CRV ABS and low voltage?

supton

supton

Joined
Nov 9, 2008
Messages
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Location
NH
Son's 2003 CRV likes to turn on the battery light, but it goes out quickly. Just put on the cheapo battery tester: says 12.39V after sitting a couple of days. Currently 50F outside. Says 70% of life and 76% charged? haven't hooked up a charger to it in a month (it usually needs topping off every few months it seems).

Anyhow, this week it set the ABS light and I don't think I have a way to read it (Scangauge II? don't think it can read ABS? ELM327 dongle? haven't touched my Android in a couple of years). Am wondering if low voltage may be causing havoc here? I know on some cars, low battery and/or bad battery can toss all sorts of codes BUT is that true on an '03 CRV?
 
12.39V after sitting a couple of days is fine. With engine running it should be a volt or two higher so unlikely the cause of an ABS light. Maybe get a cheap scan tool that does ABS?
 
supton said:
Son's 2003 CRV likes to turn on the battery light, but it goes out quickly. Just put on the cheapo battery tester: says 12.39V after sitting a couple of days. Currently 50F outside. Says 70% of life and 76% charged? haven't hooked up a charger to it in a month (it usually needs topping off every few months it seems).

Anyhow, this week it set the ABS light and I don't think I have a way to read it (Scangauge II? don't think it can read ABS? ELM327 dongle? haven't touched my Android in a couple of years). Am wondering if low voltage may be causing havoc here? I know on some cars, low battery and/or bad battery can toss all sorts of codes BUT is that true on an '03 CRV?
Click to expand...

ABS is usually the first system shutting down when voltage drops too low. Is the alternator actually working as it should?
 
atikovi said:
12.39V after sitting a couple of days is fine. With engine running it should be a volt or two higher so unlikely the cause of an ABS light. Maybe get a cheap scan tool that does ABS?
Click to expand...
Trying to do some research on what one to get. Balancing that against just letting a shop deal with it.

Jetronic said:
ABS is usually the first system shutting down when voltage drops too low. Is the alternator actually working as it should?
Click to expand...
Think so?

Hooked up my Fluke
  • 12.30 sitting
  • 11.90 after a few seconds in run, engine off
  • saw 9.6 during cranking (forgot to enable min/max)
  • quickly rose to 14.60+ once started

*

I know we've drained the battery at least once over the last 3 or so years, it's been run low several times and every few months I hook up a 2A charger for the day. I hate the fact that Honda does not believe in fully charging the battery, this car seems to do poorly with shorter drives (doesn't do long drives well, rides like a buggy cart while getting 23mpg and maybe drinking oil too).
 
supton said:
Hooked up my Fluke
  • 12.30 sitting
  • 11.90 after a few seconds in run, engine off
  • saw 9.6 during cranking (forgot to enable min/max)
  • quickly rose to 14.60+ once started
Click to expand...
Within the low range of normal on the first two. Might be a bit low on the third, especially if it's mild out. Good on the forth.
 
Drove on a dirt road, stabbed the brakes at 15mph or so. Full lockup on fronts, don't think the rears locked. No ABS actuation.

Not particularly fast, but don't remember how the system works in snow (I avoid driving this particular car in the snow, my others I routinely activate ABS in winter). Maybe I need to find a different dirt road, so I can get a bit more speed? didn't want to tear up a public road, at least not one close to me.
 
supton said:
Trying to do some research on what one to get. Balancing that against just letting a shop deal with it.


Think so?

Hooked up my Fluke
  • 12.30 sitting
  • 11.90 after a few seconds in run, engine off
  • saw 9.6 during cranking (forgot to enable min/max)
  • quickly rose to 14.60+ once started

*

I know we've drained the battery at least once over the last 3 or so years, it's been run low several times and every few months I hook up a 2A charger for the day. I hate the fact that Honda does not believe in fully charging the battery, this car seems to do poorly with shorter drives (doesn't do long drives well, rides like a buggy cart while getting 23mpg and maybe drinking oil too).
Click to expand...
I actually just watched a YouTube video posted by a Honda mechanic about what he recommends for a scan tool for Hondas. I think it is somewhere around $140.00 on sale on Amazon.

Honda Scan Tool
 
My kids had an '04 CRV (hand me down from FIL). When we went to StreetSurvival, sometimes the ABS activated sometimes it didn't. I almost want to say lack of use on the system and activating the motor. The instructor said the same.

I don't know if the '03 has the ELD for the alternator/battery. My daughters '08 CRV and my '17 Accord does. '19 Pilot has like infinite variable. If it does, when short tripping, turn the headlights on. It will put the alternator at full output. The ELD also does go bad.

If it's been killed a couple times it might just be good for a new one. Costco Interstate is best prices I found. Use the opportunity to clean/grind/re-tap all the ground points. My Son's Forte ground was totally/rusted corroded. I cleaned that up and didn't need new battery (back then). Lights stopped flickering, radio stopped resetting, horn worked (was intermittent).

