ALB Question have already read the faq

[BadCarma]

I recently while detailing the car noticed some old dried brake fluid on the ABS acumulater ball.their was no wet spot (drip)on the bottom of the ball.I cleaned it,read the faq pertaining to ABS and set of to stomp on my brakes several times to see if the system was in order.I got the ABS to kick in 3 out of 4 attempts.drove home.no sign of leakeage around or on the acumulator.relieve.guessed it was old or spillage from a previous fill.read a post pertaining to abs last night after my test drive and someone replied to the post asking if leakage was happening around the acumulator or from around the top of the abs reservoir.they stated that if it was around or on the acumulator it could be a bad seal and if it was coming from the top of the reservoir(around cap area?) it was most likely a stuck selenoid.after driving it tonight I checked it again and noticed a good amount of fluid on top of the reservoir almost as if it had leaked under presure out of the cap.the cap does not feel as if it seals well and there is some play.I inspected it and it looked as if this could be the cuprit.
1.does this sound like a leaky seal on the cap.
2.stuck selenoid
3.stuck selenoid and perhaps a very slow leak on the acumulator seal in addition
4. just a bad cap seal and if so can I buy just the cap and not get pitched to buy an entire reservoir assembly.any insight most welcome.
I have read enough to know that I probably dont need a complete abs system ,maybe just get the selenoid unstuck(have read several methods on this.and does anyone know if I can buy just a cap and not the whole reservoir.I know this is long winded but wanted to express as close to possible what I am seeing.
thanks in advance for your help.
best regards David

 

[Larry Bastanza]

Hi David,

Does your ABS pump come on often? I have seen the selinoids get stuck temporarily many times. I have had the "wet" top of the reservoir also. If the ABS pump does not come on too often, oh lets say it does not come on every day, it may have been a small piece of dirt hanging a selonoid temporarily.

I would freshen the fluid, change the seal in the cap (you can buy the seal alone), work the abs at least once a week, and see what happens.

I bled mine, worked it and is has been ok, accept for once when the pump would not shut off. The ABS light came on. This was right after I used them hard, and they worked. It was a stuck selonoid. I turned the car off, restarted it, then activated the abs before the light came on again. Problem solved.

HTH,
LarryB