Top 5 Bad or Failing ABS Control Module Symptoms

The anti-lock braking system quite popularly known as the ABS control module prevents your vehicle’s wheels from locking while you are driving. The ABS control module is the most needed when you suddenly apply the brakes to avoid some accident or emergency. It will sustain the traction in your vehicle’s wheels, once you have applied the brakes. 

Amidst the importance of the ABS control module, have you ever encountered ABS failure? As an effective ABS control module is so important and needful for a secure driving, the ABS control module symptoms should never be ignored. Driving with the bad abs module can bring many disadvantages to the car’s performance and will also degrade the efficiency of the engine.

Where Is The ABS Control Module Located?

The ABS control module acts as the “brain” of the whole anti-lock braking system. It processes information from the ABS sensors and controls brake pressure through the ABS modulator. In most conventional automobile designs, the control module is installed and mounted in the engine compartment or located close to the master cylinder, which is the main component of your brake system.

If the ABS sensor detects that the vehicle is losing traction, it sends a signal to the ABS module to brake quickly. This produces intermittent braking and some steering control.

What You Need To Know About Abs Control Module Symptoms

So, are you aware of the ABS control module symptoms that can cause damage to your car? If not, then here are some of the ABS pump failure symptoms for your knowledge

1. Non-responsive brake pedal

There are many models of vehicles that, under the case of a bad ABS module, may have a non-responsive brake pedal. This depends upon the model to model. The failure of the brake pedal will not be able to stop the vehicle completely or it will not be able to do this in the best possible manner.

symptoms of a bad abs control module
Symptoms of a bad abs control module. (Photo: Sauerlaender / Pixabay)

However, if you are thinking that you can easily detect this one of the abs control module symptoms, then this may not be the case. Your brake pedal will become unresponsive with time, slowly and steadily. The brake pedal will first become hard to press and then slowly it will become unresponsive. Therefore, you should keep an eye on this symptom to avoid ABS system failure.

2. Brake locking

The main purpose of having an ABS control module is to prevent the wheels from being locked. A properly working abs module will maintain the reduction in the wheels from locking, a bad abs module will not have that impact on the wheel locking prevention.

Thus, if you find locking in your vehicle’s wheels then you should understand that it is one of the abs control module symptoms. The damaged ABS module will lock up your wheels while driving and as a result, will cause a lot of problems and risks. You should also not wait to resolve this problem as any ignorance of this will make the problem further more complicated.

3. Increased efforts for brake pedal

This is yet one of the symptoms of a bad abs module. If all the braking system components are working properly, there should not be any requirement to apply any additional force to the brake pedal. It should work fine with just the normal amount of force required.

However, on the other hand, if you have to put in more effort to pull the braking system, then this should be an alarming situation. The delay in the execution of the immediate effect is an indication of the ABS system failure. Make sure that you sort this issue out as soon as possible to reduce the damages.

4. Failure of speedometer

The failure of the ABS control module can sometimes also cause the failure of the speedometer. This is quite a rare case and happens just in cases with extreme damage to the abs module.

Bad ABS control module causes the failure of the speedometer. (Photo: pxhere.com)

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Due to this ABS pump failure symptom, either the speedometer will show incorrect readings or it will not show any readings.

Along with this, the engine’s light may also come out followed by the failure in the speedometer. But, even if you don’t notice any significant failure in the engine’s light but the speedometer is failing in its functioning, then you should get this as an alert for one of the ABS control module symptoms.

5. ABS lights

One of the most common symptoms of a bad ABS control module is when the ABS lights start coming on. Almost all the new cars come with ABS lights which are fitted in the car for the easy detection of the bad ABS module. If the ABS lights are on and are showing an amber color, then it should catch your attention for an ABS system failure.

bad abs module
New cars are coming with ABS lights.

If you have an old vehicle without the ABS lights and you want to be certain about having one of the ABS control module symptoms, then you can refer to the check engine light. If the engine’s light is coming out then it again is an indication of a damaged ABS control module.

The problem of ABS control module damage should be treated as soon as possible if you don’t want to end up spoiling the efficiency or performance of your vehicle. Always keep a keen eye on the symptoms of a bad abs control module and stay away from the possible damage of a bad or damaged abs control module.

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