Your car's ABS will perform a self-test each time you turn on your car's ignition. This will normally turn on the ABS warning light as well as all the different information on your instrument panel. If the on-board computer on your car identifies a possible problem, then this warning light will stay lit; Otherwise, if the ABS warning light only turned on momentarily after turning the ignition on then you should not really worry as it's a standard self-test.
If you are already on the road and the ABS warning light suddenly turned on, it simply means your car's ABS is not working properly. Since ABS is the most helpful in emergency situations wherein you need to come to an abrupt stop if you're driving down a slipperly road, employing defensive driving techniques should be able to get you to your destination safely. In such cases, if the ABS warning light turned on while you're driving, your brakes will still work. However, you will be at risk of skidding so it's best to keep your distance from other vehicles.
If both brakes system light and the ABS warning light turned on while you're driving, or the two indicator lights did not turn off after cranking your engine, it is always a sure sign that your vehicle's brake system is already failing. It is highly recommended that you pull over to the side of the roads and call emergency towing services. Or if you haven't left the safety of your garage yet then by all means leave your car and hop on to a bus, cab or public transport instead.
It really isn't recommended that you use your car with both the ABS warning light and the brake system light turn on.
As we have already mentioned earlier, if only the ABS warning light is on you can still drive your car but with extreme caution. You can also try to perform a reset of your car's computer systems. You can turn off the engine, wait a couple of minutes, and then crank it up again. This should restart the process of consolidating sensor information. Our recommendation is to bring it to a certified technician to have your vehicle checked and run a complete
diagnostic scanner.
While it is perfectly okay to drive your car even with the ABS warning light turned on, we don't really recommend it. It is still best to have your car check for the integrity of its computer and sensor systems.
Or you have a
ABS scan tool to diagnose and check why the light is on, that will help to solve your issue efficiently.
Maxicheck pro is such an professional scanner. It is specially designed for professional technicians and body shops or auto DIY-er to service individual specialized systems, such as EPB, Oil Service, ABS, SRS, BMS, DPF and more. MaxiCheck Pro provides quick and easy solutions to everyday tasks in the workshop that cannot be completed without the use of a diagnostic tool. It is the ideal service tool for today’s technicians at a price everyone can afford.
