

Systems with three sensors have one at each front wheel and another on the rear axle instead of at either of the rear wheels.

If the system contains four ABS wheel speed sensors, there will be one at each wheel behind the rotor. Each vehicle contains a different number of ABS wheel speed sensors. The ABS wheel speed sensor is located at the wheel, behind the brake rotor, but some are placed directly on the axle. It could also be caused by damaged wiring connections running from the sensor to the ECM. If you struggle to maintain traction in poor weather conditions or notice handling issues when you brake quickly, the ABS wheel speed sensor might be to blame. However, you can experience problems even when the ABS light isn’t on. When the sensor stops sending information, the computer shuts these systems down as well. Not only can you lose anti-lock brakes, but also other functions, such as stability control, traction control, roll stability, and hill-start assist. The computer relies on this information to determine if the wheels are locking up and require support.īecause the system doesn’t know what is happening, the ABS shuts down until the repair is made. Anytime a fault is noticed, the system triggers an alert, and the ABS warning light comes on.įrom here, the vehicle’s electronic control module stops receiving valuable data from the sensor. When an ABS wheel sensor fails, it causes the anti-lock brakes to be inoperable. This will cause the ABS and traction control to kick in, and you will feel it by feeling a pulsating or pumping brake pedal while braking. This will cause the ABS control module to get tricked and thinking the car is sliding on a slippery surface. The ABS sensors measure the speeds of each wheel, and if one of the ABS sensors has gone bad, it will read the wrong speed on one or more wheels. RELATED: What does the ABS light mean & What Causes it? 2. In rare cases, defective ABS wheel speed sensors can cause the speedometer to stop registering. However, when the other systems stop functioning properly, you might also see the traction and stability control warning lights. When the ABS wheel speed sensor fails, the ABS light is probably one of the first signs you will notice out of all the bad ABS wheel speed sensor symptoms.Īt first, it might simply cause the ABS warning light to come on. Your dashboard contains a variety of important lights that alert you to danger. Here is a more detailed list of the signs of a bad or failing ABS wheel speed sensor to look for: 1. This is mainly because the ABS control module will light up the ABS warning light and deactivate the system to prevent accidents. You may also notice other warning lights on the dashboard, such as the check engine light or traction control light.Īs you can see, there are actually not that many ways to tell if an ABS sensor has gone bad. The most common symptoms of a bad ABS sensor are an ABS warning light on the dashboard, pulsating brake pedal, loss of anti-lock brakes, or loss of traction control. Conclusion Symptoms Of A Bad ABS Wheel Speed Sensor
