ABS warning light on?

Tiny
BUKSNALL
  • MEMBER
  • 2009 HONDA CRV
  • 2.4L
  • 4 CYL
  • 4WD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 80,000 MILES
My ABS system was working until I had my rear bearing hub replaced. Since then, when I start driving I get clicking noises, as if the computer is trying to read the sensor. At 35 mph the clicking stops, and the ABS warning light comes on and stays on. I've had the mechanic re-do the hub installation, without success. I've also tried a new sensor cable, also without success. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Wednesday, March 4th, 2020 AT 10:47 AM

14 Replies

Tiny
AL514
  • MECHANIC
  • 4,688 POSTS
Hello, inside those wheels bearings is a reluctor ring that triggers the ABS wheel sensor. And they are directional. So either the wheel bearing he put in is the wrong one (missing the reluctor ring) which would be for a car without ABS or he put the bearing in backwards and the ABS sensor isn't getting a reading. If this happened right after a wheel bearing replacement then I think that's what's going on.

These videos will help us.

https://youtu.be/Pb6nXV-iamI

and

https://youtu.be/rTtAnsOlZU4

Please run down these guides and report back.
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Wednesday, March 4th, 2020 AT 11:21 AM
Tiny
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Thanks for your quick reply. I didn't provide sufficient detail so I would like to add some clarification in case it helps:
--The hubs for this vehicle are the same for left or right side.
--The bearing is not separate from the hub so not really possible to install backward.
--The reluctor is an integrated magnetic sensor ring.
Also,
--The clicking only happens when I brake. It stops when the warning light comes on,
--The clicking seems to be coming from the front, probably from the computer.
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Thursday, March 5th, 2020 AT 1:09 PM
Tiny
AL514
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I know the reluctor ring is part of the bearing, sometimes when just the bearing itself is replaced they can be installed backwards. As for the clicking, is it coming from under the dash board? Could be a relay that controls the ABS unit. And when the ABS sees a fault it disables the system. But since the ABS light has come on, that means there's a diagnostic trouble code stored in the ABS module. Have it scanned and see what code it gives.
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Thursday, March 5th, 2020 AT 2:06 PM
Tiny
KEN L
  • MASTER CERTIFIED MECHANIC
  • 47,602 POSTS
Here is a guide to help us see if in fact that hub is the problem with the ABS light with details on how the hub should be replaced in the diagrams below:

https://youtu.be/rTtAnsOlZU4

Check out the diagrams (below). Please let us know what you find. We are interested to see what it is.
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Friday, March 6th, 2020 AT 5:39 PM
Tiny
SUZILU
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  • 2001 HONDA CRV
  • 4 CYL
  • AWD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 110,000 MILES
3+ years ago the wrong size snow chains were put on my CRV's tires & eventually snapped off at some point during the weekend. Since that time the ABS light has been on 80% of the time. I've had the ABS sensors replaced, the brakes checked numerous times. For the last 3 years since the tire snow chain incident, my brakes have increasingly done a random strange stuttering followed by what sounds like a spring making a 'boing' sound. The brake pedal gets a bit mushy & stutters/skips, springs back at you & for a few seconds feels like it's not braking. This happens on hills, on flat roads, when the car is cold & when the car is hot. The light is sometimes off but eventually comes back on for no apparent reason.
After seeing 4 different mechanics regarding the problem (including a dealership) & spending a lot of money I am not sure if this problem can ever be fixed.

Any help or advice?
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Tuesday, August 4th, 2020 AT 12:31 PM (Merged)
Tiny
KHLOW2008
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Hi suzilu,

Thank you for the donation.

What was the Diagnostic Trouble Code that was retrieved from the ABS light showing?

"For the last 3 years since the tire snow chain incident, my brakes have increasingly done a random strange stuttering followed by what sounds like a spring making a 'boing' sound. The brake pedal gets a bit mushy & stutters/skips, springs back at you & for a few seconds feels like it's not braking. This happens on hills, on flat roads, when the car is cold & when the car is hot. "

When the above happens, is the ABS light showing or not or both?
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Tuesday, August 4th, 2020 AT 12:31 PM (Merged)
Tiny
SUZILU
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The ABS diagnostic trouble codes were: 11, rt. Front wheel speed sensor circuit problem & 12, rt. Front wheel pulser teeths problem. Both speed sensor, wirings & front wheel teeths were checks & no problems found on the teeths or wirings. The mechanic adjusted the rt. Front wheel speed sensor towards center.

