![]() ABS sensors range from £30-£150 each, and would usually take less than an hour to change. Wheel Sensor FaultĬommon if the car has just had work done on a suspension component, wheel bearing or wheel, the ABS sensors can be fragile devices, and a small knock whilst removing other parts can cause them to send faulty readings.Īn ECU diagnostic check should detect this issue, most cars will also warn of some kind of issue with a general ABS warning on the dashboard. ![]() Because of the relatively low number of parts involved, it is usually easy to diagnose but can be expensive. This can often remain unnoticed until you really need your brakes, it is important to have the system checked by a professional if you have any concerns at all.įind a service partner Common causes of ABS failureĪBS, like any other system on a car, can fail prematurely. This can be a symptom of a failing ABS pump. Then, when the brakes are applied and the ABS is activated, the braking power disappears. In some cars, if the ABS pump is faulty, the system can seem fine until the ABS is needed. The car will feel like it has suddenly hit ice, steering will be heavy but unresponsive until the brakes are released. One symptom is if your front wheels lock and skid upon hard braking, this can be heard easily if the windows are down, but can sometimes be hard to hear in the cabin. The wheel speed sensors are often used by other systems such as Traction control, so the car's ECU is constantly monitoring the output of them, if any should become faulty the car should display an ABS warning light on the dashboard. Symptoms of an ABS fault are hard to pinpoint, though, and if in any doubt you should always take the car to a mechanic to have the system checked, before continuing to drive.īumper can help you split the costs of any car repairs with 0% interest monthly payments. If you recently had to brake very harshly, particularly on a wet or gravelled surface, and you felt the brake pedal and front of the car shake slightly as you came to a stop, accompanied by a fast juddering sound, this is your ABS system working. In many cars, the ECU, and pump will be built into the same unit. It uses a high-pressure electric pump and complex valve systems to rapidly turn on and off the brake pressure to the offending wheel.Īll this happens within a split-second, the ABS pump will modulate the braking force until the brakes are released or traction is regained. ![]() The ABS modulator, sometimes called the ABS pump, is a brake component in-line with the standard braking system. With this information, the ECU can detect if a wheel has locked up under braking, when this happens, the ABS controller or ECU will signal the ABS modulator to activate brake modulation. This allows the ECU to detect the speed at which each wheel is spinning. Wheel speed sensors use a magnetic field to detect the ABS ring, also known as a reluctor ring, pulse ring or pulse wheel. They remain stationary, whilst an ABS ring on the drive shaft, axle or brake component spins at road speed close to them. Wheel Speed or ABS SensorsĪBS sensors, aka Wheel speed sensors are typically used at each wheel, positioned behind the brake disc or drum. All three parts, along with the standard braking system, need to be in good condition for the system to function properly. The ABS system consists of three main components, an Electronic Control Unit (ECU), an ABS pump/modulator, and ABS sensors. ![]() It may seem counter-intuitive, to release the brakes when trying to slow down, but a wheel that is ‘locked up’ or skidding, provides much less to slow the vehicle than one that is still rotating.įurther to this, a car's steering only works when the wheels are turning, if they’re stationary in a cloud of smoke, the car will understeer and be generally uncontrollable, ABS allows you to brake and turn. This is especially important on wet or damp roads. Modern brakes are very powerful, without ABS it would be easy for them to lock up the wheels under emergency braking conditions. Its basic purpose is to prevent the wheels from locking or skidding under hard braking. What is ABS?Īn Anti-Lock braking System consists of a few key components not found in non-ABS-equipped vehicles. In this article, we’ll discuss how it works and how to tell if your car’s ABS system has a fault. It enables inexperienced drivers to brake safely in wet conditions, with a much-reduced risk of losing control or skidding. It’s hard to put a number on the number of lives saved, but anyone with experience trying to stop in wet weather in a car without ABS knows how brilliant the technology is. According to a study conducted in 2004, cars fitted with ABS are 48% less likely to be involved in road traffic accidents than those without. ![]()
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