The ABS light on your dashboard signals there is a problem with your vehicle’s Anti-lock Braking System (ABS), a safety feature that can prevent your wheels from locking during severe braking, allowing you to steer your car out of harm’s way even on slippery roads. Your car’s ordinary brakes will continue to work when the ABS warning light is on and glowing, but you may lose some of the protection the ABS provides.
In this article, we’ll decode what the ABS light tells you, the typical reasons the light will come on, and what you need to do when you see it.
What Does the ABS Light Indicate?
The ABS light comes on to alert you to a problem in your car’s anti-lock braking system. When the light comes on, you have one or more faults in the system. Your car’s regular braking system will remain active, however, the anti-lock system will fail to engage during a hard stop or on a slippery surface – meaning you have less control over your car if you have to slam on your brakes or stop on black ice.
In normal situations, ABS keeps your wheels from locking by rapidly pulsing the brakes to prevent skidding. Should the failure warning light be activated, this protection could be lost.
Common Causes of the ABS Light
The reasons why your ABS may turn on are numerous and vary from trivial to more serious problems. Here are the most common causes below:
1. Faulty Wheel Speed Sensors
One of the most frequent culprits of the ABS light illuminating is a failed or faffed-up wheel-speed sensor. Each of your vehicle’s four wheels has a sensor that monitors its spin rate, and sends this info off to the brains of the ABS system so they know when one corner is locking up. If one wheel speed sensor stops working or gets a grubby sheen of brake dust on it, the system might have an input it can’t rely on.
2. Low Brake Fluid
The ABS is a hydraulic system that is controlled by hydraulic pressure in the brake fluid. If your brake fluid is low, it may affect whether or not the system is engaged. Some of the causes of low fluid could be normal depletion or there could be a leak in your braking system.
3. Worn Brake Pads or Rotors
While modern ABS systems do supplement the brakes, extra-worn brake pads or rotors can lead to the ABS light indicating that braking efficiency has dropped. Replacing the components can often straighten things out.
4. Malfunctioning ABS Module
The ABS module is the ‘brain’ of the system and receives input from the wheel speed sensors – adjusting the braking pressure accordingly. If the module has failed due to rust, electrical or water damage, the ABS system can stop working, and the ABS warning light will illuminate.
5. Blown Fuse
Like many electronic systems on your car, the ABS is controlled by fuses. If a fuse blows, it can potentially cut power to the ABS and trigger the warning light. Replacing a blown fuse might solve the problem; but if a fuse blows repeatedly, it could be a sign of an electrical issue that needs to be investigated.
What Should You Do When the ABS Light Comes On?
When it’s lit up while you’re driving, take it seriously but don’t panic Because if it should come on when you’re actually driving, you’ll also want to take this seriously, but you shouldn’t be panicking. What you should do is this.
1. Check Brake Fluid Levels
Whenever the ABS light appears, one of the quickest tasks is to check the level of the brake fluid that resides in a reservoir on one of the two brake master cylinders. If it has gone down a little, simply topping off the reservoir will often shut off the warning light. If the level continues to drop, it could be a sign of a leak somewhere in the system, and professional assistance should be requested.
2. Inspect the Wheel Speed Sensors
Depending on your own level of competence and comfort with simple car maintenance tasks, you can check the wheel speed sensors for dirt or debris, clear the problem, maybe even by giving the sensor a light cleaning, but if the light continues to come on, replacing that sensor could fix this problem.
3. Drive Cautiously
If the ABS light is on, drive carefully and avoid hard braking, as your usual bakes will continue to function normally but you won’t be able to use ABS to prevent wheel lockup in panic stopping. Drive more cautiously in the rain or snow, where ABS is particularly helpful.
4. Get a Professional Diagnosis
If after some basic troubleshooting the ABS light still stays on, have your car towed to a mechanic and get a diagnostic scan, as the instrument readings can identify a faulty sensor or low fluid, or if it is a problem with the anti-lock braking module (ABS module). Catching a problem early can circumvent the need for more extensive repair later.
Can You Drive with the ABS Light On?
And yes, you can still drive: that light does not automatically put you in ‘limp mode’, where all your brakes are disconnected (they most certainly are not). Instead, you can still make safe stops; it’s just your car won’t have the added safety feature of ABS available to help you stay in control during emergency braking. What that does mean is that driving on the light for any extended amount of time – especially in bad weather – might place you at greater risk of not being able to stop when you start to skid.
Conclusion
The ABS light tells you there’s a problem with your vehicle’s anti-lock braking system. Though your normal brakes will still work, you’ll be left at a disadvantage in emergency driving situations, especially on wet or icy roads. A simple problem, like low brake fluid, can trigger the ABS light and a more serious malfunction with the ABS module can be identified earlier by getting the light checked.
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