ABS warning light that lights up and goes out: what to do?


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The article explains:

  1. What is an ABS light bulb and what is it for?
  2. Why is the ABS light on?
  3. Why the ABS light is on and what you should check right away

It happens that a suddenly illuminated ABS light makes some motorists shudder nervously. They believe the entire braking system has failed. The puzzled car owner begins to look on the Internet for a way out of this situation.

However, there is no need to panic. After all, the brakes may be normal, but malfunctions may occur only in the anti-lock braking system, which is not at all critical. The article discusses in detail the question of why the ABS light is on and what should be done to correct the situation.

Some reasons to disable anti-lock

The question of how to disable ABS worries motorists driving off-road. The device performed best only on smooth road surfaces. Russian road conditions are far from perfect: highways are bumpy, snowy, dirty - anti-lock is useless in such cases. Its presence, on the contrary, aggravates the situation, increasing the braking distance. No less annoying is the fact that even at low speeds the anti-lock braking system is activated.

Replacing ABS sensors

If the cause of the malfunction is not in the wiring, but in the ABS sensor itself, we replace it. To do this, first unscrew the fastening screw with a Torx T30 key, and then remove the sensor wiring harness from the bracket. The photo shows a Lada Vesta car; on other Lada models the work is performed in a similar way.

Instructions for replacing the front wheel ABS sensor:

Instructions for replacing the front wheel ABS sensor Instructions for replacing the front wheel ABS sensor

Instructions for replacing the rear wheel ABS sensor:

Instructions for replacing the rear wheel ABS sensor Instructions for replacing the rear wheel ABS sensor

Is it possible to disconnect without consequences?

When thinking about how to disable ABS on a Grant, it is important to remember: “arbitrariness” will lead to some questions during maintenance, which will be visible to the on-board computer technicians. When contacting service during the warranty period, the fact that ABS is turned off is the reason for refusal of free repair.

How to carry out the procedure correctly?

  1. First, open the mounting block where the fuses are located. It is located near the battery. Sometimes you have to remove the 15-amp fuse, but the car's instructions will help clarify this issue.
  2. Then the ignition is turned on briefly, and it is important that the brake system and ABS lights do not go out. After the sound signal, the ignition must be turned off.
  3. Then comes the removal of the block with the bottom cover. The electrical wire from the fuse is cut lengthwise and its ends are stripped to about 2 cm.

The problem of how to disable ABS can be easily solved: you will need a five-pin relay, which can be purchased at any auto store. A thorough study of the contact pattern will help carry out the procedure without negative results.

Work begins with winding contacts 86 and 85. It is necessary to connect the wire going to ground to them. The second wiring is responsible for supplying the signal. The contact marked “30” should connect to the wire coming from the fuse, while 88 should connect to the ABS. The shutdown button can be placed anywhere in the cabin.

Self-correction of ABS light coming on

Let's consider what measures need to be taken to fix the problem without going to a car repair shop:

  1. Lift the hood, disconnect the wires leading to the battery.
  2. The ABS electronic control unit is located directly under the hood. As a rule, it is located together with a hydraulic modulator, which distributes braking forces. This element can be recognized by the large number of brake pipes connected to the block and a bunch of auto wires with a connector.
  3. Next, you need to disconnect the connector and carefully examine whether there is any damage or liquid on its surface. If necessary, you need to blow out the connector and dry it thoroughly.
  4. Check the fuses. It's better to do this first, but it's okay if you take such actions at this stage.

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The anti-lock braking system is controlled by several fuses. They are most often located in the mounting block located under the hood.

Photo: Shutterstock

Then everything is a little more complicated:

  1. It's good if you have a car lift to look at. If there is no such installation, you can use a jack. The main thing is to first look at the wires that are connected to the wheel sensors to avoid damage. In most cases, the wiring rubs against the surface of the wheels or flies off the retaining mounts - this leads to the light bulb coming on.
  2. The design of the sensor on wheels involves connecting it to a wire with a connector attached to the end. The wire can be up to 1 meter long. You need to locate these connectors, check whether they have contact and what quality it is. Inspect the connector surface for moisture or rust.
  3. If your efforts have led nowhere, and the ABS light is still on, a visit to a car repair shop is necessary. It happens that it is not possible to eliminate the error by “rebooting” (by removing the battery terminals).

