Most drivers know the check engine light, but the ABS light causes a lot of confusion. It’s usually an amber light with the letters ABS inside a circle. When it comes on and stays on, your car is telling you there’s a problem with the anti-lock braking system.
Anti-lock brakes keep your wheels from locking up and skidding when you brake hard. On a slick road or in a sudden stop, they pump the brakes for you many times a second so you can still steer while slowing down. It’s one of the most important safety systems on your car, especially on wet fall roads covered in leaves.
When the ABS light is on, your regular brakes should still work normally. What you lose is that anti-skid protection in an emergency stop. So the car is usually drivable, but you’ll want to drive carefully, leave extra room and get it checked soon.
There’s one important exception. If the ABS light comes on together with the red brake warning light, or if your brake pedal feels soft or sinks, have the car checked right away before driving any farther than you have to.
The most common cause of an ABS light is a wheel speed sensor. Each wheel has a small sensor that tells the computer how fast that wheel is turning. They sit near the wheels where they’re exposed to dirt, water and road debris, and they can fail or get damaged. A damaged sensor wire, a low brake fluid level or a problem with the ABS control unit can also trigger the light.
Guessing at the cause can get expensive, so we start by reading the codes stored in the system and testing the part they point to. That way you only pay to fix what’s actually wrong.
If your ABS light has come on, don’t wait for a rainy night to find out how much you depend on it. Call Home Town Auto Care at (615) 656-8461 or stop by 108 Confederate Dr in Franklin, Monday through Friday from 7 to 5.
