ABS Module Failure

[Dawg]

Bob -

I have decided to keep the car, for now. I will be out of warranty by May/June at 100K, but it is driving very good and feels solid. I explored other extended warranty options but I am just going to roll the dice. Not sure if you follow my posts but I have had a laundry list of items covered by HPP on this vehicle, but I don't want to hijack this thread with those details.

 

[Youseethefight]

please share the list im curious. no worries about hijack.

 

[Gunkk]

Post-recall-2012-car: HECU failure covered by HPP Warranty

Took the '12 in to the local dealer on Friday for a brake fault and they called yesterday p.m. and said the HECU unit had failed. I'm fully covered under the HPP extended warranty that I purchased at 59,910 miles earlier this year.

The Story:
Over the past few weeks I've had an intermittent fault in the brakes. I had my brakes completely fail on the 2009 for HECU failure (before the recall), but on the 2009 the pedal went completely to the floor with no brakes at all. This failure in the 2012, however still left me with a firm pedal and at least 3 wheels of full braking and working ABS. So this failure is clearly different. Once it finally got to the point where it was likely to happen when repeated by the service tech, I took it in. A Genny/Equus senior service writer I spoke with said my VIN was NOT part of the old HECU/fluid recall, which I found interesting. Nevertheless, apparently, the HECUs can still fail at least partly.

Here are the symptoms in case anyone else runs across this:

• Car pulls (to the right in my case) on brake application.
• Apparent failure of HECU front left brake control solenoid/valve. Brakes work fine on the other 3 corners.
• Red warning light on the dash, not the yellow ABS light. Warning light shows only when green cruise main light is on.
• When the red warning light is on, the cruise control will not engage.
• If fault occurs while cruise is engaged, the car would shudder and pull when it applied the brakes. Then it will detect the fault after a few instances of this and throw the warning light and disengage the CC.
• The fault will not allow the CC to re-engage until self-reset (key off ~20 minutes).
• At no time were any fault codes thrown that my ODB2 reader & Torque app could see.

 

[Mark_888]

Re: Post-recall-2012-car: HECU failure covered by HPP Warranty

A Genny/Equus senior service writer I spoke with said my VIN was NOT part of the old HECU/fluid recall, which I found interesting. Nevertheless, apparently, the HECUs can still fail at least partly.

The switch from DOT-3 to DOT-4 brake fluid was made at the factory after some date (the TSB for the fluid change applied to BH Genesis sedan produced from April 30, 2008 to March 28, 2012), and then the HECU itself was supposedly enhanced by Continental to be more resistant to valve corrosion failure. The above is what I was told by a guy I exchanged several emails with at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) who was handling the recall.

The use of DOT-4 fluid was ordered because it has some anti-corrosive properties that was supposed to reduce the chance of HECU value failure, but would not completely prevent it. Quite a few people on this forum have posted about having HECU failures after having their brake fluid changed to DOT-4 under the recall.

Sounds like Continental "may" have also modified the HECU to only fail partially if one valve fails, because I don't recall reading any posts from others about a partial HECU failure (only a complete failure).

 

[Gunkk]

Yep, I agree on the likely design change.

Having had both of my cars' HECUs fail (pre and post recall fix) I can happily say that the newer design will at least leave you with partly working brakes. The old style would stain your shorts.

 

[Parasurfer1979]

I just bought as 12 Genesis 4.6. All this is exactly what's going on. I'm worried about on thing. The car has 121k on it. Does mileage matter about a recall? Thanks. I feel like a damn fool.

 

[BobbyC777]

I just bought as 12 Genesis 4.6. All this is exactly what's going on. I'm worried about on thing. The car has 121k on it. Does mileage matter about a recall? Thanks. I feel like a damn fool.

Can the dealer tell you whether any recall has been applied to your car? It was to apply to certain Genesis cars with build dates through March of 2012. But my 2011 never got a recall and my ABS did fail. It's never been clear to me why I did not get a recall. It wouldn't hurt to ask them why your car was not subject to the recall (if it was in fact never recalled). It's an expensive item to have to do on your own. $3K rings a bell but if that's wrong someone will chime in. Hyundai took care of my ABS failure.

 

[Gunkk]

Can the dealer tell you whether any recall has been applied to your car?

Yes a service writer can tell which cars were recalled, and fixed via service history, by doing a VIN search.

$3K rings a bell

Yes $3k is your ballpark. A HECU replacement done two weeks ago on my '12 4.6 cost $2500, 100% covered by HPP platinum extended warranty, zero deductible (done at the dealer who sold me my HPP plan). $3k is also in the ballpark of what a HPP warranty costs (depending on years/miles purchased). And that's why I always tell prospective buyers to not own one of these cars without one..

 

[BobbyC777]

Yes a service writer can tell which cars were recalled, and fixed via service history, by doing a VIN search.


Yes $3k is your ballpark. A HECU replacement done two weeks ago on my '12 4.6 cost $2500 And that's why I always tell prospective buyers to not own one of these cars without one..

Gunkk -

Agreed! I almost never buy extended warranties but I did for this car. Too many expensive items to keep me awake at night!