I have a 2004 Chevrolet Tahoe with 230K miles on it, 2WD. CEL came on tonight. I scanned Tahoe with my DIY scanner and it comes up as missing/faulty front right speed sensor. What exactly does a speed sensor do and how urgent is it to fix? Is it linked to the speedometer or mileage of vehicle? Thanks in advance.
If your scanner is capable of pulling ABS codes, it points to a problem with the right wheel speed sensor in the Anti-lock Brake System. .
The wheel speed sensor determines if the wheel is locking up. And if it does, the ABS will prevent that wheel from locking up.
One thing that can cause this code is worn wheel bearing/hub assembly.
Tester
Did you recently have brake and/or front end work done?
Maybe somebody forgot to plug the sensor back in properly
It happens
No
On your vehicle, that particular sensor is located on the automatic transmission
Usually what happens when a wheel speed sensor fails is the ABS and vehicle stability systems (if equipped) are turned off, but you can still drive the vehicle. You just won’t have those safety functions working for you until the problem is fixed. On some vehicles the engine computer may prevent you from driving over a certain speed, but if you’re not noticing that, it must not apply to your Tahoe. Good idea to get the problem fixed so your Tahoe is as safe as it was designed to be for you.