Yet another ABS Light!!

[Matts06GT]

Ok, so I have done some searching, looks like these lights come on when the battery or alternator are going!! My ABS is the only light on tho, my traction light isn't, and it had a little trouble starting (but it is below 0 here)!! I was wondering if anyone can confirm exactly what this is, if it is the battery or the alternator, or something else!?!?!

[Blue6851]

Re: Yet another ABS Light!!

Sometimes when it is extremely cold out, the sensors can misread and cause a malfunction indicator lamp to light. I had this happen to my old car when it was -15* F and the Lamp out indicator would light up and everything worked. It should go away once it's warm. But, if you want to be 100% sure, take it to a parts store to have the code read.

[WoodburyMan]

Re: Yet another ABS Light!!

It's not just when your alternator is bad. It's whenever you're not generating enough power to power the electronics of the car.

Example, if your car is running lean, getting to much air than it is expecting, and not adding enough fuel to the mixture, the car will produce less power. Therefore, since the alternator's power output is directly linked to the engine's power output, voltage and amperage is not what it should be, causing electronic systems such as ABS, Traction Control, Stability Control, and lights and such to not operate properly.

This happened to me, or something simular to it, in both my G6 when I put a intake on and it was not sealing correctly and air was getting in the intake after the MAF sensor, and also on the GTO just two weeks ago. Symptoms resembled Alternator.. but it was intake causing it to run lean causing the alternator to not produce enough power.

Cold weather will also come into play. It could simply be battery dieing or on it's way out since cold kills batteries quick. Or, the cold could have caused contraction / expansion due to it being very cold out, and engine warming up to get very hot, and the intake clamps and such could have easily slid around a bit.