Gen III - ABS/Traction Control On/Off lights

[Canyonero]

Hi all,

Pretty new to the forum and new to a Gen III 2005 LTD. My question is regarding the ABS/Traction Control On/Off lights.

Went to a car wash the other day, the automated kind where it pulls you through. You have to put the car in neutral, engine stayed on. After exiting the wash, I put it back in drive and all three lights came on and stayed on. Drove for a while and still on. Pulled over, shut off the motor, waited a few minutes and turned it back on. The lights were off, everything seemed ok.

Did it again yesterday, but this time I turned off he motor. Turned the motor back on as I exited and dropped it into drive and the same thing happened. Pulled over, shut it off, turned back on and no lights, all seems well.

Has anyone else experienced this? Is this normal?

Thanks

 

[Michael Brown]

http://4wd.blogeasy.com/

 

[Sabre]

http://4wd.blogeasy.com/

That well-known article is about the 4WD engagement & transfer case systems. The OP is talking about something entirely different.

 

[Michael Brown]

Sorry, I don't know why I saw 4WD instead of ABS/traction control. It might be a connection or sensor going bad.

 

[Canyonero]

Thanks guys. So I think I've figured it out. Rained super hard here the other day. We're talking Noah's Arc type rain. Was driving around for errands and the lights came on, no pun intended.

I realized when I go through the car wash, I get the body under spray. Driving in the rain, the same effect. Therefore I believe the cause is a speed sensor or associated wire getting wet causing the system to malfunction.

I pulled over while it was still raining, turned the engine off an on and it was back. Same as after the car wash. Have to have my mechanic check it out.

Has anyone else replaced their speed sensors? Expensive?

 

[jhill15]

I had to replace my front passenger side 2 times. But my problem was 4wd and cdl lights where flashing. From what the dealer told me all of the abs, traction control are connected. So speed sensor could definitely be the culprit.

 

[All-Terrain]

Is there preventative maintenance recommended here? Spped sensors, steering angle sensors, etc?

 

[jhill15]

Is there preventative maintenance recommended here? Spped sensors, steering angle sensors, etc?

I have had my steering angle sensor replaced because of the 4wd blinking lights. I realy have know idea how its connected to the traction control but dealer said its was. They swapped in a new angle sensor, cleared the t.c. codes and no more lights...

 

[All-Terrain]

I have had my steering angle sensor replaced because of the 4wd blinking lights. I realy have know idea how its connected to the traction control but dealer said its was. They swapped in a new angle sensor, cleared the t.c. codes and no more lights...

Because the traction control is constantly evaluating whether or not the truck is travelling in the direction that the driver intends.

If you turn the wheel sharply to the left but the truck only turns a little to the left because it's understeering in snow, for example, the traction control will read the driver's inputs and go "Hm, let's slow down the inside wheels to help the truck rotate further to the left".

If the steering angle sensor doesn't provide that input, you will get a light. This concept is common to many traction control systems. That's why you need wheel speed sensors, the steering angle sensor, throttle position sensor, camshaft and crankshaft position sensors, properly operating ABS, and there is probably also some sort of yaw sensor, as well as some other spectacular high-tech space age doodads.... ****ers are getting complicated.

 

[jhill15]

That makes alot of sense.