Anti brake system light on
I recently was driving and my ABS light kicked on. I took a deep breath, gripped the steering wheel a little tighter than I normally would, and carefully drove the SUV home. The SUV and I made it to our destination safely. Muttering to myself, I had to figure out what was going on with the vehicle. Rather than panicking, I did what any modern person would do...
I turned to YouTube for some guidance. There I typed in something like the following:
How to fix abs brakes
I watched a number of the videos and came across a few commonalities among them.
1) Don't panic.
2) You need to plug in a computer scan tool to the dash and it will show where the issue lies in the ABS system. The computer scan tool will then show a code for diagnosing the issue for the ABS light. (I didn't have one of these so I skipped this step).
3) A common issue for the light coming on is what's called a cracked or loose "tone ring". Behind each wheel is a toothed gear-shaped disc that's used in conjunction with a sensor to determine the number of revolutions or speed of revolutions. This tone ring is normally not movable, but sometimes it can become loose and be able to spin freely by hand. Other times, there can be large missing gaps in between the various notches which also indicates a problem with the tone ring. (I checked the tone ring on all 4 wheels and still found no issue here)
4) Check the brake fluid. (I got discouraged and thought perhaps this was a larger problem than what I could fix by myself so I explained the situation to my wife. She asked me if it was as easy as checking the brake fluid to see if it's low. I told her that I didn't think so. I thought before I invest time in checking out how much are abs sensors were maybe I should go out and check the fluid. I popped the hood and easily located the brake fluid reservoir. I must have been a little upset because upon removing the cap from the reservoir my hands began to shake and I dropped the cap into the dark abyss under the hood. I went back in the house to get a flashlight and eventually retrieved the cap. Then, I checked the brake fluid only to find out it needed a little drink. I screwed the cap on and took the car for a drive around the block. The darn light still stayed on. I came back in the house and told my wife that I tried her idea and still the problem remained. I took the SUV out the next day and wouldn't you know it, as I'm driving along the light turned off and remained off now for many drives throughout town. My wife ended up saving me a trip to the auto parts store, saving me both money and time, and even though I had to pay with a little bit of my dignity it was a worthwhile investment knowing that ABS light is off and my wife gets a grin at my expense.
In Conclusion
Whether your ABS light comes on or it's some other issue, it's best to just to listen to your wife. She's right a lot more than you think.
About the Author
Andrew Gardner is the Director of Marketing for Gardian Angel, LLC. He's an accomplished marketing professional with 10 years’ experience that has a proven track record of cost-effectively reaching over 110 million consumers. He increased sales territories by 44%. Gardner's marketing efforts motivated government officials to enact amendments to motor vehicle rules and regulations in 22 states. Andrew Gardner successfully developed his own brand, FATHER-IN-SAW, whose products were featured in 8 mainstream magazines including People, Better Homes & Gardens, Fitness, Shape, and Parenting more than 50 times to date.
Visit Gardner's impressive portfolio https://andy33g.wixsite.com/portfolio.
Keep using those brakes, you'll need them when you stop for the school bus. See what's making more drivers stop for children getting on and off the school bus at www.GardianAngelLLC.com.
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