ABS & ESPlight on after tracking!!

[stebat]

Hi All,

I have just had my Geo done on a Hunter, I have had the front Camber set around -2.35 each side.

The Hunter suggested the front Toe should be -17'.

So this is now what the front Toe is set at -9' each side toatl -18'.

Now the ABS and ESP light are on.

Will this effect the ABS and ESP or is it just a warning.

Going on track next month.


Please help what shall I do?

 

[497adam]

Are they on constantly? Or do they clear with the ignition and them come back on?


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[stebat]

They clear when the engine turns off, then after a short time of driving they come back on.

 

[497adam]

Brake pedal switch?


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[stebat]

But this has only happened as I had the alignment done. What I am trying to find out is, Is the Toe angle too much? An is this the course? Can I adjust the sensor?

 

[JamesBryan]

The alignment shouldn't cause any fault lights.

Could be big coincidence or they've caught a sensor wire.

Give the sensor wiring a quick look and also the abs rings while you're there.

 

[stebat]

Which sensor wire are you talking? ABS?

 

[stebat]

Or you talking about the steering wheel sensor? Which I have never seen before only by looking at a million pages today.

 

[JamesBryan]

Which sensor wire are you talking? ABS?

Yeah the abs sensor wires.

 

[RichValver]

Is your steering wheel centred OK? Tracking has always fixed the lights for me in the past

 

[stebat]

ABS cables look ok. I have just measured the threads showing each side of the track rod and one is 13.5m the other is 14.5mm guessing this is my issue. Steering wheel must just be slightly off.

 

[stebat]

 

[497adam]

If your north west go to blink motorsport to get your geo sorted


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[NBG182]

If it's anything like mine, the ABS and ESC lights will mean both systems are completely inactive and the car will default to 50/50 brake distribution, not ideal for track!

If it's intermittent, it's probably less likely to be a wheel speed sensor. These are quite easy to rule out by measuring their resistance with a multi meter though.

ABS rings can be a common cause when the lights only come on once you've started moving. Inspect them for any cracks or heavy corrosion.

Brake pedal switch is also a common one. I've never had issues with one of these, but logic says that if the brake lights come on with a tiny bit of initial pedal input, then that's probably fine.

Is the steering wheel cocked to the side when driving straight ahead? If it's off a bit, then when your steering wheel is straight ahead, your car will actually be turning. The ESC system will then throw a fit when it sees that the steering angle sensor is reporting your steering wheel pointing straight ahead, but the left and right wheel speeds are different.

To begin with this can cause the ESC to randomly fire the brakes (not so fun in a corner), and eventually it figures something is up and disables the systems (with the accompanying lights).

 

[stebat]

I just refurbished the whole front end and everything was fine, ABS rings are ok and I checked the resistance of all ABS sensors too. That’s not good if it goes into 50/50. I’ll be majorly pissed if I have another s**t track day. I’ll ring them again tmr and say the steering wheel is pissed and take it back.

 

[stebat]

What does everyone think of the Hunter suggesting the toe total -17’

 

[NBG182]

I just refurbished the whole front end and everything was fine, ABS rings are ok and I checked the resistance of all ABS sensors too. That’s not good if it goes into 50/50. I’ll be majorly pissed if I have another s**t track day. I’ll ring them again tmr and say the steering wheel is pissed and take it back.

Yeah send it back and make em do it properly if it's off. I had to do exactly the same just before my last track day.

You'd think an alignment would be easy but it seems like I've got to send it back to get the wheel straight every time I get something tracked. 🙄

 

[RichValver]

What does everyone think of the Hunter suggesting the toe total -17’

I think I went for -20' total last time. Didn't cause any lights for me

 

[stebat]

Cheers guy 👍🏼

 

[stebat]

Guys

 

[sburrell93]

Do you have the readings before the alignment was done?

I'm almost certain this is steering angle sensor related. If it's coming on when driving the yaw sensor is detecting the car going straight but the angle sensor will be slightly off, so thinking there's a steering input and it's confusing it. It's likely that if they've adjusted the toe it's moved the steering wheel position slightly.

