Joe S.

Bought a used 1997 Mazda B4000 last week; been driving it for 10 days
without a problem. Today, when I started it, I got two warning light
indications:

1. ABS light comes on and stays on.
2. 4WD HIGH and 4WD LOW lights flash 2-3 times then go off. After a few
minutes, they flash again, then go off. 4WD does NOT engage -- I flipped
the dash switch into 4WD H and 4WD L, nothing happened, truck remained in
2WD.

All fuses look good -- I pulled the fuses, looked at them, then put them
back, did not replace any fuses.

I installed my amateur radio transceiver in the car today and these warning
lights started after I completed the installation. During the installation
I did not touch anything else on the truck -- was very careful to avoid all
internal wiring, etc. I did connect my amateur radio directly to the
battery -- a pair of #10 wires, fused, connect to the battery -- one to the
pos terminal, one to the neg terminal. I loosened the battery cable clamps,
one at a time, and inserted the connector on the end of the pos and neg
power leads for the raido under the head of the hex bolt that tightens the
cable clamps onto the battery terminals. I do not have my antennas
installed, so, I have not transmitted with the radio -- I know some vehicles
have problems with RF energy from transmitters getting into the computer but
that could not be the case here.

I turned the ignition switch on and off several times, no change. Drove the
truck a couple of miles, shut down, started, drove back. No change in the
warning lights, they still come on. Everything else works fine.

I have noticed, every day, a small wet spot on the ground under the truck --
it's brake fluid -- I stuck my finger in the spot and smelled the stuff.
The spot is located under the center of the engine compartment (centered
from side to side), just behind the front axle. I have not been able to
find the source of this spot. Brake fluid level has not changed in the 10
days I have had the truck.

Usually, when I start the truck, I hear a muffled "clunk" from underneath
which I have assumed to be a solenoid in the 4WD system activating. Now I
don't hear that sound.

Is it possible that, in loosening the cable clamps on the battery cable, I
interrupted the power supply from the battery to the truck's computer or
something that would have caused these warning lights to go on?