I own a 2008 Saturn Vue and have had the following problem for about a month – The following “Idiot lights” remain on:
• ABS
• TCS ~ Traction Control System
• ESP ~ Electronic Stability Program Indicator Light
It started while driving on dry/icy/snow covered roads.
They went off and on for a few days and the brakes sounded like they went into antilock mode.
I took the Vue to 2 mechanics.
Opinion: there is something wrong with one of the sensors & it needs to be replaced BUT since all 3 remain on there is no way to tell which sensor to replace.
HELP!
Unless you misunderstood the mechanics, there is a strong possibility that one sensor is responsible for all three lights. That is because all three functions monitor each wheel speed to know when to kick in to help maintain control. A simple scan of the systems should be able to tell the mechanic which sensor is causing the trouble. If these 2 mechanics don’t have the right tools, find one who does.
As BustedKnuckles said - it shouldn’t be a mystery. Find out what specific error codes were pulled from the computer.
They’re not really “idiot” lights so much as “malfunction indicator” lights. (That is actually their real name - MILs). The idiot light phrase came from the past when, for example, someone wouldn’t ever check their oil, it would run low and they’d get an oil pressure light - or things like that. These lights are generally not related to “operator error.”
Both mechanics did a scan and they indicated all 3 sensors were the problem which is highly unlikely. The hope is one day 2 or all 3 will go off and just one will come back on and we will have the answer.
Well, the codes are typically for a circuit problem to the sensors. It could be a wire fault and not the sensors themselves. It would be interesting to check a wiring diagram to see if there is a common circuit feed for all three sensors. You may be facing further diagnostic time ($$$) to fix this.
You need new “mechanics” - like ones that understand that codes aren’t about sensors. They are about circuits - as BustedKnuckles said.
How about you find out what the codes were and report them.
I’m thinking the mechanics are saying there is something wrong with one of the wheel speed sensors, but they don’t know which wheel it is. A bad wheel speed sensor on one wheel could well turn on the warning lights for all three systems.
Ask your mechanics to clarify. If it is the above OP, they should be able to tell which wheel is involved. If they can’t, take the car to a dealership or an inde shop that specializes in this make. If more than one wheel speed sensor is out, it’s possible it isn’t the sensors, but a faulty ground or wiring harness problem. But it is possible for 3 wheel speed sensors to stop working at the same time I suppose.
Wheel sensors feed into the ECBM on separate wires. They should check the connectors and wiring to the sensors and then check signal levels to and from the sensors. Also, I would check power and grounds to the ECBM.