How to Diagnose and Fix a Faulty ABS Sensor.
Have you noticed your steering wheel pulling to one side when you press the brake pedal? Is your ABS dash light on? These are a couple of symptoms of a bad ABS sensor. Our mechanic shows you an example of how the steering wheel pulls while braking with a bad ABS wheel sensor and how to diagnose it in this video:
ABS goes off and Steering Wheel Pulls – Bad Front ABS Wheel Sensor
Why is my wheel pulling when I brake?
Your ABS dash light is handy because it tells you that there is a problem with your ABS sensors but it doesn’t tell you which sensor is bad. If your vehicle is pulling to one side when you brake, it’s likely that one of your front anti-lock brake sensors (ABS) is faulty and needs to be replaced.
In the video, when our mechanic brakes in the 2005 Ford Excursion he’s driving, it pulls to the right. When a wheel pulls that noticeably, it’s time for a new ABS wheel sensor.
Our mechanic explains that since the Excursion is pulling to the right, that means the bad front ABS sensor is on the left, or the driver’s side. The left ABS sensor is throwing a bad signal, which causes the vehicle to pull right.
If the front right, or passenger side, ABS sensor was bad, you’d notice the wheel pulling to the left.
How do I diagnose and fix my wheel pulling to one side when I brake?
If your wheel is pulling to one side when you brake, confirm which way it’s pulling while you’re driving by pressing the brake pedal.
The front ABS sensor on the opposite side of the direction the vehicle is pulling in is the bad sensor and will need to be replaced.
Videos to watch next
Watch these videos for help replacing front ABS wheel sensors and to learn about which diagnostic codes are associated with ABS wheel sensor problems: