Updated at: 21-03-2022 - By: Lucas

Affiliate links can be found throughout this piece. A little commission will be paid to me if you purchase something through one of the links.

When something goes wrong, it’s not evident that it will affect the rest of the system as a whole.

There are many sensitive, electronic components in autos, and if one of these malfunctions, everything might go awry. In other words, what can go wrong with an ABS sensor that isn’t working properly?

There are a slew of functions handled by the ABS sensor. Traction control systems use this equipment to receive digital and analog information.

The control systems will react if the ABS sends the incorrect signal, which could result in a loss of stability or other ABS difficulties. We’ll go into more detail about this question in the next section.

What are we waiting for?

What Can A Faulty Abs Sensor Cause?

What Can A Faulty ABS Sensor Cause

Anti-lock braking systems (ABS) are standard equipment in nearly all cars built after the year 2000. Wheel speed sensor (also known as ABS sensor) and the ABS control module are the only two components.

When an automobile has four wheels, each one is equipped with a wheel speed sensor that is located in the hub of each wheel. A automobile with four wheels has up to four (4) wheel speed sensors, while a truck/van with eight wheels has eight ABS sensors.

Each ABS sensor monitors the speed and rotation of a wheel and transmits this information to the ABS control module, which in turn processes the information. The ABS sensor delivers a good signal to the control center if the wheels are moving at the same speed and spinning at the same rate.

As an alternative, the ABS sensor would generate an error signal if one wheel was not spinning in synchrony with the others.

When the control system detects one of these errors, the ABS warning light illuminates on the dash of the vehicle. Driver-assist modules can be activated by ABS control if a driver does not respond quickly enough to keep the vehicle under control.

After that, wear and tear, faulty wiring, or physical damage to the sensor’s body might cause it to fail as an ABS sensor or wheel speed sensor. Despite the fact that your wheels are in fine working order, the sensor will likely provide error signals to the ABS control module.

As a result of the ABS sensor(s) sending error signals, you’ll experience a slew of problems and feelings of unease while driving on hilly, icy, or even straight roads.

Because of a perceived fault, the ABS control engages other parts of the car to keep the vehicle under control.

A defective ABS sensor can cause a variety of issues in a vehicle, including the following.

1. ABS Light ON Dashboard

The ABS icon on your dashboard will be illuminated if your car’s ABS sensor is malfunctioning. The first sign of a bad ABS sensor is this.

If you see the ABS light on your dashboard, it means that your ABS sensors need to be checked and possibly replaced, or your wheels need to be worked on.

2. Brakes Malfunctioning

Your brakes will not respond quickly if your ABS sensors are faulty. A noticeable delay in braking performance will be observed. When you push the brake pedal, you may also hear a pumping sound.

As a result, all of these systems are working overtime in an attempt to adapt to the vehicle’s current state because of an incorrect signal from an ABS sensor (based on the signals they received).

These are the two most common problems caused by defective ABS sensors. You may, however, have severe traction loss if the sensor is good but the module is defective.

Conclusion

What can go wrong if your ABS sensor isn’t working properly? It would raise the ABS light on your dashboard, which would subsequently cause your brakes to stop working properly. This is a critical issue that necessitates immediate intervention.

Call a mechanic as soon as you realize that your ABS sensor(s) or the control module is defective. A cheap repair for malfunctioning ABS sensors is to replace them, however the cost of replacing them would be significantly more than driving around with a faulty ABS sensor.