Expert: Jim Holsbeck - 9/3/2007

Question
I drive a 1998 Malibu.  Twice in the last two weeks, when I started the car the ABS Light came on.  I turned it off and restarted, no light and no problems.  What, if anything, should I do about this?

Answer
Anna,
     I would suggest having the car plugged in to an ODB2 and seeing if there are any codes stored on the computer. If you live near an AutoZone they will usually do it for free... Or they used to, I moved and don't have one anymore. If there is a code, it will give you a good starting point as to what you are looking at. It could be anything from a sensor failing the startup check to a malfunction in the ABS, or most anything in between. If there is no code, I would check to see if the ABS is working properly... you can do this by getting on a dirt road if you have one nearby and getting up to 35 or so and heavily apply the brakes and see if they pulse or not. (Do this carefully and controlled!) If they work, it could be nothing to worry about. If it keeps happening, and there is no code in the computer when you do the ODB2 scan, I would reccomend taking it to the dealer and having a full diagnostic run on it.