I have a 2001 Dodge Grand Caravan Sport with 3.3L, drum rear brakes. I changed the front pads and in less than 2 months the drivers side wore down to nothing (both pads on drivers side) and I picked up a shake when applying the breaks as well and the ABS light came on. I changed the pads again along with the rotor and caliper. No, luck it still shakes like crazy when breaking. I have taken it to a mechanic to see what's going on he said that it could be the ABS system and that I may want to bypass that all together b/c of the cost. What am I looking at here so I won't get hosed?

 

You could try disabling the ABS and see if the issue still exists. If the ABS light is on it's probably disabled at this already anyway.

Looks like 2 fuses in the engine compartment "fuse box" run the ABS "brain". Fuses 9 and 21.

 

Did the mechanic pull an ABS code and if so did he tell you what it was? If it's a localized problem at that wheel (for example, a sensor) then it shouldn't be all that expensive relatively speaking, but if the problem is in the modulator unit under the hood then that is an expensive repair. MSRP for the modulator unit is US$504 for vehicles without traction control, $719 for vehicles with traction control, this does not include any dealer markup or labor cost.

ABS bypass may be possible, but I would strongly discourage it. A dealership will likely not do it for you and I have a feeling a lot of reputable mechanics wouldn't do it either for ethical or liability reasons. I won't get into the details of what an ABS bypass/deletion entails, but I will say that for this vehicle it would entail messing with the standard brake system in ways that the manufacturer likely never intended - would you really want to trust messing with one of the most critical safety systems on your van to Joe the corner mechanic?

Aside from all the hopefully obvious considerations to your family's safety, your insurance company likely has documented that your van has ABS. If you were to tell them upfront that you intentionally disabled/bypassed the ABS, they would likely raise your premium. If you don't tell them and you have an accident where brake lockup or brake failure was a factor, they could be within their right to deny coverage.

 

I agree with you in that bypassing ABS isn't the best idea/solution. There may be other systems that rely on the ABS system (traction control for example). To clarify, my recommendation is for TROUBLESHOOTING PURPOSES ONLY. I don't think you (kuyabribri) are responding to my post, but you made me want to add that disclaimer, thx :-D

 

Yes, I was responding to the OP, not to you, issakar. You had posted your comment while I was still typing my long diatribe

I also wanted to throw out there that I have read several procedures for ABS deletion on my Honda. Even though I've never actually done it I understand the theory behind it and what parts need to go in to compensate for the lack of ABS. The difference is that my Honda is old enough that at least one trim level still came out of the factory without ABS, so parts for a non-ABS configuration are readily available. I'm pretty sure the 2001 (Grand) Caravan didn't have a non-ABS option, so any parts would need to be either custom rigged or sourced from non-Caravan applications. From a mechanical standpoint this is the main reason why I would not recommend an intentional permanent ABS deletion/bypass on a Caravan.

 

It doesn't have traction control but I really do not want to bypass the ABS but I may not have a choice depending on how much the cost is. I haven't heard back from the mechanic yet. If the ABS light is on then the ABS isn't working correct? Then why would it still shake like crazy? Maybe the master cylinder???

 

ABS light on only means that the ABS computer detected a fault somewhere in the system. This does not necessarily mean that the whole system is toast, but usually under a fault condition the computer will disable the system and give you standard, non-anti-lock braking. This is why I said you need to know what code(s) the mechanic pulled from the ABS before making any sort of decision. If he says you need to do a bypass and doesn't give you a code you should get your van out of there immediately.

The shaking when braking could be a number of things such as warped rotors, bad ABS speed sensor, a bad tie rod, or a bad suspension component like a ball joint. Given the sum of the symptoms you describe I'm inclined to believe it's the ABS speed sensor. If that's it, it's definitely not worth bypassing the ABS. MSRP for ABS speed sensors is in the $80-85 range, again not including markups or labor.

 

Thanks a lot! I did see that those sensors aren't very expensive. I may even put them on myself if I can find them, LOL! I will post what he comes up with. Thanks again for everyone's help. I've done many brake jobs and never came across this.

 

kuyabribri is right in saying it could be a plethora of things causing the shaking. If the shaking happens when the brakes are applied only and you don't know any other stability issues while driving, I would begin to think it's something with the brakes.

I personally am a little skeptical of it being the ABS system only because typically when the ABS warning light is illuminated, the ABS is not actively functioning. This is why I mentioned the fuses, if you disable the system entirely (for troubleshooting purposes) and the symptom persists, you can likely rule out the ABS system causing the symptom.

 

I would think so too. But when the light was on and I applied the brakes it still shook.