Beretta.net

So I was flushing my brakes the other day, and started off with a vacuum pump to get all the old fluid out. When I went back to finish by bleeding, I noticed that only the right rear and left front would bleed, the other two bleeder screws nothing would come out, unless I tried to vacuum it out. I tried bleeding at the ABS module(which I should have done to begin with), and can only bleed the frontmost bleeder, the rear one is the same story as the rear left and front right. I took off the sensors in the ABS that both the front and rear bleeders go to, and noticed that the front one had fluid in it but the rear was dry. The RR and LF brake lines from the ABS unit can be bled, but not the LR and RF lines. Do I need a new ABS unit, or am I missing something? Thanks.

Try starting the engine, the ABS unit will cycle.  Shut it off and try it again.

Yeah, I tried that, same story.

i took off the master cylinder today and bench bled it, and everything came out fine. I then attached the ABS unit and the beeder screws bled fine. But when I hooked everything back up in the car, it did the same thing where the rear bleeder would push fluid out for the first few times, but then nothing would come out. Additionally, it started throwing several ABS codes, three of them were 38, 41, 42; left front, right front, rear esb will not hold motor. I wiggled the wires around and got rid of the 42, only to have it replaced by 64, rear ABS motor circuit open. I'm currently at a complete loss. I guess if I can't figure anything out by the end of the day I'll have to get it towed to the dealer, as it doesn't exactly stop very well.
I'm thinking the codes are being thrown due to the lack of brakes not working anyways. After checking the resistace over all the wires and connections, the diagnostic flow chart says to either replace the ABS motor, or the EBCM. But I'm more worried about getting the regular brakes working before worrying about the antilock.

I've also heard of an intermittent connection in the rear axle harness where the wire(s) can break.

A friend of a coworker is actually coming by today. Apparently he's encountered this problem before, and you have to hook up a scan tool and either fully open the ABS valves or close them, but hopefully it should be resolved by the end of the day.

most of the early abs systems needed a scanner to bled them corectly..  the motor cycles the valves and good bye old fluid..

Mr Goodwrench

As of yet I'm not sure it has happened, I've been gone for a week. But I'll find out tomorrow, and hopefully get it done. Thanks.

I'm still trying to locate a scanner that has the capabilities to do it, the shop next door has one that I might be able to borrow. What exactly is the procedure for bleeding it with the scan tool?

Eventually, I took the car to the dealer and had them bleed it. They managed to get a pedal, and get fluid coming out of both calipers. Unfortunatly, the rear ABS motor is locked up, so there was no bleeding the rear, and the ABS light is on. The dealer wasn't very forthcoming with info, can that motor be replaced, or is it more worthwhile to just replace the entire ABS unit?

Well, after a month of working brakes (without ABS) the pedal went soft again today. I went through the diag. for the ABS code, 64: Rear motor circuit open, and everything tested fine. If everything tested fine, then the flow chart I had suggested to replace the EBCM. I'm wondering if the locked up motor could have something to do with it? I'm at a loss, and not sure what to do aside from have it looked at the dealer again.

Well, the dealer told me what I thought, the EBCM is bad. Or so they think. They aren't 100% sure, which is disappointing, seeing as it is a $1200 repair.  I don't suppose anyone has one lying around for a 96 Beretta?