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Above we described the steps for independently detecting a malfunction in which the ABS light is on and eliminating it. Car service specialists will connect your car to computer diagnostic equipment, and with its help they will determine the cause of the breakdown. From time to time, quite serious cases arise that require immediate professional help.

About temporary blocking of work

If the vehicle is used in urban infrastructure, this is not necessary. Under normal conditions, the use of technical know-how actually shortens the braking distance, allowing the driver to take control of the steering wheel in difficult situations. You can block ABS functionality for a while. If you need no time to turn off the system, you can resort to the following method.

Temporary blocking will be caused by sharply pulling the handbrake, blocking the rear wheel pair. The vehicle will stop without problems. Not everyone understands the feasibility of the device, so it’s worth understanding what ABS is on a car and whether it’s worth rushing to turn it off.

Braking system design Grants

Brake linings

Before you start adjusting and checking, you should find out what the Lada brake system is like and what its features are. The design includes the following parts:

  • brake regulator;
  • pipelines;
  • brake pads and cylinders;
  • amplifier.

To ensure efficient and safe braking, Grant has a double-circuit (diagonal) pipeline system. The tasks of the first circuit include blocking the left rear and right front wheels. The second circuit is designed to block the left front and right rear wheels. The front wheels have disc brakes, and the rear wheels have drum brakes.

The process of controlling the master cylinder on the Lada Granta is carried out using a vacuum amplifier. This device is designed to improve controllability of the brake system. To do this, you need to press the appropriate pedal. It is necessary to take into account that an anti-lock braking system may be included in the Lada Granta, or ABS will be absent. The Lada Granta system under consideration is equipped with a hand brake that blocks the rear wheels by spreading the corresponding pads in the drums. These parts are moved through levers and by moving a steel cable located inside the vehicle.

Briefly about the essence of the functioning of anti-locking

Loss of steering control is a common cause of car accidents. Activation of the brake discs occurs when the brake is pressed. Uncontrolled tire skidding leads to loss of vehicle control. The anti-lock design was invented to prevent this situation. When activated, the driver feels the brake pedal pulsate. The main thing here is to correctly use good engineering development.

Traction control system, how it works in real conditions

  • the presence of devices such as ABS and ESP on the car;
  • the presence of a so-called “electronic gas pedal”, i.e. lack of direct connection between the gas control pedal and the throttle valve.

In fact, this is ABS in reverse; if it removes braking from a wheel to ensure its grip on the road, then the traction control system slows down a wheel that is too “nimble” for the same purpose. And in their work they use the readings of the same sensors.

The traction control system is called differently - ASR or TRC, TCS (traction control system), and these abbreviations do not exhaust all the possible designations that the traction control system receives from different manufacturers. However, despite the different names, the principle by which any of them works is almost the same.

The sensors used by all these systems - ABS, ESP, TRS, ASR - are the same. In its simplest form, for example, the ASR traction control system receives signals from sensors, by which it determines:

  1. wheel speed (angular);
  2. their position (movement is straight or turning);
  3. the degree of wheel slip, based on the calculated difference in their angular speeds.

Based on the data obtained, depending on the speed of movement, the traction control system can:

  • through a system of solenoid valves, change the pressure in the braking system, reducing the speed of rotation of the wheel;
  • issue a signal to the engine control controller to reduce torque;
  • change the amount of torque supplied to the slipping wheel through partial differential locking;
  • take several marked actions at the same time.

What capabilities a particular traction control system TRC, TCS, ASR and others similar in purpose have, is determined primarily by the design of the car, as well as the software. However, despite the existing differences in implementation, the traction control system, regardless of the type - TRC or ASR, when it works, ensures confident acceleration of the car and reliable adhesion of the rubber to the road surface.

Features of braking on vehicles with ABS

You can forget about intermittent, smooth braking. The driver does not need to constantly monitor wheel traction. The brake pedal must be pressed not weakly, without sparing any effort. In this case, there is no need to use the motor part. The installation prefers to work independently. In an emergency braking situation, we have to talk about simultaneously pressing the brake and clutch pedals. It is important to disconnect the engine from the transmission. You shouldn't place high hopes on electronics.

