ABS Brake Repair Troubleshooting
If you’ve recently noticed that your ABS light has illuminated, it may not mean that your vehicle requires ABS brake repair. In fact, it could possibly be a number of things causing the light to stay lit. ABS lights are generally located on the dash board next to the speedometer and gauges. By taking the time to check a few of these quick and simple steps, you could easily save yourself a bit of time, hassle and money down the road. In this article, we will outline a few tips to help you address that pesky ABS light.
Inspect Your Emergency Brake
As silly as it seems,
there are times when the emergency brake will not be down quite far enough and will set off the light, regardless of whether the brakes are actually being used. A simple way to check this is to engage your emergency brake, check the corresponding dash light, and move it back into the off position. Do this a few times to make certain. Lights can be triggered quite easily, and this little tidbit has saved quite a few people the embarrassment of having their mechanic disengage their emergency system for them.
Hydraulic Pressure Loss
During your inspection, take a minute to check all of the levels in your reservoir to find out whether you are losing any substantial amount of fluid. Warning lights can go off due to low brake system levels. If you top it off and the problem remains, you may be losing pressure on one side of the vehicle, which can pose a safety risk if not addressed quickly. Pressure loss can easily lead to brake failure on the road; a risk that only increases with speed.
Inspect Your Hydraulic Circuits
Every vehicle has two hydraulic circuits which should be inspected during your ABS brake repair. The purpose behind the dual system is a safety precaution in case of main line failure. If you’re first line fails, you will still have a second available that will allow you to stop the vehicle. These devices are made to turn on as the other turns off. If either of these are broken, it may be the reason for your ABS light illumination. Switch out any broken parts and check to see if your ABS light is still on. If nothing has changed, you may be looking at a much more serious problem in the brake lines themselves.
ABS Light Is Still Stuck
If you’ve gone through each step with no luck whatsoever, the best idea is to get it checked out by someone with experience with ABS systems. In this fashion, you’ll be able to rest easy knowing that the brake repair will be attended to properly in addition to checking everything else within the system inside and out. Call around to local shops in your area to find the best deal and get yourself back on the road safely.
