ECBM Rebuild At Home Fix ABS and Brake Light on 

I bought a used one from the junkyard. The junk car was a Caddy with 30 thousand miles on it, so the EBCM was in good shape. It cost $55.00. I installed it myself. It wasn't hard, but it was a pain to gain access to one of the screws. The lights never came back. I also grabbed the front leather seats from the same car and replaced my cracked ones.

Now THAT is a component level repair I like to see. After a career in aerospace and computer engineering as an engineering tech, I went on to biomedical research, but kept up with applied engineering. Cars are mostly controlled by electronics now, and that's fine with me. I could have done "board level" swaps back in the day, but preferred to do the actual diagnosis down to the particular resistor, capacitor, transistor or chip and save my employer a few buck$ (often hundred$ and in some cases thousand$). Over 90% of "repairs" were fixing cold solder joints from boards that had been wave soldered. Not enough flux or heat too low. The rest were a mix of corrosion on connectors or burned out components. I don't begrudge auto mechanics their pay. What I disagree with is engineering planned obsolescence and warranties based on MTBF (Mean Time Between Failure) of electronic and mechanical components, and making the ECM code difficult to find anywhere, much less online. I'm not wanting to rewrite or hack any of it (or violate their copyright). Just want to look at signals and do simple things like exercise the ABS dump valve to get air bubbles out of the module while bleeding the brakes without having to pay $1k+ for a "scanner" I don't need. Most scanner manufacturer's reps can't even tell you what their products will do aside from what's on their poorly written website. Sheesh!

Thank you so much for posting this. I did it and it worked like a charm. Over 6 months later still no lights! Thank you again!

Just did this exact same procedure on my 2001 S-10 a little while ago. The brake and ABS would come on intermittently. I knew it was a cold solder joint issue, because if I started the vehicle and the lights were not on, I could open the hood, and tap the top of the EBCM module with the handle of a screwdriver, and BOOM....lights would immediately come on. Just took it for a test drive after my repair, and everything was good. Tapped on the top of the module twenty or so times to try to get the lights to come back on, but they didn't. Problem fixed. I was an Electronics Technician for years when I was younger, and I did a LOT of soldering back then. That experience I have/had is a good thing to have!! Good video!!! Thx for posting it!!

Old video here but I still wanted to say thanks. Fixed the ABS code on my wife's Blazer and only took about an hour. Good work, bud.

I repaired mine. one of the 6 coils had a broken wire. I soldered it, lights went off. thanks for the vid, it was a great help

Hello: after watching this video, see how easy it is repair and I repaired my chevy s10 modulo 2000, following the recomendations and surprise worked. I own my s10 since 2006 and the failure of the abs I had since I ve had since 2009, when I was driving in the Tennessee chattanooga, pass a bump and immediately turned on the abs.. thank you very much for sharing this video. thousands of likess

Just picked up a 97 Seville with this same problem. Thank you for the video. Great sense of humor in handling some of the below, as well, much appreciated.

You just saved me $1500. The removal on my 2000 Silverado was quite a bit more difficult, but the rest wasn't too bad. I added thermal grease to your instructions and put dielectric grease on the three connectors before plugging them in. Thanks!

I had the same thing happen to my 98 blazer! Fixed the bad solder connections, siliconed it back up and it's been 3 years and still going. Great video!

Your a great samaritan providing a great service to all of us chevy abs light sufferers. Thank you sir, you do great work.

I replaced all of my daughters 2006 jeep liberty ABS sensors while I was doing brakes and rotors(only $70 at 150000 mi). The light Is still on, I am an electronic tech too, so I'm pullin It apart tomorrow!! Thanks!

Another testimonial - did this on my '01 Blazer and no more Brake/ABS light ! Thank you for your time to make this video !

Bro when all was done and the lights went off you had me cheesing like Yae!! I. About to try it on my truck now thanks alot!!