Design Features

Initially, engine 21129 retained the design of the basic version 21127:

  • “tall” gray cylinder block, transferred from 11183, the surfaces of the liners are processed by honing;
  • Cylinder head from modification 21124;
  • gas distribution mechanism with phased injection with hydraulic compensation of thermal valve clearance;
  • lightweight piston group from Federal Mogul;
  • V-belt drive of timing camshafts with rounded teeth from Gates with a service life of 200,000 km;
  • crankshaft with long radius crank from internal combustion engine 11183;
  • fuel rail with medium-performance injectors from Bosch or Siemens;
  • individual spark plug ignition coils without a high-voltage wire bundle;
  • increased diameter of the damper on the flywheel;
  • catalytic converter built into the exhaust tract - catalytic collector.

About the most common causes of breakdowns

The ABS light comes on on the dashboard, extraneous noise is heard in the brake unit, the brake pedal has become too soft, which means there is a high probability of a serious malfunction. Initially, the car owner will have to make sure that there is no air in the brake system, that there is no oil leakage, and that the brake fluid level is normal. What “diseases” do you encounter at a service station?

  • Wheel sensors don't want to work.
  • Elements are damaged mechanically.
  • The ABS pump has gone out of operating mode.
  • The control unit has failed.
  • This last difficulty raises many nuances.

Despite the difficulties, it is worth thinking carefully about whether disabling ABS is justified specifically for the car owner. When deciding to take such a step, you need to weigh the pros and cons and take a closer look at the driving conditions. The criteria are largely predetermined by the intricacies of the particular road along which the “steel horse” is often forced to travel.

Let's sum it up

Disabling ABS is a dangerous measure, as it interferes with the car's active safety system, which increases the risk of getting into an accident. However, in some cases, shutdown may be a necessary measure, for example, in the event of failure of individual system components or when driving in difficult weather conditions. In any case, before de-energizing the ABS, the driver must weigh the existing risks and take action to prevent a possible accident.

Issues relating to motorists' rights are often more important than they appear at first glance. A driver may lose his license or suffer other severe penalties due to ignorance or misinterpretation of laws and regulations. Do not be lazy to dive deeply into the essence of the issue being studied, do not hesitate to ask advice from professionals.

ABS or ABS, already from the decoding of the English abbreviation (Anti-lock braking system), it becomes clear that this is not a separate part, but a system that prevents wheel locking during braking. In a nutshell, to answer the question: what is ABS, we can say this - it is a system of sensors that monitor the speed of the car and the speed of rotation of the wheels. In most modern cars, ABS works in conjunction with EBD - a brake force distribution system. The main components that make up the ABS system are:

Rotation sensor; Brake pressure sensor; ABS control unit; Hydraulic block. The complete layout of ABS components looks like this:

Anti-lock braking system components

The main task of ABS is to regulate wheel speed by changing the pressure in the brake system lines. This system is designed to avoid an emergency situation during sudden braking, while maintaining vehicle controllability. The main part of the system (hydraulic unit and ABS unit) are located under the hood of the car, they, in turn, work in tandem with sensors located on the hub. The ABS control unit processes the signal from the sensor, and the hydraulic unit distributes pressure to the brake pads.

The modern ABS system is quite reliable. Electronic sensors and system units have many fuses and specials. relay. Failures are mainly associated with improper operation. Wheel sensors have the greatest impact, since they are most exposed to contamination, therefore, the ABS sensor needs to be replaced from time to time. When the anti-lock system has some kind of malfunction, this will be indicated by a corresponding icon on the dashboard. The ABS light comes on when you start the car and stays on for no longer than 6 seconds, but if this warning light comes on while driving or the indicator does not go out, this indicates that the system has been disabled, but there is no need to panic, since normal braking is possible. In order to figure out what exactly the breakdown is in the ABS, diagnostics is needed. The main malfunctions of ABS

