Expert: autohelp - 1/13/2009

Question
I have a 1990 Cadillac Sedan DeVille with what appears to be the Teves II ABS system. In a nutshell, is it possible to do a partial repair on this system...as in get the main brake system working again but WITHOUT anti-lock brakes?

The current symptoms are a rock hard brake pedal to the point of being undriveable and both the amber ABS and red brake lights are on constantly.  This just started yesterday while I was close to home so I could stop the car while driving really slow and pushing the pedal as hard as I could.

Prior to these symptoms, I have been driving the car for 5 years without anti-locks. The red brake and the amber ABS lights would come on briefly then go off when depressing the pedal moderately to hard. They would stay off if depressing the pedal lightly. And the pedal would stiffen the harder I pressed it. But 3 different mechanics over the last 5 years said there was nothing wrong really and it was OK to drive with just the primary brake system.

After researching online, it looks like a couple thousand dollars to repair my current problem, which I don't have. The car is otherwise very dependable with a few normal parts being replaced here and there. And I don't need an ABS system. I just need normal brakes. Is that possible without investing in fixing all the ABS components?

Answer
There is a very common problem with this type of system and with your description of the problem. You can obtain the information and the pictures of the part and the directives on how to replace the part that in 90% of all my problems was repaired by replacing one single component.

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