2 LH Car Questions

Does Anybody know the answer to these 2 questions:

1: Is it a safety feature on the 3.5L engines that the oil filler cap won't
come off if the engine is hot?

When I try to remove the cap after driving I found that the cap won't move,
but, will when the engine is cold

2: Can the anti-lock sensors be broken even if no warning light is on?

Every time I brake the pedal pulsate and make the "anti-lock grinding"
noise, no matter the pavement's contition. And then they feel/sound as they
were still engaged untill I get above 20 mph.

Had the brakes looked at, and the pads/rotors are OK.

Any thoughts

 

Uh... no.

Don't screw it down quite so tightly when you install it.

Sure- for one thing the ABS light could be burned out.

That sounds nasty- something that ought to be fixed ASAP. Pull the ABS
fuse out of the distribution block- the ABS warning light should go on
(if the bulb isn't burned out) and the grinding/pulsing should go away.
If the grinding DOESN'T go away with the ABS fuse pulled, then its
something besides ABS. I'd feel much safer driving the car with the ABS
completely disabled (fuse pulled) than with it malfunctioning.

 

Mainframe,

I can only address your first question and let you know that you are not
alone. I've experienced this phenomenon myself on my 1996 3.5L quite often.
The oil cap will rotate and just "clicks", but does not loosen from the
valve cover. When the engine cools down, it then "grabs" properly and comes
out fine.

I've learned not to screw the cap down quite as tightly and this definitely
helps. I don't know if this is a "safety feature" and I kind of doubt this
is intentional. I think it is more likely from the two piece design of the
cap itself.

Bob

 

Thank You for your answers.

In thinking it over I have come up with the following:

As for the "safety feature" of the oil filler cap unable to be open while
the car is hot. I am beginning to beleive that just maybe as the heat of the
engine expands the treads that the cap screws into "grips" the theads of
the cap.

And as for overthighting? Blame the guy who does the oil change. And that is
not me!

With the ABS I have found that after I had the car on the highway for the
first time since this problem begun that the ABS/Traction Off light has now
started to come on. And when it is on the noise/pulsating brakes stop.

So now I assume it is the ABS system that is "broken."

Since the weather is getting better I may not get this fix till September
when I (hope I ) have any money. Till then is is safe to pull the ABS fuse
and "turn off" the system? And if so where is the fuse?

 

I would assume so. You may be able to pull the error codes at an
Autozone store, not sure if they can access the ABS controller codes or not.

The braking characteristics of the car under certain conditions will
change, so proceed at your own risk, but if you accept the fact that it
will become possible to lock the rear brakes and drive accordingly, I
see no reason that it would be any different than a non-ABS car. IIRC,
the LH car braking system reverts to a conventional braking system with
functional proportioning valves when the ABS fails. Some systems cheap
out and use the ABS to act as a proportioning valve, and there's no way
on earth I'd consider a system like that "safe" without the ABS.

Fuse is in the distribution panel loated under the hood on the driver's
side. Near the brake reservoir. I think the abs "controller" fuse may be
separate and located in the driver's side end cap of the dash-
accessible when the driver's door is open.