Wheel sensor failure. Through mechanical damage or a change in the air gap between the wheel sensor and the gear rotor (norm 0.4-1 mm). Sometimes wires break or contacts oxidize. The voltage drop into the network board is below 10.5 V. Failure of the hydraulic pump electric motor. Most rarely, the system is turned off due to the failure of the hydraulic valves or the ABS control unit. It is also possible for the system to fail due to unqualified vehicle repairs. And a couple more facts: -Vibration of the brake pedal and a characteristic crackling sound indicate the operation of this brake system. -When repairing wheel hubs and transmissions, the wheel sensors and their gear rotors must be protected from impacts. In older versions of ABS with two- and three-channel schemes, sensors were installed on the rear axle gearbox or gearbox cover - this should be taken into account when dismantling transmission units. -You can identify a failed system node using a conventional tester and special “calling” tables developed for each car model or using computer tools. diagnostics Tips and tricks

Do not separate electrical connectors with the ignition on or the engine running. The ABS electronic control unit is sensitive to voltage fluctuations, so you need to monitor the health of the battery, generator and relay regulator - the operating voltage on board should be in the range of 12 - 14.2V.

A modern car is equipped with a large number of auxiliary electronic systems that increase driving safety. Some solutions improve directional stability, others affect braking efficiency, etc.

Moreover, in some countries it is prohibited by law to operate cars without ABS on public roads. Of course, if this system fails, the behavior of the car when braking changes greatly, and not for the better. The ABS icon also lights up on the dashboard, indicating that the problem needs to be repaired.

“Bringing to life” the control unit

Failure to operate the unit is a consequence of contact burnout, which is caused by increased voltage. The second reason that there is no contact is mechanical or chemical influence. With a thoughtful approach, repairing the ABS unit is simple. Having conveniently positioned the part on the workbench, you need to carefully open the body using a construction knife. You shouldn’t run it too deep, otherwise you can damage the electrical wires.

Having identified the break point, using a pulse soldering iron, the damaged wires are resoldered. You can use a Weller soldering station. It is not recommended to overheat the ceramic base to avoid damaging the board. A damaged board will require replacement. After this, all that remains is to assemble the block and install it back.

The problem is not always the block. Sometimes you have to change the sensors located on the rims. If you want to restore the functionality of the old device yourself, without resorting to installing a new one, it becomes necessary to rewind the coil built inside the sensor. The work of restoring the system is thankless, so it is recommended to contact service centers. This will save a lot of effort, nerves and money.

For those who don’t know what kind of animals these are: ABS and ESP.

The ABS system is an anti-lock braking system that can prevent wheel spin during braking maneuvers - this is necessary to ensure greater driving safety.

The ESP system is a solution to ensure directional stability, designed to prevent the car from skidding (the necessary wheels are braked, this is controlled by an electronic unit). By the way, ESP itself without ABS is absolutely useless, because it is, let’s say, an add-on to it.

Anti-lock braking system ABS: structure and principle of operation of ABS on a car

In a nutshell, ABS is an anti-lock braking system that prevents the wheels from locking when braking. The driver feels the operation of the system by characteristic signs when the pressed brake pedal “cracks,” “vibrates,” or “shoots.” The fact is that when the brake is pressed firmly and constantly, a “pulse” locking and unlocking of the wheels occurs (several times per second).

If we compare braking with and without ABS, during emergency braking on a car without such a system, the control wheels will be blocked. This leads to the fact that by turning the steering wheel it will not be possible to change the trajectory of the car.

Having understood what ABS is, you should study what the system consists of. Although the device may differ slightly on different cars, the general design includes:

  • wheel speed sensors;
  • control valves in the hydraulic brake line
  • a pump can also be integrated into the system;
  • ABS electronic control unit;

It turns out that ABS (sometimes mistakenly called ABC) is a kind of pressure regulator in the brake line. When braking, information from sensors about a sharp deceleration of the wheel enters the unit, which begins to change the pressure in the brake lines, reducing the pressure and unlocking the wheel.

The unit polls the sensors several times per second, which manifests itself in the form of a “ratchet” on the brake pedal. Different systems have different numbers of sensors and valves (there are four-channel ABS, three-channel ABS, etc.). As a rule, modern cars today have solutions with four channels (1 channel for each wheel).

How does Vesta behave on ice using ABS and ESP?