Thanks for this video. I did this twice. The first time my soldering iron wasn't working well. I suspect the original solder is higher temp than what I am used to working with. After the first time I ordered a new higher wattage iron. I was still getting the code but in a little different pattern than before so I still thought the solder joints were the problem. I redid it with the new iron a couple of weeks ago. I could tell immediately that the solder was flowing much better. I now declare mine fixed.

You have no idea how lucky you are that the unit isn’t buried under the frame on the drivers side. Good video- appreciate it. But for all those that have to try & get it out from beneath the vehicle & ridiculously inaccessible- may the force be with you!

My Chevy Blazer had the exact same problem. I tried your methode and it just worked fine! Was a pain in the a... to get the old sealer out but it safed me a lot of hassle and money. Thanks again.

Just did this myself on my 02 blazer and bam problem solved, thank you very much for your incite, just saved a ton of money doing this at home.

Thanks! I have an old '94 Suburban that IF I could get the ABS light to go out it would come on within 100 feet of my house even without using the brakes. Your video inspired me to crack my ABS module open. I found that there was a pin near a relay that the solder cracked. (Not on the main electronic board.) After I soldered it and put it together I had to reset the module to clear the codes. I found online that if you short the upper right most pin of the OBD1 connector (with a paper clip) to the second from the left pin of the bottom row of the OBD1 connector with the key on for 2 seconds, disconnect one side of the paper clip for 1 second, then reconnect for 2 seconds, then pull the paper clip the ABS module resets and clears the codes. Your video inspired me to take on this project which really didnt take that long. Thank you! I tried resetting it before soldering but since the solder was cracked the unit wouldn't reset.

Excellent!!! Thank you for your time. Very common issue, my mechanic didn’t want to try it. I’m a dentist and working with tiny delicate things are what I do all day. I wouldn’t recommend for the heavy handed.

Very nice video I have 50 miles on this repair and I have no lights on. Previously it was a 5 minute light up ordeal. Thank you very much for the 1500 dollar discount. I have a few add in and mods I did which I'm pretty sure you did but maybe it might be a little unclear to non mechanic enthusiast that is mechanically inclined and wants to fix his own vehicle but would like to do this very easy repair. For the enthusiast google two things through hole circuit board component and surface mount component. This this guys very good advice to repair your module. After you figure out the difference between the surface mount and through hole components and you have the module opened up in front of you ignore all of the surface mount components. All you need to do is go around the circuit board and and through hole component re melt the solder. He points out a bunch of different spots on the board if your new to circuit boards or soldering you might have trouble trying to match what he is doing. The ultimate goal is to reheat each through hole component. Don't just say well he only did these 8 spots(arbrtrary number). Go ahead and re heat each through hole solder joint. I just did it and did every through hole and it was less than 2 minutes to do every single one. Better safe than sorry.

What you refer to as "vibration dampners" are actually heat sinks, that use the aluminum case as a heat dissipater/spreader. The heat conductive thermal paste is very necessary, and should be thoroughly renewed to maintain it's effectiveness. Clean off the old on both surfaces with rubbing alcohol, then reapply a pea sized dab on each chip, then assemble cover.

Loved the video, followed it as advised and this repair worked as advertised. Thanks so much for the post, I hopefully can help someone with this knowledge.

Thank-you so much for posting this. It solved my issue on my 2003 GMC Safari. The fix was easy but getting the ABS module out was total hell. On the vans it's mounted to the frame just under the drivers seat. So lying on your back with the module facing away from you working with a mirror is not fun. One of the T20 screws was totally corroded and the only thing I could do is file the head off. Eventually I got the module out (about a 4 hour struggle..) Fixing and replacing the module was less than a couple of hours. Total cost was $10 for a tube of silicone. I'm sure this saved way over $1k. Thanks again....

Wanted to report that the reflowing of the bad solder joints did the trick. I spent more time (2+ hr) cutting open the silicone sealant, cleaning off the old sealant, and then resealing it. The actual soldering took 5 minutes. GOOD LUCK to others that want to try this fix. Works!!!