Wouldn't have thought it would throw an error if unless it was moved massively mind you. Just needs recalibrated though and it'll sort it. Pretty sure it can be done on most decent diagnostic machines

 

[JamesBryan]

If it's anything like mine, the ABS and ESC lights will mean both systems are completely inactive and the car will default to 50/50 brake distribution, not ideal for track!

If it's intermittent, it's probably less likely to be a wheel speed sensor. These are quite easy to rule out by measuring their resistance with a multi meter though.

ABS rings can be a common cause when the lights only come on once you've started moving. Inspect them for any cracks or heavy corrosion.

Brake pedal switch is also a common one. I've never had issues with one of these, but logic says that if the brake lights come on with a tiny bit of initial pedal input, then that's probably fine.

Is the steering wheel cocked to the side when driving straight ahead? If it's off a bit, then when your steering wheel is straight ahead, your car will actually be turning. The ESC system will then throw a fit when it sees that the steering angle sensor is reporting your steering wheel pointing straight ahead, but the left and right wheel speeds are different.

To begin with this can cause the ESC to randomly fire the brakes (not so fun in a corner), and eventually it figures something is up and disables the systems (with the accompanying lights).

It doesn't go into 50/50 brake bias when a fault appears... That wouldn't be a very safe system.

It retains standard bias but you just lose the abs.

I've done track days with the fault lights on and it's fine.

 

[stebat]

If it just loses abs that’s fine, it’d put those new ds1.11’s to the test 🤣

 

[stebat]

Do you have the readings before the alignment was done?

I'm almost certain this is steering angle sensor related. If it's coming on when driving the yaw sensor is detecting the car going straight but the angle sensor will be slightly off, so thinking there's a steering input and it's confusing it. It's likely that if they've adjusted the toe it's moved the steering wheel position slightly.

Wouldn't have thought it would throw an error if unless it was moved massively mind you. Just needs recalibrated though and it'll sort it. Pretty sure it can be done on most decent diagnostic machines

I thinks it’s defo the steering wheel just out 👍🏼

 

[Mr Squashie]

Just a quick question, have you checked if there are any codes logged on the ECU? I had my ABS, ESP, and SERV lights all come on today, but nothing came up when I plugged my OBD2 scanner in, and when I restarted the car all the lights had gone. I was so confused 😂

 

[stebat]

No I forgot to do it. I’ll take a peek first

 

[stebat]

I’m pretty confident it’s the steering wheel I just need input from others to decide

 

[NBG182]

It doesn't go into 50/50 brake bias when a fault appears... That wouldn't be a very safe system.

It retains standard bias but you just lose the abs.

I've done track days with the fault lights on and it's fine.

Perhaps it's not 50/50 (although I have read from some well regarded traders on here that it'll go that way if you completely pull the abs fuse).

But my experience was that the brake bias started misbehaving when the abs and esc lights were displayed. When this happened the back was much happier to step out than normal under braking, especially in the wet.

I believe I'm right in thinking the bias is controlled by the abs/esc system? So it made sense to me it might play up if those systems were showing faults.

 

[Mr Underhill]

I couldn't for the love of me get the ABS/ESP lights to go off on my track car so i just taped over them. I try every time i do a track day haha.

I also did the Nurburgring over a whole weekend with SERV, ABS and Traction Control lights on and car was fine. Whilst i'm not bothered about ESP, I like the idea of having ABS.

But i've managed fine over 3 seasons and did my fastest lap of Croft in September last year, so i guess i've just got used to not having it 🤷‍♂️

I guess it's annoying suddenly finding yours are on and it'll be something daft like the angle sensor packing up or needing recalibrating.

 

[stebat]

I’ve booked myself in to Blink motorsport next Friday. I’m not going back to the other place to mess about ( plus I wasn’t happy with the marks left on the alloys by the Hunter attachments). If it’s done properly and Blink align the steering wheel it should go, if not then I’ll investigate further.