We decided to test the Lada Vesta in the winter - it’s interesting how the operation of the above systems will behave. For testing, we chose an ice testing ground with a length of 700 m. It was important for us to find out in which cases the system would perform poorly and in which cases it would perform well. For greater stability, we equipped the sample we tested with Nokian tires.

Typically, such tests begin by turning off both systems. This is not surprising - after all, it is important for us to know how a “naked” car behaves on ice. To disable ABS+ESP, you will need to remove the voltage supply - namely, remove the fuse responsible for their operation. If you don’t pull it out, then no matter how much you poke your finger at the ESP switch off button, the on-board electronics will in any case force it to turn on at speeds over 50 km/h.

So, let's start, since good studded tires help us get off the ice. We see a turn, we try to fit into it, but at the same time we feel that the car is starting to skid. The front wheels confidently hold traction, but the rear is unstable - however, nothing critical.

An experienced driver will overcome such a small skid without any particular difficulties by pressing down on the accelerator pedal - fortunately, the test site allows this. The fact that the car drives very confidently even on icy surfaces is definitely encouraging - at the same time, the quality of control does not suffer, Vesta clearly responds to the slightest rotation of the steering wheel, turns smoothly, and does not fidget while moving in an arc.

HOW TO IMPROVE THE LADA DESIGN

To protect the wiring harness from the environment, you can use a D-shaped seal. We lay the wires in it and wrap it with electrical tape. We put everything in the corrugation. We glue the cover covering the ABS sensor connector around the perimeter with the same sealant. This will prevent moisture and dirt from entering the area where the sensor and connector are located.

Attention! If the ABS fails, the brakes remain operational, but the braking efficiency is reduced, which is especially dangerous on some surfaces.

Cuvette test Lada Vesta with and without ESP

The winter road promises many hidden dangers. Often the right side of the roadside looks like a snow-covered, flat surface. However, a very large number of motorists who, for one reason or another, have to drive onto it, annoyedly (and, alas, belatedly) end up in a real ditch, covered with a seemingly horizontal layer of snow.

Our new test of the Lada Vesta is designed to find out what advantages the ESP system provides, specifically designed to control the distribution of vehicle forces in difficult situations. For greater clarity, we decided to drive into a ditch and try to get out of it, first without the exchange rate stabilization system, and then using it.

Let's say right away that the car had to work hard. Almost in a dangling state, its two wheels balanced on the edges of the ditch - in this case, as a rule, it is almost impossible to do without outside help. But we dare to assure you that the factory electronics did not let us down. The on-board “brains” accurately dosed the injection of gasoline, allowing not only to let the car stand up straight, but also to climb onto the opposite side of the ditch, returning to the roadway.

Let us remind you that we performed all the above maneuvers with the ESP system engaged.

Next we disabled ESP. In this case, no attempts or tricks to move the car from an awkward position were successful. The wheels of the front axle only bit into the snow and ice harder and harder. In such a situation, leaving the ditch is possible only with great luck or with outside help.

The test results revealed a clear benefit provided by the ESP system on the Lada Vesta. This applies to both smooth road surfaces and roads with poor traffic. In general, the presence of an electronic stability control system will be an excellent help for both beginners and experienced drivers - after all, when they want to help you, is it worth refusing?

How to reset errors on Vesta

After diagnosing and troubleshooting, it is necessary to reset the on-board computer errors for its normal operation in the future. If everything is left as is, the vehicle’s on-board systems may operate intermittently even in good condition.

Typically, on simpler modifications of the manufacturer, the numbers are reset by resetting the on-board computer counter or removing the battery terminals.

Lada Vesta errors are reset only when a diagnostic scanner is connected. The special program provides the ability to fully manage and monitor on-board systems in terms of electronics. By going to the appropriate settings section, the wizard can eliminate all error codes and failures from the device’s memory.

Lada_Vesta_9

In modern Western models, the complex of electronic driver assistants can include more than a dozen or two different systems. B-class budget employees are not yet entitled to such luxury due to their status, but in this area Vesta is ready to give a head start to its competitors. In addition to the usual set of ABS and EBD, VAZ’s new product is already equipped with an exchange rate stability system (ESC) as standard. Over the winter, I managed to study her behavior enough to give her settings the highest rating.

