electric brake force distribution warning light
 

hey peeps this morning i turned my car on and let it warm up of course and started driving down the road and not even a mile down the road the abs light and e-brake light turned on. i got home turned it off i did some reading and apparently that means that my electric brake force distribution system has some kind of malfunction. so i turned the car off and waited for a few minutes and turned it back on and the lights were not on anymore. Im guessing when i turn it on again and drive it again it will turn back on so i figured id pass this by the forum dwellers before i thought about taking it to a mechanic. the car has 70k miles its an 06 rx8 6MT. any help is appreciatied.

Old thread but I suddenly got the same problem, did you find a solution?

I got this warning light after fixing a coil failure issue, but it should not have anything to do with that.
Howevere a few weeks before i changed the rear pads and discs, in the Mazda Rx8 manual it says when you got the Brake, DSC and ABS warning light all at once there is a failure with the Electronic Brake distribution system, I did a hard brake test to check if there was any difference and I noticed that the brake response was "better" and it was much easier to lock the wheels, and off course thats because the ABS is not engaged.

So far i have checked all ABS/DSC fuses, tried to do a reset of ECU, tried to disconnect the battery a few minutes.
Checked the "stop" fuse and that my third brake light is working
Where can i locate this Electronic brake distribution module, maybe problems with connectors?

Honestly bro, mine went away a day or two after it happened. Not sure what the hell happend. Never came back ever since. Sorry I can't help.

Good for you lucky man ;-)
My light comes on when i start the engine and has been on for a week now.
I wil take a look at the ABS sensors and wires and see if that might be the problem, if not I must take the car to the dealer I think, I am afraid they will begin replacing random ABS related parts and charge me a lot.

I guess the Electronic Brake Distrubution module is the part inside the plastic housing to the ABS module. I opened it and there was nothing obvious wrong to spot.
I checked the big connector to the module and one of the pins had a little bit green corrosion on it, I used a little bit of sandpaper to clean it, but no luck.
I did an attempt to check the abs sensors but i couldn't get them out, probably need to put more force on it to get em out so I will try again when i get more time.
But since i have the e-brake, traction control and abs light at once, and since i got it once I started the engine after replacing all my 4 four coils which was dead for some unknown reason, I think the EDB might also be fried.
There is no CEL or fault codes.
I also checked the battery + and ground terminal connections and the white connector under, it was tight and no corrosion on the terminals/connectors

Any ideas on how to test the EDB?
And if it is a abs sensor issue shouldn't only the ABS and TC light be on?

Finaly gettin somewhere, I tried another OBD scanning tool called FORscan and now i can get ABS fault codes.
Im getting code: C1186 ABS power relay output open circuit

I guess that means you have to get the dsc module replaced?

Is this the module located under/behind the dashboard on the driver side? There is a module in a brown plastic box. On the case it only says ABS.

Is this the module i need to replace?
http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/MTIwMFgxNj...-4w~~60_57.JPG
Its connected to the distribution system and ABS pump
http://www.sinspeed.co.uk/wp-content...mp-Repairs.jpg

Or it must be this
EDIT: It seems to be the heater relay module, the letters ABS probably just indicate its made of ABS plastic hehe but i also noticed some people on ebay sells it with descriptions like ABS relay module.. so i don't really know for sure now. (ref http://www.ebay.com/itm/Mazda-RX8-2-...item53f284c262 )
http://i.ebayimg.com/t/Mazda-RX-8-03...Jc!~~60_12.JPG

Here is the correct procedure for Rx8 fault code C1186

ABS/DSU wireharness pinout description for Rx8

The last page

Swaped to a new ABS control unit and now everything is okay, just need to get it programmed by the dealer to remove the "mis match code" :D

I am having a similar problem it has been going on for months.

Old thread...

Just finished a rebuild, and upon first start up, the ABS, DSC and TCS lights are all on at once, and everything is the same as described above (have the C1186 code). Right before the rebuild, all of these systems were fine, but now, upon first start up, I get the code/lights; because of this, I am very suspicious that it is something stupid, but I cannot figure out what. I have troubleshot all of the wiring, so not much left there. I suppose it could be the module, but I would be surprised, as there were no codes or lights previously...

one of the issues here is the General Discussion area is becoming a corrupted dumping ground for all things RX8 and nothing much is being done about it.


if this thread were in the S1 Troubleshooting or Tech Garage area where it belongs you would get better exposure for a response there.

.

I suppose I did not really pay any attention to where the thread was, just the fact that it is almost the exact issue I am having, and it was one of the first search results in one of my searches (many many...)

sorry, it’s not your fault I just get frustrated not having the ability to make those adjustments myself

so back to your question, did you closely inspect all the pin connections etc.?

because you took that connector loose and then reinstalled it, so that’s the obvious relationship.

there are some super fine thread like silver wires inside there and perhaps if the housing got jostled around some getting the connector in/out might have caused one or more to break free. There’s a repair thread in the S1 area where someone cut one open and managed to repair it that has pics and provides more detail about the situation.

.

here it is:

https://www.rx8club.com/series-i-tec...repair-254609/


Otherwise you may just have to replace the module. A used module will require someone with the proper software (dealer or aftermarket) to initialize the id into the can system. A new one is plug-n-play per Ashe’s comment in that thread. It’s also pay-2-play because a new one is considerably more expensive.


.

That's alright... I understand :wiggle:

I was having the issue before I took the connector off... i took the connector off to look because I was having the issue... it was not corroded and there was proper battery voltage at terminal O. It is just strange that it went right now, after a rebuild. I will probably send it off to be rebuilt that way I am not spending $1500+ and don't have to mess with reprogramming.


also,
my lights do not turn off when I shut off the car, they come immediately back on. Clearing codes does not make them go away, nor does disconnecting the battery, which is why I am a little suspicious.

because something is wrong internally or externally, it’s not a reset situation

if the engine was rebuilt it had to have been unplugged and replugged, right?

.

no, pulling the engine does not require messing with the ABS module in any way shape or form (well, at least I didn't). I think I will try to swap the fried MOSFETs myself. I know there are a few others that have had success with DIY module repairs.

my bad, for some reason I was thinking the connector is part of the engine harness, but it’s probably just because one of the ecu connectors has a similar hinged-lever arm