You can also get one of these plug in phone chargers with voltage display. Not exact precision but great reference. SUPERONE Car Charger with Display

Videos with CRV at StreetSurvival.
photos.app.goo.gl

New video by Stefan Heinz

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New video by Stefan Heinz

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New video by Stefan Heinz

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New video by Stefan Heinz

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StreetSurvival videos Full link to all the video's/photos.
 
Those voltages don't seem low enough to cause ABS problems. It does seem like there really is an ABS problem.

It uses simple two wire inductive wheel speed sensors. You can check continuity (more so, very low resistance) between each wire on the sensor's mating connector, and the ABS controller, and that neither are shorted to ground.

You can unplug them from the harness and measure for resistance of the coil inside, and measure for low voltage AC signal when spinning each respective wheel. Check the gap of the sensor to the tone ring or hub, whichever it's reading, and whether the sensor or what it's reading needs cleaned off, or if the electrical connector contacts need cleaning.

It is potentially possible for an ELM327 based scan tool to read the data but is dependent on what the host software is capable of. You do need software capable of more than just the OBD2 code set. Eventually someone will see this topic and tell you a low cost scan tool combo that should work, but the answer is probably already posted in one of the more popular CRV forums.

Briefly searching, I did see some posts that this Bluedriver can read the ABS codes, which may be enough, though no mention of whether it can do the PIDs of realtime data for wheel speed sensor signals while driving:

 
Last edited:
supton said:
Son's 2003 CRV likes to turn on the battery light, but it goes out quickly. Just put on the cheapo battery tester: says 12.39V after sitting a couple of days. Currently 50F outside. Says 70% of life and 76% charged? haven't hooked up a charger to it in a month (it usually needs topping off every few months it seems).

Anyhow, this week it set the ABS light and I don't think I have a way to read it (Scangauge II? don't think it can read ABS? ELM327 dongle? haven't touched my Android in a couple of years). Am wondering if low voltage may be causing havoc here? I know on some cars, low battery and/or bad battery can toss all sorts of codes BUT is that true on an '03 CRV?
Click to expand...
Check for a bad ground. There’s a lower ground connection that splits off the battery connection that had corroded apart on mine. I just replaced the whole cable.
 
Thanks, maybe tonight or tomorrow I can take a look into that. Would not have guessed at an inductive pickup at the wheels, but, that should be easy to test.
 
supton said:
Trying to do some research on what one to get. Balancing that against just letting a shop deal with it.


Think so?

Hooked up my Fluke
  • 12.30 sitting
  • 11.90 after a few seconds in run, engine off
  • saw 9.6 during cranking (forgot to enable min/max)
  • quickly rose to 14.60+ once started

*

I know we've drained the battery at least once over the last 3 or so years, it's been run low several times and every few months I hook up a 2A charger for the day. I hate the fact that Honda does not believe in fully charging the battery, this car seems to do poorly with shorter drives (doesn't do long drives well, rides like a buggy cart while getting 23mpg and maybe drinking oil too).
Click to expand...

If the ABS light is constantly on you have other issues as those voltages are good enough.
 
supton said:
saw 9.6 during cranking (forgot to enable min/max)
Click to expand...
This is a pretty low cranking voltage, but it could be because the charge level is a bit low. 9.6 V is a typical condemnation point for batteries. I'd charge the battery and test the cranking voltage again. If it tests below 10.0 V, I would just get a new battery. Keep in mind that the voltage may drop below 8 volts for a split second before recovering to a steady state, which is completely normal, so it's better to watch the reading instead of using the min/max setting.

A battery will start sulfating when sitting at a voltage below around 12.4 V, which seems to happen regularly in your case, so it wouldn't be surprising if it needs to be replaced after only a few years.
 
Dave9 said:
Those voltages don't seem low enough to cause ABS problems. It does seem like there really is an ABS problem.

It uses simple two wire inductive wheel speed sensors. You can check continuity (more so, very low resistance) between each wire on the sensor's mating connector, and the ABS controller, and that neither are shorted to ground.

You can unplug them from the harness and measure for resistance of the coil inside, and measure for low voltage AC signal when spinning each respective wheel. Check the gap of the sensor to the tone ring or hub, whichever it's reading, and whether the sensor or what it's reading needs cleaned off, or if the electrical connector contacts need cleaning.

It is potentially possible for an ELM327 based scan tool to read the data but is dependent on what the host software is capable of. You do need software capable of more than just the OBD2 code set. Eventually someone will see this topic and tell you a low cost scan tool combo that should work, but the answer is probably already posted in one of the more popular CRV forums.

Briefly searching, I did see some posts that this Bluedriver can read the ABS codes, which may be enough, though no mention of whether it can do the PIDs of realtime data for wheel speed sensor signals while driving:

Click to expand...
^^^^ this post x10
 
Finally getting back to this. Battery light has been on more lately; determined that until you blip the throttle it will not charge.
 
Closely check the ground cable where it attaches to the transmission and the frame. I've had CR-V's rot that cable and cause all kinds of issues including a no charge and low voltage codes in the ABS.
 
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