I recently took my 1997 Subaru Outback Legacy into a Merchants Tire and Auto center for a wheel realignment and 4 new tires. I picked up my car from Merchants on a Friday afternoon. That evening, as I was slowing down to pull into a gas station, my breaks started shaking and the Anti-lock break system (ABS) light came on in my dash board. I took my car back to Merchants. They told me that the wheels had not been realigned properly the first time and that this was causing the breaks to shake. However, they told me that an improper wheel realignment could not have caused the ABS light to go on. Is this true? What is the connection between the anti-lock break system and the wheel alignment in a 1997 Subaru Outback Legacy? Thank you!
Are you saying the brakes pulsed (as is normal durning ABS activation) accompanied by ABS light activation and after the pulsing stoped the ABS light remains on?
What motivated Merchants to re-check the wheel alignment?
We need to clarify, are we dealing with ABS activation or some other type of vibration felt through the brake pedal.
It really sounds like they left a caliper loose,but that’s just my WAG
I am going to go out on a limb right now and estimate that they knocked loose a wheel sensor or its wiring. That would be the thing that could be affected by mucking about in the wheel area.
“They told me that the wheels had not been realigned properly the first time and that this was causing the breaks to shake.”
That is some creative BS. I often laugh and wonder if lines like that are premeditated or made up on the spot… Going out on a limb as mr josh did, I’d say the screwed up a wheel speed sensor, either knocked or left it loose, or broke it.