With thousands of components stepping up to the plate for everything from engine management to maintaining the air conditioning at the perfect temperature in the summer and keeping you warm and dry in the winter, modern vehicles require a lot of subtle components operating in harmony. One of the most crucial of these role-playing systems is the ABS control module, which contributes greatly to ensuring your vehicle remains in control in the numerous emergency brake applications that we all potentially experience in our driving lives. In this article, let’s take a look at how an ABS (antilock braking system) control module operates, why stabilizing the vehicle in emergency braking conditions is an important feature, signs of failure or the build up towards failure, and how to maintain this important system.
What is the ABS Control Module?
The ABS control module is the electronics control unit that controls the anti-lock braking system (ABS). The ABS is actually the system that stops all the wheels from locking when you need to brake quickly or sharply. Without ABS, the wheels can lock up and stop turning, which causes skidding, especially on wet, snowy or icy roads.
ABS control module continuously monitors wheel speed sensors and modulates brake pressure as required to each wheel An ABS control module continuously monitors wheel speed sensors and modulates brake pressure to each wheel as required to prevent a single wheel from locking up or either of them from locking up. If a wheel is slowing too quickly, the module is ‘telling the hydraulic system to back off’ from that brake, so it does not lock and the wheel continues to roll. Emergency braking thus remains controllable. This happens much faster than any human can react, striving to prevent unwanted high accelerations and steering forces. It is easy to understand why it was invented.
How Does the ABS Control Module Work?
The ABS control module is fed data from wheel speed sensors, that are attached to each of the wheels, continuously feeding back the rotational speed of the wheels, with this information it literally measures and then compares the speed of all the wheels in real time.
If one or more wheels are decelerating more quickly than the others – again, probably as a result of one or more of them locking up – the ABS control module immediately reduces the brake pressure at just those wheels, in a fraction of a second, and then rapidly and repeatedly increases it and reduces it a few times per second, until all the wheels are again rotating at safe speeds. This pulsing application and release of brake pressure is what can cause you to feel brake pedal pulsations when your ABS is activated.
This also makes the car easier to drive as the braking force does not interfere with the driver’s control of the steering to remain on course, even in cases of hard braking or on low-traction surfaces.
Why the ABS Control Module is Critical for Safety
Wheel Lock-up Prevention: The major function of the ABS control module is to prevent the wheels from locking-up, which is vitally necessary in the prevention of skidding under normal road conditions, especially on roads covered with ice and snow or with high dampness, which result in less traction and eventually cause the wheels to lock-up.
Provides Stable Steering Control: In the event of the brake system being locked up while hard braking, the normally loss of control due to slide on a locked wheel cannot be avoided. However, the ABS control module allows for stable steering control by taking into consideration the vehicle speed, wheel speed and yaw angle information to control even locked-up wheels under braking to roll.
Shortens Stops: While ABS doesn’t always shorten the distance your vehicle travels before stopping, it does so dramatically when the vehicle is actually sliding either because the driver has applied too much pressure or the road is slippery or uneven. By modulating brake pressure, the ABS control module helps the vehicle stop more effectively.
Keeps the vehicle stable. In road conditions where there is braking during a turn, or that are uneven, such as on bumps or one-sided potholes, by inhibiting wheel lock, the ABS control module helps to keep the vehicle stable and balanced in braking to stop all wheels at almost the same time.
Common Signs of ABS Control Module Failure
Just like any electronic component, the ABS control module can develop faults or even wear out over time. Here are three warning signs that the ABS control module can have problems:
ABS warning light: One of the most obvious symptoms of a problem is the ABS warning light that will appear in your instrument cluster. If the light is lit then the ABS control module has detected a problem with the system.
ABS is unresponsive: If your ABS doesn’t kick in when you brake hard – namely, the ABS warning light should turn on, or the wheels should lock up when braking – you can chalk it up to the ABS control module.
Brake Pedal Pulsation: If ABS is activated, you might experience a pulsation of the brake pedal. This is normal, but if you feel this pulsation when merely slowing the brakes normally, it could indicate a bad control module.
Longer Stopping Distances: If your vehicle is taking longer to stop, especially in slippery conditions, it could be a sign that the ABS control module isn’t working as it should and allowing brakes to remain applied.
Locking of the Wheels: On vehicles equipped with ABS, loss of ABS control module functionality can result in wheels locking up when braking, making steering and slowing down the vehicle difficult, and almost certain to cause a skid.
Causes of ABS Control Module Failure
Several factors can lead to the failure of an ABS control module:
Electrical Problems: The ABS control module is, well, an electronic control module, so electrical issues such as damaged wiring, blown fuses or corrosion of the connections to it can cause it to malfunction.
General wear-out: Eventually the ABS control module might simply wear out, given the harsh environmental conditions under which it must function, namely heat, moisture and road grime.
Polluted Brake Fluid: Contaminations can lead to an ABS not reacting properly, as well as damage the control module with time. Performing regular fluid maintenance is essential to prevent damage.
How to Maintain the ABS Control Module
You must take care of it in order to keep the braking system of your vehicle work properly. You must check the chrome ABS brake control module of your car since anti lock speed controller is one of the most vital parts in the system of braking vehicles.
The best steps to maintain the ABS control module are as the following:
Regularly Check Brake Fluid: Check and replace brake fluid at the intervals specified in the owner’s manual, as contaminated or dirty brake fluid will affect the ABS components, including the control module.
Check wiring and sensors: Periodically inspect the ABS wire harness and wheel speed sensors for wear, corrosion and damage, all of which are vital for providing correct signals between the wheels and ABS control module.
Warnings on your dashboard In particular – and this must be flagged – do listen to the ABS warning light. This light alerts you that your braking system is faulty and needs urgent diagnosis, before doing any damage to the system or to your security.
Conclusion
Many of the ABS control module’s workings are silent but they ensure your vehicle stays in control by eliminating skids, braking reliably and ensuring safety on the road. Taking care of your brake system and tackling small repairs before they become critical is necessary to avoid dangerous driving conditions, as well as to keep your ABS control module operating correctly. Make sure to take care of your car’s braking system to ensure your safety on the road.
