# Abs & tcs **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** rl, acura\ **Created:** [August 12, 2009, 2:16am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/abs-tcs/34925 "2009-08-12T02:16:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![seeker1919](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/49beb7/32.png) [@seeker1919](https://community.cartalk.com/u/seeker1919)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2009, 2:16am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/abs-tcs/34925/1 "2009-08-12T02:16:59Z")
My ABS & TCS lights on dash return and stay on as soon as I move the car forward.This is the second time in two years this has happeded. ---
**Author:** ![seeker1919](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/49beb7/32.png) [@seeker1919](https://community.cartalk.com/u/seeker1919)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2009, 2:23am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/abs-tcs/34925/2 "2009-08-12T02:23:50Z")
Car is turned on, and when started, all lights/icons go out. However, when I move the car (forward) within seconds, the ABS & TCS lights return and stay on.There seems to be no problem with the brakes, but when making a tight turn/slow turn, the car seems to lose power. The same problem occured about two and a half years ago.I had it repaired, but why so soon again? ---
**Author:** ![Tester](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/tester/32/15976_2.png) [@Tester](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Tester)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2009, 3:01am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/abs-tcs/34925/3 "2009-08-12T03:01:07Z")
One thing that can cause this is if the wheel speed sensor tone rings become contaminated with brake dust and other debris. Both the ABS/TCS work together. And if one system has a problem, it won’t allow the other system to function, so it turns that warning light on also. The last time you brought it in for this problem, mayhaps they just grabbed a sensor safe brake cleaner and sprayed off the tone rings for the wheel speed sensors? Tester ---
**Author:** ![Whitey](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/whitey/32/24680_2.png) [@Whitey](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Whitey)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2009, 3:11am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/abs-tcs/34925/4 "2009-08-12T03:11:51Z")
What are the model year and the odometer reading? What did you do about it the last time it happened? ---
**Author:** ![seeker1919](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/49beb7/32.png) [@seeker1919](https://community.cartalk.com/u/seeker1919)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2009, 3:23am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/abs-tcs/34925/5 "2009-08-12T03:23:35Z")
Model is the 3.5 RL and the odometer reading is 125100.Last time it happened, I just took it to a mechanic (new mechanic)My old (and good) mech. had closed his business and moved away. (Just my luck at that time!!!) and I did not want to take it to Acura. ---
**Author:** ![Ranck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/aca169/32.png) [@Ranck](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Ranck)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2009, 3:12pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/abs-tcs/34925/6 "2009-08-12T15:12:17Z")
ABS and TCS use wheel speed sensors on all 4 wheels. The system compares the wheel speed of all 4 constantly. When you first start up it checks to make sure it is getting a signal from all 4 and that they are all reading approximately the same, if not your light comes on and the system fails to normal brakes and no TCS. The upshot of this is that _one_ wheel sensor fails and the system fails, so your mechanic probably replaced one failed sensor. Now a different sensor on another wheel may have failed. This is why it may have failed again so soon. It is probably a different sensor causing the same problem. I hope that makes sense. Also, as others have said, it could be dirty “tone rings” which is what the sensors watch to determine wheel speed.