Some drivers worry that when ABS (anti-lock braking system) light is on, this may somehow affect the entire braking system. So they start surfing the Internet in the search for the reasons why ABS light is on and the actions they should take. But there is no need to panic, since, most likely, the brakes on your vehicle are absolutely OK; only the anti-lock system will not function, which is actually not so critical, although it may be helpful in some emergency situations. To learn more about this system, I recommend you to read about ABS.
What should you do when ABS light is on?
It should be noted that the system runs normally if the ABS indicator lights up once the ignition is switched on and goes out in a couple of seconds. The first thing to do if ABS light indicator is constantly on is to check the fuse of this system and inspect the wheel sensors.The cases when the sensor connector on the hub is oxidized or the wires are frayed out occur quite often. And if the ABS icon does not go off after replacement of shoes or a hub, the first logical thought would be – you forgot to connect the sensor connector. Dirt on the sensor contributes to switching on of this indicator too.Some car owners may get confused if an orange ABS icon appears after a good skidding. In this case, you don't have to worry at all: you should just brake sharply a couple of times and everything will be fixed — this is a normal reaction of the control unit to such a situation. If the ABS light is not constantly on but flashes from time to time, then you should inspect all contacts. Most likely, you'll quickly find and eliminate the cause of flashing signal indicator.
Reasons of ABS error
The main possible reasons for appearance of constantly lighting ABS indicator on the dash:
- no contact in the connection module;
- communication with one of the sensors is lost (possible wire break);
- ABS sensor failed (requires inspection and further replacement of sensor);
- crown on the hub is damaged;
- ABS control units failed.
After inspection and, as it may seem, elimination of the cause, it's very easy to check the ABS operation; you should simply accelerate to 40 km/h and brake sharply — you'll feel the pedal vibration and the indicator will go out.
If you do not find any damages in the sensor circuit up to the unit, you'll have to resort to diagnostics in order to determine specific brake anti-lock system error code. If you have a car equipped with an on-board computer, this task will be quite simple too; you only need to clearly understand the decoding of the code, and where the problem could arise.