Within minutes of driving away from the mechanic the ABS light went on & the car continued to do its initial thing.

The dashboard ABS light goes on when the brakes are malfunctioning & when they aren't.
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Tuesday, August 4th, 2020 AT 12:31 PM (Merged)
Tiny
KHLOW2008
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Hi suzilu,

Based on your symptoms descriptions,

"For the last 3 years since the tire snow chain incident, my brakes have increasingly done a random strange stuttering followed by what sounds like a spring making a 'boing' sound. The brake pedal gets a bit mushy & stutters/skips, springs back at you & for a few seconds feels like it's not braking."

It indicates an intermittent interruption of the wheel sensing circuit. The sensor seems to freeze the signal resulting in the ABS control unit being made to believe that the wheel is locked when brake pedal is depressed. That would cause the kick back of the pedal and stuttering as the control unit releases line pressure to the wheel and cause the brake to lose its effectiveness.

Prossibl causes are :
1. Sensing circuit fault, could be a internal broken wire that is intermittently causing the circuit to provide a broken circuit reading. Since sensor had been replaced, this can be eliminated. However while testing wiring continuity from sensor to control unit, the wire harness should be tugged lightly to search for internally broken wires.

2. Axle shaft pulser defective. On vehicle visual inspection might not be accurate and it would be advisable to remove and recheck for roundness of the ring. The snapped chain could have caused some damage to the ring or it could be a damaged knuckle or bearing causing the pulser to turn eccentrically.
This would result in uneven pulsing signal.

3. Faulty ABS control. When the sensor was damaged, it could have shorted the control unit circuit. This would require the control unit, which is incorporated into the master pump, to be repaced.
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Tuesday, August 4th, 2020 AT 12:31 PM (Merged)
Tiny
DACHSD
  • MEMBER
  • 1 POST
  • 1998 HONDA CRV
  • 6 CYL
  • 4WD
  • AUTOMATIC
98 honda crv abs light stays on, what could it be?
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Tuesday, August 4th, 2020 AT 12:31 PM (Merged)
Tiny
KHLOW2008
  • MECHANIC
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When the ABS light stays on, it means an error has been detected in the system. You need to retrieve the trouble codes to finf out what is causing it. Could be a wheel sensor or any other components.

Was anything done prior to it occurring?
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Tuesday, August 4th, 2020 AT 12:31 PM (Merged)
Tiny
MARTIN PLENTIE
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  • 1998 HONDA CRV
  • 2.1L
  • 4 CYL
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My ABS light was on for a while after I bought the car from some one then it went off and now I am getting a pulse beat when I put my foot on the brake pedal.
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Tuesday, August 4th, 2020 AT 12:31 PM (Merged)
Tiny
HMAC300
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That may be a sign of out of round rotors but it is not the ABS causing it. The rotors get out of round and when you apply brakes feels like your pedal is going up and down. The cure for it is either a new rotor if it cannot be cut to specs with a lathe and new brake pads. Heat is the normal culprit which is kind of unavoidable on some of the rotors on smaller cars as they are thin. The ABS problem should be scanned with a scanner by a mechanic as something was wrong and was stored in computer.
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Tuesday, August 4th, 2020 AT 12:31 PM (Merged)
Tiny
HARRIET577
  • MEMBER
  • 1 POST
  • 1996 HONDA CRV
My battery went flat on my crv after recharging it and put it back onto the car the abs light is staying on. I have been told a flat battery may have caused the problem
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Tuesday, August 4th, 2020 AT 12:31 PM (Merged)
Tiny
KHLOW2008
  • MECHANIC
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Hi harriet577,

No, the ABS light is not showing due to a flat battery.

2 possibilities.

1. The charging system is faulty or there is a blown fuse. You need to test the charging voltage. Are all the dash indicators lights showing when ignition key is turned to 'ON' before starting the engine?

2. There is something wrong with the ABS system and you need a scan to find out the error code.
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Tuesday, August 4th, 2020 AT 12:31 PM (Merged)

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