You probably just have Rear Wheel ABS. So, no relay for the motor/controller. Probably the sensor on top of the rear diff has gone bad. Easy to replace, and not hideously expensive.

 

My parking brake dash light stays on also... could this be the same reason?

 

Yep, they are most certainly related.

 

I went to chat with a mechanic after hours and his first suggestion for trouble shooting is...

1.) bleed the brakes as he has found the lights and warning to stop after doing that
2.) my random brake grabbing could be an early warning sign that a wheel hub bearing is going bad
3.) test ABS relay and hub bearings

I'm going in on Monday to get a 2nd opinion on the bearing and to get a second pair of hands/feet on bleeding.

thoughts?

 

Well, you don't have an ABS relay, so, gonna be hard to test that one.

If the lights come on, and bleeding the brakes turns them off for a while, then you have a leak somewhere. (the brake line to the rear, that goes over the gas tank is absolutely famous for rusting out, and weeping/leaking, and you rarely see it, till it gets REALLY bad. No rear brakes at all bad.)

Since you probably only have rear ABS, the front hubs don't really play a role here. The only thing that could potentially involve them, is if one was bad enough that the wheel flopped around so bad, that is shoved the caliper piston back into the caliper a bunch. If that were the case, you would have other, VERY obvious symptoms as well. (random steer, for instance, not to mention some truly gruesome noises.)

If its JUST the lites on, but the brakes work fine otherwise, (being grabby first thing in the morning notwithstanding) just swap the sensor on the rear diff. I would bet that will solve the problem.