ABS and E-brake lights on - where are the ABS sensors?

Veik

Member
Hi,

this morning both my ABS and E-brake light came on.

What should I try before I take it to the dealer?

Its a 03 P5, does it have 4ABS sensors or just front two?

Also, where are these sensors located? Or what do they look like?

Thanks
 
There's one sensor per wheel, they're located right near the hub (look for the ring gear).

I had luck by simply cleaning debris off the sensor that was giving me trouble. There's a procedure in the service manual which describes how to get the ABS computer to blink out the trouble code. That will tell you which sensor is giving you trouble.
 
I got the codes blink read out

Its 1234 - 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

I assume its code 48 which is LR ABS Wheel Speed Sensor Input Signal Missing

So clean/replace that sensor, I guess?
 
Did you get that code yourself, or at the dealer?

I ask because C1234 is for the right front wheel speed sensor, not rear left. Each of the "input signal missing" codes begins with 4 long pulses followed by a variable number of short pulses. The short pulses let you know which wheel speed sensor is malfunctioning. Here's the short pulse count to wheel mapping:
  • 5: Right Front
  • 6: Left Front
  • 7: Right Rear
  • 8: Left Rear

If I were you I wouldn't rush out to buy a new sensor. First you should check that there's a connection from the sensor to the ABS module (located on the driver's side of the engine bay at the bottom). Use a multimeter to see if there's a resistance between the pins for the effected sensor (the service manual has all the info required for this test). If there is a connection, switch the meter to measure DC volts and spin the wheel as quick as you can while watching the voltage readout. If it's below spec the sensor could simply be dirty.

The simplest fix would be to unbolt the sensor, and clean it and the ring gear with a wire brush. Then reset the ABS computer (see service manual) and see if the code comes back.
 
I had to replace the 2 rear sensors last month. Solved the problem. I had 4-5 different codes all for the rear and replacing the sensors fixed it.
 
I had to replace the 2 rear sensors last month. Solved the problem. I had 4-5 different codes all for the rear and replacing the sensors fixed it.

Was it a pain to replace them?

Where do i start on plastic/mold removal INSIDE the car?
 
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