I followed the steps in your video and was able to re-melt the cracked solder where the power wires connect to the board on a 2005 Cadillac Deville EBCM. It worked! No more lights on the dash! Thank you for the detailed video and your insight into how to fix this problem ourselves. The cracks in the solder are hard to see without taking a close photo but they were defiantly there and were the problem.

Thanks for the post. I did indeed have bad solders joints right where you said they'd be on my sons 2002 Tahoe - the power connector. Our unit DID NOT have screws holding it together, solely gasket material so after repair, we had to reapply and set some weights on it for a day to dry. Didn't bank of this so the car was out of commission for a day. But seems to be working great now. Thanks again!!

Am an engineer Jim not a camera man. Great video, thanks. Learn to focus!

Most informative of similar vids. Thanks, Prep! You saved me hundreds of dollars and lots of pain. You reminded me to get new gasket maker, among other points.

It would be very instructive if you included some video of you getting the lid off without breaking the board. Perhaps edit out or speed up some of the screw turning. Seems like the resoldering and lid removal are the 2 most tricky operations. I have repaired a number of no longer available automotive electronic circuit boards just by checking solder joints and looking for burnt connections at relays etc. Otherwise from one engineer improviser to another, thanks a bunch for taking the time to make the video. It is the fear of the unknown which keeps folks from diving into projects like this. I have always used the adage that if it already doesn't work, then what harm can I do trying to fix it. I've learned a bunch using that philosophy and it's surprising how many complicated things can be repaired by just doing a simple fix. Detroit definitely doesn't like people doing this. Kudos

I did it successfully. Thanks for you video, I loved it. I could not see any issues under magnifying glass. I re soldered anyways, a few of the contacts sucked up solder, telling me it need more and or had a bad solder joint.

Saved me over $1000.00 Passed state inspection first time... Thanks much

thankx for your video, i was about to by pass the abs module with some brass fittings straight from the master cylinder..

everytime you said "i'll be back", i didn't believe you until you actually came back. i don't do well with rejection.

Great video. Its given me the confidence to have a go at fixing mine.

Brother! I'm glad you did not do the Seppuku! We need you and your "human hands". Very informative; thanks for posting! I'll be working on mine this week.

Good video, I'm going to try to solder mine tomorrow before I give someone 200 bucks to reheat some solder. If it doesnt work I'll just buy another one. What sucks is I cant just get one at auto parts. Thanks for good info

Hi, many thanks for the explanations and step-by-step video. Cheers from Moscow, Russia!

Thank You Thank You Thank you Followed your instructions and woooo the lights went out. Saved me a bundle.

Just did a module and your video was of great help🙂 There were barely visible solder joint cracks on the relay. I retouched those...hard to solder, not pleased with the look of my work...but... I noticed 2 ground contact areas on the edge of the circuit board. There's a narrow ledge on the aluminum cover/heat sink that's meant to make contact on those. With the gap (resealed with urethane) at the joint, it's easy to not tighten evenly and have one of those grounds not be in contact with the internal aluminum ledge. I suspect that was more the problem than the microscopic solder cracks. I spent a few hours getting this done. This job isn't for everyone. Good news, it worked. ABS light is "OFF"

Just bought a 01 yukon xl 2500 and had the ABS and Parking light on intermittently. Took the EBCM off (under the driver seat bolted to the frame on my model) and rebuilt the module based on your video. seems to have resolved the issue, and hopefully saved me $1400 smackeroos! fingers crossed thank you for the video!

You are super lucky this module is under the hood on your Blazer...spent 5 hours today getting out two stripped torx off this thing on a Suburban. What a nightmare location they stuck it... obviously never had intentions of it being replaced, because it's clearly installed before the body goes onto the frame.

Nice easy fix! I like a repair that I can just sit at the workbench for 90% of it. Easier on the back and legs.

