I brought the car to two Auto parts stores to have the code(s) read and neither place could read anything stored in the computer from the ABS system. The employee at one of the auto parts stores said I probably just need to put air in the tires, or it was possible my brakes were bad..... Seriously? You can't find good help anywhere these days.
So, my question is, what scan tool should I invest in that can read the ABS codes on this vehicle? I think it's time I purchase one and wanted your expert opinion. As you know, I need to retrieve the stored ABS codes so I know where to start looking in order to solve this problem.
Thanks again, looking forward to hearing back from you.
The only thing I know for sure that would be able to diagnose the ABS faults on your Pontiac is a Tech2, which is the factory scan tool for GM vehicles from around 1992-2010. (There are Chinese-made clones available at lower cost than the original.) With a Tech2 you can do anything in the way of electronic diagnosis that the dealer would have been able to do, including bidirectional testing. However if you were to spend money on a Tech2 you'd be limited to using it only on that age range of GM vehicles.
There are recommendations for generic/universal scan tools in the FAQ and the "Tools" link at the top of the page. You'd likely have to verify with the manufacturer whether a particular scan tool is known to work with your car's ABS.
(Having said all this a very common source of ABS problems on older vehicles is bad sensors due to worn cables. Of course the right scan tool will tell you right away if you have any bad sensors and pinpoint which one(s).)
While I can't send you to a good scan tool, I can say, that the problem is possibly either a sensor on the ABS for a particular wheel, or the reluctant wheel, which the sensor uses to see the wheel speed. Depending on where you live, the reluctant wheel could be rusted, but the most likely cause, is a bad sensor. The reason that the Traction Control light is on with the ABS light, is because the traction control uses the same sensors to detect a wheel spin situation, and correct as needed
