Understanding the ABS Warning Light: What It Means and What to Do
The dash board of modern vehicles is very complicated. There are several warning lights including the ABS( Ant-Lock Braking System) .Each works for informing the driver to something wrong. The ABS is the most important warning light because the Anti-Lock Braking System could prevent the wheel lock-up of the vehicle and help to ensure all four wheels remain under the control of the driver during braking.This article will elaborate the importance of this warning light, what it means and what should drivers do when this light goes on.For any driver, they should know the detail of this warning light.
What is the ABS System?
To reduce the danger of this happening, modern motor vehicles are fitted with a brake called the Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS). Each wheel’s brake pressure is modulated by the system’s computers so that the wheels do not lock up or ‘slip’. Wheels that lock stop the driver’s ability to turn the rest of the car and it is most common that someone driving skids or loses control of the motor vehicle when he rapidly presses his right foot to break. When the road surface is slippery, such as on ice, this risk is aggravated.
What Does the ABS Warning Light Indicate?
The ABS light warning should be easy to spot, it is a yellow or orange light or symbol depending on the model of your vehicle. This is usually an ABS symbol on the cockpit, or with yellow Arab writing reading ABS. The general consensus though is shown through the symbols that we utilise, it is known in general as an exclamation mark in a circle. If that light does come on it is saying that the vehicles ABS has a problem with it. There.
Bad ABS Sensor: Each wheel has an ABS sensor so that we can measure the speed of each wheel. If one of those sensors cuts out or gets dirty, the system won’t work correctly and the light will come on.
Bad ABS Module: The ABS Module manages the whole ABS system. If it fails, it will cause the warning light to come on and it will need more diagnostics and often even replacing.
Brake fluid level low: The ABS system must have an adequate level of brake fluid to operate properly. You will get a warning light when brake fluid is low.
(2) Blown Fuse Or Electrical Problem: ABS warning light also comes on when blown fuse or electrical problem. The reason is that the ABS sensors which are not communicating with the control module.
Worn brake pads (and sometimes rotors): Loss of braking force to one side is less likely (and potentially caused by worn pads or rotors that affect ABS), but has been reported in some cars.
What to Do When the ABS Warning Light Comes On
If the ABS light is on, panicking and pumping the brake pedal up and down, like a boatman bailing out a leaking dinghy in heavy seas, will only make matters worse. What do you do?
Check the Owner’s Manual: The owner’s manual, for that specific model of your car, is always a more authoritative source of information than something like this column – so check your owner’s manual for information about what your vehicle’s ABS warning light means, and what you should do when the light comes on.
Brake fluid level: Check the fluid level under the hood. If the fluid is low, add brake fluid, but do so carefully: the low fluid level could mean that you have a leak that needs to be fixed ASAP.
And make sure they get it to a good mechanic: Seeing that this feature can also save lives, once you see your vehicle is having trouble with its ABS system, make sure you get the repairs done by a good mechanic on a corner. That way, if it is a real problem with the ABS, you know that it was identified fast and correctly, and it will get the proper fix. The corner mechanic will definitely hook it up to diagnostic equipment that will interpret what each of the computers’ data says and will tell you why it is not working.
Warning light Image courtesy VolkswagenNot necessarily a cause for alarm that your vehicle is about to shed all control of the brakes. Rather, it is a reason to expect that your ABS is not functioning, and to drive carefully, avoid hard braking and keep a greater stopping distance to the car ahead of you, until the situation is sorted.
Importance of Maintaining the ABS System
In fact, both aspects of an ABS are of safety value to you on the road: because the anti-lock action prevents skidding, you can prevent an accident or a skid yourself – and having a stabilised car in an emergency brake. Good maintenance will prevent an incident from happening, such as checking brake fluid and having a service centre examine your brakes.
Conclusion
Do you wonder what the ABS warning light on your car/van/SUV means, if you know what the ABS warning light means, and what you should do about it? If you don’t know what the ABS waring light means, this post is for you. The car exhibits many lights, and all of them have meaning. The ABS light is just one of them. If it comes on, first stomp the brake pedal to make sure that you haven’t hit the brake pedal without depressing it all the way; then read your owner’s manual, check the brake-fluid level and, if you have no idea what to do, drive into a service garage. Anti-lock brakes are a 20th century marquee safety feature.