I just performed this repair with my human hands. No more lights on my 2002 GMC Sonoma. Thanks for your help.

It worked for me the soldering point of the power harness was worn exactly where you explained in the video thanks a lot

Tried this and it worked! Word of caution, GMC Sierra, you have to use a small Torx wrench to get the front two screws out due to the tight space under the frame. Be careful not to strip. I did and had to remove whole abs pump module in order to get screw out. Caused a lot of extra work bleeding the lines.

So you know, on some years the light doesn't come on until you drive about 1/2 a mile or so. Good video.

Much appreciated for the video! This was exactly what was wrong with my EBCM module.

Just did this repair it worked! No more brakes and abs lights!

Great work man! you are almost as good as me! and I have not done this crap in my life. now I have to thank you

That was great, I am having trouble with mine. This brought a lot of clarity to the problems. Thx !

You may be a good engineer, but you are no videographer, dude. I think I'll speand 150 to have someone else resolder mine. Appreciate you, man!

Really informational Brody.! I appreciate it.!

Thank you for the info,what a pain without the right tools.

Thank you, Sir. I will be attempting this momentarily, and I appreciate the time you took to show us. .... You kind of sound like Hank's Son, on Breaking Bad. Had to say it. But thank you!

Dude. Talk about dedication. Very good job and funny. No sepicu for you mate!!

Just had my Miata diagnosed with the same issue, they want 2600 bucks. I like what he said about go To the junk yard and pick one up.

Thank you for this! My dealer is trying to charge me $1,200 for the part plus labor. I'm definitely trying this first.

Thank you for this video. Fixed the intermittent brake and abs light issue on a 2001 gmc safari. C0265 code gone too.

Great investigation and solution. I have found that similar mechanical assemblies that solder lugs into PC boards often fail due to fracturing solder joints due to temperature cycling over time. The failure normally shows up as a small circular fracture ring around the large pins. The first one I found was on a high voltage transformer mounted to a PC board in a projection TV (Panasonic). I have since found it in many inoperative electronic assemblies. I think I am now seeing it on a friends intermittent ABS unit in her 2001 Toyota Sequoia.

Excellent. Nice job indeed. Thanks a ton for sharing.

My 94 Vigor, garaged for 6 years, (humidity controlled) and the ABS light came on. LR sensor supposedly. No issues when going into storage and was nothing to impact rear sensor so guess I'll check the module connections. Thanks for the tear-down, wish me luck.

Works like a treat! Busted out the hakko desolder gun and replaced the solder.

Thanks for video. Just did this to my s10 pickup. My unit did not have the tiny torx screws like yours. All I had to do to remove the cover was cut into the silicon sealant and cover came right off.

Thanks so much for posting this fix. Wasn't too bad and it fixed it.

Thanks for the video! Will say spend a lot less time on things like unplug and unscrew give us the meat. Data is expensive. Thanks 😊👍

Nice that the light went out. I hope that you then found a clear quiet stretch of road and tested it out and it was OK.

When you re-install the ABS Module if you have ESP or a steering angle sensor ... make sure your front wheels are dead straight, because often the ESP/ABS module will reset to center when removed and refitted. Ergo if your wheels are turned left and the Module thinks that position is straight ahead then you will soon have (at best) another abs light and (at worst) an accident during an emergency brake abs failure. If needed use you tech to re calibrate.

Worked like a champ thanks for the information.

wish you would of shown on video you doing the soldering work .. other than that great video

Nice work , thanks for the informative video

If you're doing a 2009 F150, there's 4 screws (#6 e-torx socket) to remove and one plug. To get the plug out, just pull the lever on top of the plug in the opposite direction and it will release. You'll have more room to work if you take out the air box/radiator overflow tank (13 wrench or socket on the two bolts then pull it straight up to release the grommets holding it in place). Easy.

