How do I know if my wheel speed sensor is bad?

Symptoms of a Bad or Failing Wheel Speed Sensor

1. ABS Light is illuminated on the dashboard.
2. ABS does not work properly.
3. Traction Control Light is active.

Can you clean ABS sensors with brake cleaner?

Using Cleaning Solutions: Avoid using any type of chemical cleaning solution on the ABS sensor. It could damage the sensor, meaning you’d have to replace it with a new one. If you need to, use warm, soapy water to scrub away dirt from the sensor—just make sure that the sensor dries completely before you replace it.

Can a speed sensor get dirty?

The ABS sensor or wheel speed sensor helps you maintain control of your vehicle when you need to brake or when you are driving on slick pavement. If this sensor gets dirty, it can cause the ABS light to turn on, indicating a problem when none actually exists.

Can I drive with a bad wheel speed sensor?

In general, it is unsafe to drive a vehicle with a broken wheel speed sensor. The car’s computer will not be able to determine the speed that your vehicle is traveling, so it might apply the brakes at a faster rate than necessary or increase the engine power.

What causes a wheel speed sensor to go out?

The most common problem that causes an ABS sensor to malfunction is a damaged sensor tip or internal failure of the sensor. In most cases, simply replacing the faulty ABS wheel speed sensor will fix the problem and allow you to reset the ABS and traction control lights.

Can you clean speed sensors?

With the sensor free, take your rag and wipe the sensor until it’s clean. I prefer not to use any chemicals on the sensor to avoid potential problems. If, however, the sensor is really grungy, use a mild soapy solution and rinse well. The ABS sensors are precision instruments in a crude environment.

Should there be grease on ABS sensor?

Grease = normal. The ABS sensor lives in grease and hovers right over the top of a toothed gear on the edge of a birfield packed in a chamber 3/4 full of molly grease.