I am posting this for those who also have had the annoying abs and brake light problem. It seems many have been able to resolve this problem by replacing the rear wheel differential speed sensor, or replacing the brake light switch or by simply cleaning the connectors at the abs control module. I have not been so lucky and must have the abs control module replaced by the dreaded dealer, $ 792.00, parts and labor. Cerritos Dodge is charging me over $600 for the part alone, although dodgeparts.com, a Chrysler authorized original parts retailer, wants only $ 450 for this part. I would not suggest you try to replace the abs control module yourself. It seems to be a difficult installation, lots of connections, and there seems to be software issues with the abs module communicating with the PCM, problems that even the dealership cannot easily resolve, my truck is still in the shop.

For those of you considering buying a new or used Dodge Ram truck please consider my experiences for my 1998 Dodge Ram 1500 SST, also please note my truck has been babied, garaged, continually serviced at the dealer and has never towed anything except my checkbook to the repair shop:
“*” Indicates a warranty repair
* Racing stripes were peeling at the edges, after removing the stripes serious paint flaws
were discovered underneath, it seems that Dodge throws their “SST” racing stripes on bad paint jobs in order to disquise their shoddy workmanship.
* They replaced the windshield which was fitted so badly rain was coming in!
* Catalytic Converter failed.
* Front Shocks loose and had to be retorqued
* Transmission went out at 35,000 miles
Transmission went out again at 70,000 miles, no warranty coverage here. Bill was $1.4448.00
Front brake rotors cracked and had to be replaced, $$$$$
ABS module failed, $ 792 parts and labor $$$$$
Burns Oil, vacuum leak in the intake manifold
Seat Belts don’t retract
Power Windows came off their tracks
Paint peeling from bumpers

 

When my brake light and abs light came on in my truck, I was still trying to stop becuse my brakeline that runs from the front proportioning valve to the rear wheels blew out. I had it towed back to my house and I replaced the line and bled the rear wheels. The lights were still on after I fixed the problem so I was a little suspicious. The red brake light on the right hand side of the dash is actually a sensor that is in the abs proportioning block that senses the pressure in the front calipers and the rear wheel cylinders. When the line blew out it was an unequal pressure so the light came on. As for the abs light I had no fluid in the rear wheels so my abs certainly would't function properly. I had to crack the passenger side front bleeder to reset that sensor and both lights went out. restarted my truck and they were still off. Your truck is a little newer than mine so it might be different if you have 4 wheel abs seems how i only have rwabs.

-Dave

 

I bought my 1999 ram 1500 4x4 last month
last weekend speedometer quit working abs and brakes light came.
it was the abs mod was fried and a rear wheel sensor was bad. the whole thing had to be recalibrated to work with the main computer.
742.00. part of htat expense was because I took it protech where I have all my work done and it took 3 days tracing it all down and they had go to dodge dealer to do the recalibrating.
next time I have problems like that I'll take to the dodge dealer they might not have to spend 3 days tracking down the problems.

 

I also am having the same problem my speedometer went out my abs and brake lights are on so is my check engine light and a new one is my truck intermetently dies when im slowing down i have bought a new rear speed sensor but i cannot get the old one out. i've taken the bolt out and the cover off and it will spin around but it WILL NOT come out of the rear end housing do you have any suggestions on how to take it out thank you for any help possible

 

I didn't change mine. but after you take out the bolt take off the cover does sensor pull out?

 

no it will not come out at all and it isnt threaded i dont understand why it wont come out

 

There's an oring on it that might be holding it. I turned mine around until it was where I could insert a screw driver between the flange and rear end. Then I gently pried working my way around it. After a couple of times around, it popped out.

 

your truck dying might be caused by a dying battery it happened to my 98 ram cost me 350 dollars for a battery

 

i had that problem too my abs light brake light and check engen light came on and the spedo dident work i took it in the to the dealership and they replaced the plug on the rear speed sencer and they dident even charge me they sed that dodge had been having problems with it. i dont know if it was cuz i bought the truck there but i bought it used of if they were just in c good mood but i dident argue lol

 

It started out with the speedometer jumping by 10 mph increments after hitting 50 mph on the hwy I changed the abs/speed sensor on the rear differential and the speed sensor on the back of the transmission while I was there I noticed that the wiring was deteriorating so I cut it back to good wire and spliced in new wire everything was done the same way it was when I removed it. It worked perfectly but the lights never turned off and then after about 200 miles the speedometer completely went out and it turned the check engine light on p0500. I've changed the sensors 2 more times thinking I got bad/wrong sensors. Nothing is has corrected the problem. I am about to the point of ripping open the transmission and rear differential to see if I damaged anything in them when I switched the sensors.