All modern cars are equipped with ABS sensors that include an auxiliary brake force control system. This is one of the thin systems that often fails on budget machines. In Europe, for several years now, manufacturers have been required to equip any production cars with this security system, and manufacturers of cheap cars clearly save on high-quality ABS by installing systems that are not very durable and practical. The sensors of this system are installed on all four wheels, they are activated when there is a sharp braking with a wheel lock. In this case, the system unlocks the wheel, allows it to turn and gradually slows down.
In fact, it turns out that cheap ABS not only does not help to brake more efficiently, but also lengthens the braking distance. There is another serious problem - after several years of operation, when the car is out of warranty, on many cars the ABS light comes on for no reason. Firstly, it is inconvenient to drive with a light on the dashboard constantly burning, and secondly, if there is a clear impression that something is wrong in the car. Interestingly, the ABS light does not always mean a problem with the anti-lock braking system. There may be other problems as well.
Why does the ABS light come on at all?
In a normally running car, this indicator shows you that the wheels have been unlocked. In this case, everything works fine, the sensors caught the need to turn on the security system, initiated its operation and demonstrated to the driver that some braking assistance was provided. When you see the ABS light on while braking, it's best to release the brake pedal a little and take control of the car. If you have an expensive high-tech car, you can trust the thoughtful systems and let ABS+EBD do the job. In other cases, the light bulb may burn for the following reasons:
- the sensors are clogged, the on-board computer shows that a diagnostic error code should be read;
- dirt or rust got on the sensors, which caused the anti-lock braking system to be switched on by mistake;
- there is a problem in the on-board electrical system, which is demonstrated by the ignition of arbitrary bulbs;
- the wheel bearing has failed, which forces the sensors to mistakenly turn on the anti-lock braking system;
- the fuses in the block responsible for the ABS system are out of order and pass the signal directly;
- An error has occurred in the computer that caused the ABS light to come on.
Also, sometimes there are troubles with the generator and other elements of the electrical circuit of the machine, which can result in the ignition of the diagnostic system bulb or warning lights of any type. For example, on a Volkswagen car manufactured in the 2000s, the anti-lock braking system light is on even if there is an error in completely different nodes. Therefore, self-diagnosis is only a partially acceptable method of solving the problem, because often the driver does not have special tools at hand for a good study.
What can you check yourself when the ABS light comes on?
The first thing you can do on your own in such a situation is to go to the car wash and ask for a quality wash of the rims. Often, with the help of such an intensive washing under pressure, it is possible to clean the ABS sensors located near the brake discs. On the way to the car wash, you can perform another simple test. Accelerate to a speed of 80-90 kilometers per hour, close the windows and turn off the music. If in this mode of travel you hear a slight or annoying rumble in the area of \u200b\u200bthe wheels (front or rear), the probable cause of the burning bulb is the failure of the wheel bearing. You can also do a few other things:
- inspect the fuse box and replace the module that is responsible for the operation of the anti-lock braking system;
- if possible, read the diagnostic error code and read about it on the forums;
- ask a specialist a question, describing your situation, and then try to correct the error yourself;
- independently get to the ABS sensors by jacking up the car and removing the wheels, check their cleanliness;
- inspect the electronic control unit under the hood, check for the absence of liquid in it and on it;
- the best solution is to go to the service station and pay for the diagnosis of the anti-lock and electrical systems of the car.
The last step will definitely be the most correct, as you will receive a clear answer to your questions, you will be able to determine the repair budget and the presence of serious problems. This is the only way to completely get rid of problems with a burning bulb in the diagnostic system and other unusual ways of car behavior. It is enough just to connect computer diagnostics with an advanced program and test the machine for possible errors. Within a few minutes you will receive the information you need and will be able to deal with the problem yourself or professionally.
ABS turns on randomly, the light blinks or lights up intermittently
One of the most difficult forms of breakdowns is the constant blinking of the ABS light. This means that the anti-lock braking system sensors send incorrect signals to the computer, which, in turn, gives other incorrect commands to the vehicle's systems and modules. Many people prefer to simply turn off the anti-lock system in such cases, since unpleasant incidents can occur. For example, turning on ABS at a speed of 90 kilometers per hour with light braking can damage the undercarriage of the car and contribute to a complete loss of control over control. It's better to do this:
- bring the car for diagnostics to the service, find out the cause of the chaotic operation of the equipment;
- for domestic cars equipped with a primitive anti-blocking tool, it is better to immediately turn off the system;
- complex structures and on-board electronic systems of foreign cars will have to be reflashed for repair;
- on some machines it will be easier to find the problem and fix it than to disable anti-lock;
- you need to keep in mind that this system is not always the reason for the ABS light to come on, the problems can be different;
- during the diagnostic process, it is better to check the entire on-board electrical system and equipment.
Having laid out a certain amount for the inspection of the car, you can get the right answers to important questions. Sometimes a light bulb on the panel can turn into a full-fledged repair of important units and components of the car, so you will have to spend a lot. But in most cases, this problem is not so expensive to solve. The cost of repair work depends, of course, on the make and model of the car, on the price of spare parts. If an ABS sensor for a domestic car costs from 600 rubles, then a Japanese SUV will drag out more than 10,000 rubles to replace one such sensor. We offer you to watch a video about solving a similar problem using computer diagnostics:
Summing up
ABS problems are in any case not very pleasant incidents. It is better to stay away from various problems, try to operate the car according to the requirements and advice of the manufacturer. But sometimes this turns out to be impossible, so you need to have a good service in mind that can help in different situations. By contacting an official service center with this problem, you can become a victim of an overly scrupulous approach to diagnosis and receive huge repair costs.
However, sometimes the problem with the ABS sensor and the burning light of this system can be solved independently. Use the tips described earlier in the post to understand all the features of a particular troubleshooting method. We warn you that disabling ABS is completely impossible to do on your own. The on-board computer will either simply not let you start the car, or it will start behaving inappropriately, each time issuing new error codes of the diagnostic system. Have you experienced malfunctioning ABS sensors and a constantly on light?
