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Traction control and ABS share their sensors, which is why one failed wheel sensor usually lights both.
The system has switched itself off rather than broken. Your brakes still work, but the electronics that stop a skid are no longer helping you.
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- 6 monthsor 6,000 km workmanship warranty
- Red SealQualified artisans, some ex-dealership
- 9 regions1,700+ suburbs, we come to you
R952 to R1,104
Any diagnostic inspection, any car. Labour only, no parts.
The price depends on your car, never on which fault it turns out to be.
Four possible causes, and only one of them is expensive
The light names the system, not the corner or the component. These are the usual causes in order of what they cost to put right, and reading all four wheel signals is what tells them apart in minutes:
A dirty or loose sensor connector
Sometimes nothing needs replacing at all. Corrosion at a connector is common, especially on a car that has seen a few winters.
A cracked or rusted reluctor ring
A perfectly good sensor reporting nonsense because the ring it reads is damaged. Easy to miss, and regularly leads to a sensor being replaced for nothing.
One wheel speed sensor
A single corner, identified by comparing all four signals rather than by replacing them in turn.
The steering angle sensor or the ABS module
The expensive end, and the least common. Worth confirming properly before anyone orders a part at this level.
Finding out which one it actually isR952 to R1,104
Which lights came on, and when?
The combination narrows it to a corner, a module or the steering sensor.
Traction control and ABS together
Almost always a wheel speed sensor. They share the signal, so one failed sensor takes both systems offline at once.
It came on after hitting a pothole or a kerb
A sensor or its wiring damaged by the impact, or a reluctor ring knocked out of true. Mechanical rather than electronic, and usually straightforward.
Lights on plus the speedometer behaving strangely
Some cars take road speed from the same sensors. That combination points firmly at one corner. More on this.
It only appears in the wet, or at low speed
A sensor with a cracked body or a corroded connector. Intermittent faults need live data while the car moves, not a code read at a standstill.
Not sure which one yours is?
Tell us what the car is doing, in your own words. A mechanic reads it and calls you back within the hour. You do not need to know what is wrong, that is what we are for.
Tell us what your car is doing
What people say after we have been out
Real jobs, real faults, at homes and offices.
What we do on site
✓
All four wheel speed signals read liveCompared against each other while the wheels turn. The corner that disagrees names itself, so nothing is replaced on a hunch.
✓
The sensor circuit measuredPower, earth and signal at the sensor. This separates a failed sensor from a chafed wire, which is a very different repair.
✓
Reluctor rings inspectedA cracked or rusted ring produces a bad signal from a perfectly good sensor, and is regularly missed.
✓
Steering angle and yaw sensors checkedWhere the wheel signals are clean, the fault sits in the sensors that tell the car what you asked it to do.
The kit that comes with the mechanic
A mobile mechanic is only as good as what is in the van.
Autel and Launch scan tools
ABS module read directly, with all four wheel speed signals displayed live and compared while the wheels turn.
Multimeter, at the sensor
Power, earth and signal measured at the component, which separates a failed sensor from damaged wiring running to it.
Visual reluctor ring inspection
A cracked or corroded ring gives a bad signal from a good sensor, and is one of the most commonly missed causes.
Road test with live logging
Intermittent faults that only appear in motion are captured while the car drives, rather than guessed at from a static reading.
Your brakes still work, but the safety net is off
ABS and traction control only intervene at the limit. With the light on you have ordinary brakes and no electronic help in a skid, so leave more room, especially in the wet.
What you get for the money
A named fault, in writing, and a price to fix it
What has failed, why, and what the repair involves. If the repair is ours you get the quote before anything is touched, and the inspection is not charged twice.
Other inspections we do
Every one of these is a mechanic coming to you. See all 22.
Engine light onR952 to R1,104Steady, flashing, or on and off again.Dashboard warning lightsR952 to R1,104A light you do not recognise.EPC warning lightR952 to R1,104VW, Audi, Seat and Skoda.Drivetrain malfunctionR952 to R1,104BMW and MINI, power cut back.Car not startingR952 to R1,104It cranks, or it does nothing at all.Auto electricalR952 to R1,104Dead circuits and intermittent faults.Battery going flatR1,380 to R1,633Flat every morning, battery tests fine.Steering lock faultR952 to R1,104Wheel locked, car will not start.
Where we come out to
Nine regions and more than 1,700 suburbs. Check your suburb.
JohannesburgPretoria and TshwaneCape TownDurban and eThekwiniEkurhuleni and the East RandGqeberhaPolokwaneRustenburgEmalahleni
Questions we get asked
Is it safe to drive with the traction control light on?
Your normal brakes are unaffected, so the car is drivable. What you have lost is the system that prevents a skid and stops the wheels locking in an emergency stop. Drive it, but leave more room, and get it looked at.
Why did the ABS light come on at the same time?
They share the wheel speed sensors. One failed sensor removes the signal both systems depend on, so both switch themselves off together. It is one fault, not two.
Can you tell which wheel it is?
Yes, and that is the point of doing it properly. All four signals are read live and compared while the wheels turn. The one reporting nonsense identifies itself, which avoids replacing sensors one at a time.
What does the inspection cost?
R952 to R1,104 depending on the car, labour only, with no parts in that figure. The repair is quoted separately and you approve it first.
Traction Control Light On? Mobile Inspection At Your Door
Tell us what it is doing and where you are. Price and a slot, no phone call.