ABS and Trac Off lights lit up

compnovice

Diamond Member
Jun 18, 2005
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I hit a pothole at around 45mph and the ABS, Trac Off and Service Engine lights lit up. Is this a major problem or just because of some faulty connections in the dashboard?
 

RGUN

Golden Member
Dec 11, 2005
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Possibly a wheel speed sensor or something along those lines on the wheel that hit the hole?
 

overst33r

Diamond Member
Oct 3, 2004
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Originally posted by: compnovice
I hit a pothole at around 45mph and the ABS, Trac Off and Service Engine lights lit up. Is this a major problem or just because of some faulty connections in the dashboard?

Do you have a TCS button on the shifter? If so, toggle that, see if it does anything for the Trac off light.

 

Zenmervolt

Elite member
Oct 22, 2000
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The traction control system uses that ABS sensors to accomplish its work. If an ABS sensor goes offline, both the ABS system and the traction control system will stop working and will trigger their respective dashboard warning lights.

You probably killed a wheel speed senor or its connection; that would cause the TRACS and ABS lights. Check the code for the "Check Engine" light and see what it reads. If it is showing a misfire, it might just be a bad reading caused by the vibration. Re-set the codes and see if it comes back.

ZV
 

compnovice

Diamond Member
Jun 18, 2005
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Originally posted by: mariok2006
Do you have a TCS button on the shifter? If so, toggle that, see if it does anything for the Trac off light.

I did try that, but it did not work...

You probably killed a wheel speed senor or its connection; that would cause the TRACS and ABS lights. Check the code for the "Check Engine" light and see what it reads. If it is showing a misfire, it might just be a bad reading caused by the vibration. Re-set the codes and see if it comes back.

ZV

Is checking the wheel sensor an easy job, or do I need to take it to a shop? Sorry, I didn't specify this before. The car has two lights SES (Service Engine soon) and the Service Vehicle soon. The latter one came on.
 

Zenmervolt

Elite member
Oct 22, 2000
24,514
44
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I would have a shop check on the wheel sensors because they will have the scan tools necessary to read the proprietary codes on your car. That way they will be able to tell which sensor it is just by pulling the codes instead of having to manually check each one.

The "Service Vehicle Soon" light is a general maintenance light and isn't the same as the "Service Engine Soon" light. The codes for the "Service Vehicle" light will be proprietary as well. This light is probably wired to come on when there is any failure at all as a "catch-all" warning light. My 951, for example, has a very large red light in the middle of the instrument cluster that is labeled simply "!" and this light comes on when any other warning light comes on (low oil pressure, low voltage, high temperature, low brake fluid, etc).

ZV
 

Demon-Xanth

Lifer
Feb 15, 2000
20,551
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Sounds like a wheel speed sensor either broke, came loose, or a wire broke. Just look behind your front wheels for a cable with a couple wires going to the hub and see if one looks different from the others.