2000 Dodge Ram ABS light and brake light.

What it sounds like is the abs unit itself is messing up and not releasing the pressure. You can try disconnecting the electric to the unit, the abs light will be on but this is to check it. Drive a little then try the brakes. If they still lock up then the abs unit should be replaces. These units are expensive so shop around and see if you can find one at a local junk yard.

You can unplug the abs but the brakes will work like the brakes in older cars without abs. You can disconnect the abs electrical connections and the brakes should work like normal without abs. One thing is that even with the abs disconnected if the portioning valves in the abs unit are bad the brakwes could still lock up, try disconnecting them and see what happens. I do suggest that you have them repaired when you have the chance.

The brakes should not lock up unless there is a problem with the porpition valve in the abs unit itself. With the electri connection disconnected the abs system will not work, that means when you step on the brake it will not pulsate to keep you from skiding, that is what abs does. With out abs the brakes will work like normal brakes, if they do lock up the valves in the abs unit itself is not working releasing the pressure when you let off the brakes, I just did a 1999 blazer that did the same thing and Even after disconnecting the abs the brakes would grab, that was because the portioning valve in the abs unit itself went bad. You will find the abs unit if you follow the brake lines comming from the brake fluid resevior. It will have two lines going into it and 4 lines comming out of it.

The brakes work independent from the abs. If a abs unit fails then you will not have antil lock brakes the part that keeps you from skidding. Alol the abs unit does it pulsates the brakes to keep it from skidding. If the abs unit is bad and the porpotioning valve is bad the valve could keep cause it to lock up.