I am a ASE Certified mechanic and this the best fix for this problem. I had my doubts but it worked! The hardest part was cleaning the old silicon off. I suggest using new white electronic heat sink paste for the contact points inside the unit. A replacement remanufactured ABS Module was $175, this fix cost me $7.49 for the Black RTV Silicon. Just say'n!

Good video but... Try this first before taking the module out. By accident I found that if I wiggled the power connector. the one shown at 5:10, I could make the ABS and Brake come on and go out. Loose connection or corrosion. I slightly bent the male lugs in the module so they made better contact when plugging the connector back in. No more lights. And of course make sure your grounds are good, on the frame under the driver's door.

Thanks man, I'm going to give it a try.

سلام سپاس و هزاران تشکر وهزاران 👍....👍..... هرکجای عالم هستی موفق وشاد و تندرست باشین ..منتظر ویدیوهای خوب دیگری از شما بزرگوار هستم

Nice Job ! And thanks for posting you have help many people !!!!!!!!!!!!

AWESOME Video! Thanks a lot man!

Started to rebuild mine today and it suddenly occurred to me to see if the local junkyard had one. 15 minutes and $20 and I walked out with one off a blazer. If It doesn't solve the problem at least I have one to practice on before ripping into my original unit.

Great $$-saving how-to video! I worked as a technician for a company in Jasper Indiana that made these things from scratch. It was nice to see the internals again! I recognized the white paint-marker inspection dots from the functional test operators and the barcodes placed by the automated Idenco-brand barcode machinery. I also noticed whomever the technician in charge of programming the Dow sealant robot in the case-up dept didn't have a proper ending "Z-up" set on that coil plate seal. Too flat. Man, I knew these things inside & out!

So much for HD pics. Wish you would have pointed out the problem connections . but thanks for taking time to do video

Thank you for this video it fixed my problem thank again

Awesome and a good way to save a lot of money,but a very delicate job,👍

Great video very help full

A little drawn out but not a bad vid. You seem like the type of person that'd be awesome to get drunk with while playing Xbox and talking about engineering haha. Well done.

Blessings coming your way as well thank you buddy for helping us all 👋🏻awesome humor German style

You are funny and boring and interesting at the same time. Thanks for posting this video though. I think it will help a lot of people out. Me included in that group.iii

Good information, but my ears and eyes were BLEEDING after that video. Thanks God for fast foward

My human hands....17:18 are you an alien teaching us the ways?

Very helpful Thanks for taking the time to video

Thanks for posting. This help me fix my 2003 Chevy S10. Works great now.

i loved your jokes dude. Thanks for posting! Really helped me out :)

Been there done that. Check: fuses, relays, yes grounds & electrical connectors, then go deeper and check sensors, dirty axle cog-triggers.

Thanks for the Video, 02 silverado 2500hd. This worked

My torque bits were T25's. Good video

Did this to my 2001 Tahoe 3 months ago. Stripped torx head on one of the screws so had to pull mod and pump out (mounted on frame under driver side) and rebleed brakes so took me about 8 hrs. But after all said and done problem fixed and no lights any more! One tip though. Even if the solder looks good touch a little on anyway.

Just completed this repair on my 01 s-10. Thanks for the video!

Cool video thank you very helpful about the tools don't mind negative comets I got the idea and so many other people tnx

Thanks for the video. I coped your method and now have no more abs light on the dash! I’m happy it worked but was pretty skeptical being that when I got the cover off I saw no visible problem with the solders that were there. For whatever reason re-soldering them was the ticket.

Thank you very much for the Video, I have a 2003 Chevy Blazer and the ABS light comes on when I am driving but only when I push on the brake, the other thing i noticed was that when I go to park and I press on the brake sometimes it or the brake pedal will slip, in other words for a brief second it will feel like I hit ice, I am not to sure what the issue is there but I am most certain that it has something to do with the ABS issue, Personally I hate vehicles with ABS. ( noted), Thanks again for the video I am going to try this and see if it helps...