Firstly, it allows you to skid to your heart's content in first gear, allowing you to overcome a difficult section of the yard or an uncleared parking lot. The traction control system is in no hurry to intervene in this case - and it does the right thing. It behaves similarly when starting too quickly from a traffic light on slippery asphalt. I also like this: there is no hysterical help from electronics in situations where it is not required at all.

Secondly, the system does an excellent job of keeping the car on line when cornering. I have driven much more expensive models, where the ESC worked crudely and ingenuously: when drift appeared (we are talking about front-wheel drive), it simply “turned off” the gas pedal and then operated the brakes at its discretion. In particular, the products of the Peugeot Citroen alliance, including the Citroen C5, were guilty of this. It is a very unpleasant phenomenon when suddenly, in an emergency situation, a car deliberately deprives the driver of the ability to control the behavior of the vehicle. The right pedal was “turned on” only after a complete return to the trajectory.

Vesta does not limit you in anything and at the same time remains extremely obedient. Moreover, in response to outright provocation - pressing the accelerator when drift has already begun - the car somehow magically not only accelerates, but also “turns” its stern. Like all-wheel drive! The first time I attributed it to my own wrong feelings. But subsequent experiments (of course, not on public roads) confirmed the correctness of the impressions.

Thirdly, ESC on Vesta is disabled. If the intelligence of electronics is not enough, then a button on the center console is at your service. I used it a couple of times, also as an experiment. Even with the activated stabilization system, Vesta rows well in deep snow, but without it there is more confidence. By the way, AVTOVAZ listened to the opinion of journalists and potential buyers and, according to rumors, is going to introduce an “ESC OFF” button on the high Xray hatchback.

I note that over the past snowy winter the stabilization system never worked unexpectedly for me. I attribute this to good winter tires and the right choice of speed. But in safe places I experimented with it to my heart’s content.

What do you think, should ESC be made mandatory equipment for inexpensive models? Is there any real benefit from it, in your opinion, or is it just another way to rip off more money from the buyer?

ABS is on: why does the indicated indicator light up?

So, having figured out how ABS works, what it is and why the system is needed, let’s move on to its problems. First of all, problems will be indicated by a warning light located on the instrument panel.

Of course, as in the case of airbags and other solutions, individual control units, which are integrated into the overall electronic engine control system (ECM), interrogate the sensors after turning on the ignition (self-diagnosis). In this case, on some cars the ABS lights up for just a couple of seconds, after which it goes out, and this is the norm.

It is quite obvious that overall safety will depend on the operation of the anti-lock braking system, while the “ABS” indicator warns the driver that the ABS system is not working and is disabled, that is, during emergency braking, the wheels will lock when the brake is pressed hard.

In any case, a diagnosis is needed. If you remember the general structure of the system, then it becomes clear that the ABS light often comes on for one of the following reasons:

  • The wheel rotation sensor has failed;
  • There are problems with the ABS module;
  • The contacts from the sensor to the unit are damaged, that is, communication is lost;
  • There are problems with the crown on the hub;

In other words, the anti-lock braking system light on the instrument panel indicates that the ABS is faulty and is therefore deactivated. Moreover, even if the ABS lights up, this does not mean that there is something wrong with the braking system itself. The fact is that another indicator is responsible for the brakes (often a red exclamation mark on the instrument panel).

One way or another, drivers often note that the ABS sensor comes on while driving or the indicator lights up from the moment the engine starts. In this case, the problem can be constant and floating, when vibration on a rough road causes the ABS to light up and then go out.

We also note that although the system is quite reliable, occasionally the electronics themselves may fail. In this case, you need to do a reset. Sometimes it is enough to disconnect the battery terminal for 10-15 minutes, then connect it back and start the car. If there are no breakdowns and everything is in order, after a reset the system will work normally.

How the ESP system works

ESP works flawlessly on Vesta during drifts and sudden maneuvers, preventing aggressive uncontrolled driving. Computer longitudinal and transverse acceleration sensors instantly read the position of the car, recognize loss of stability on the road, entering a dangerous trajectory and, together with the ABS (anti-lock braking system), automatically reduce speed and brake, leveling the position of the car on the road.

If you turn off ESP on the Vesta, then the vehicle stabilization system by braking the rear wheel from the inside and the traction control system will not work.

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