ABS & Brake Light ON

ZuZa

Member
Hi, Today while I was driving my 'ABS' and "brake" lights came on. What could it be before I take everything apart? Breaks work perfectly like before it happend. Last winter i changed rear calipers, rotors and pads. Maybe same thing with front brakes?

Thanks
 
Last edited:
If you changed all that not too long ago, you've probably checked your fluid and verified that it's not low, right? If it's at the correct level, maybe a master cylinder issue?
 
I topped oil today (it was between min-max). I notice that lights go off for 2-3 min when i start driving.

speeder thanks for reply
 
just a gentle reminder; Brake fluid doesnt evaporate in its sealed environment so the fact your fluid level was low enough to need adding more means your pads are worn down or you are leaking fluid somewhere.
 
When you say Brake lights, do you mean the "handbrake on" light?

If so, I had the same problem when I bought the car, and it was a faulty ABS sensor. Plug a computer in, it should give you a code if it's that. Cost me about 250$ to change.

Good luck
 
Me again, did not solve the problem. ABS and "handbrake" lights are still ON. Today I changed front brake pads and rotos. Lights still on. I tried with code reader but code reader said "no codes". I think that brakes are different system than engene so code reader cant find anything. How i would know that is sensor or something else???
I need some help bc those lights are driving me crazyyyy.

Thanks for replays.
 
I have the exact same problem, I suspect a faulty ABS sensor but I have no idea of how to test them. I've seen them, I think they are just magnets near the hub. Not sure how they could wear out... Mine didn't have any debris on them or anything.

Anyone know how to diagnose or test them?
 
subz to this...I got the lights to, the problem is that this is a general Brake system failure light. its the equivalent to a CEL for brakes. It can be that there is too great a difference between the rear and front brake pad life, faulty sensors, low fluid...etc...
 
all my pads were low when the lights came on.

Fluid didn't resolve,
Front pads didn't resolve
Cleaning rust bits off sensors didn't resolve

oh, and it would occasionally do a wierd ABS ratcheting thing before the lights would come on. But now they're on solid.
 
same thing here. There is a way to get the ABS light to flash out the code number so you know exactly what is wrong with it. If you open the hood on the right side there is a box that says DIAGNOSIS on it. You short a certain pin to ground (it specifies in the service manual). Then it blinks long blinks and short blinks. The long blinks are the first digit of the error code and the short blinks are the second digit. If you want to use this method just take a look in the service manual (http://www.floptical.net/mazda/service_web/04-02.PDF)

In my case it turned out to be the left rear wheel sensor. I'm not sure why the BRAKE light comes on as well, but I guess it just does that whenever the ABS light it on. I just pulled the ABS fuse for now. Its kind of worthless in the summer anyways. Maybe I'll put electrical tape over the dummy lights haha
 
I had a wheel bearing I let go a little to long and it wore the ABS sensor out and that caused our brake and abs light to come on. Not saying you have a bad wheel bearing just might want to have the sensor checked.
 
Most likely is the sensor but if it was just the sensor the brake fluid would not be low. Where you've just replaced the front pad's and rotors ZuZa, I would wait a week or so and see if the fluid goes down any..If it does your sensor may be fine but you could have other issues, if it doesn't then it probably is the sensor.
 
might be of some help

i have my abs and brake light indicator on aswell. i had an understeer accident. bent the sub frame and messed up the shocks , meesed up the wheel bearing and the speed sensor rings ( it is the teeth ring , it is how the speed sensor/abs sensor picks up the speed on your car. )

the abs/speed sensor is one in the same. if your speed speedometer is not accurate nor even moving. then it is 95.5 percent the speed/abs sensor.
it is a magnetic pickup ( a magnet) how it works is the speed sensor ring the one i broke has a magnet at a specific point. now the revolution of that ring slow or fast is what the speed/abs sensor is picking up and then sends it to the ecu. you can check if your getting signal to that abs sensor by back probing the specific wire in the back of the ecu or from the wire coming from the sensor. if you spin the wheels while on jack stand . then use a multimeter measure the current . the number on the multimeter should change ( meaning you are getting signal. which is good) when you spin the wheel . the shop manual specifys the right about of current that is suppose to be shown , but i dont know that or have that info.. if the # on the multimeter dont change you have an open circuit meaning a lose wire or cut wire you dont have it connected somehow.

regarding your fluid being low. did you bleed out some brake fluid when you changed your pads.if you changed it right you shouldnt have to unscreww the bleed screw i'm assuming you did. because you only have to compress the caliper piston with the brake clamp compressor . how if you did bleed out the fluid then you just forgot. that might explain why it was low.

anyways. hope this helps.
 
My ABS and handbrake light just came on today when driving home after work. We just had some snow and the city wasn't quite ready yet so many of the streets aren't plowed yet.

I used the brakes a couple of time, and the abs came on normally (slippery outside) but only for a second. Then when I accelerated to turn left, I slid a little and then started to move, and both lights came on. I wasn't even using the brakes at that time, I was only going about 5-10mph. They were on all the way home, not really a problem since I live less than 3 miles from work, but those lights stayed on. When I got home, I turned off the car, waited a minute, then turned it on again and the lights were still on.

Do you think that maybe some snow got someplace it shouldn't and froze the sensors? The brakes are working, just not the abs part. The car is in the garage now and I'll check it in the morning before work. Hopefully the lights are off, but if they aren't, would something like this be covered by the factory warranty? The factory warranty is up in July of this year, car is a 2005 Mazda 3 hatchback.

Thanks for any assistance from others who have gone through this. BTW, the brakes and pads are doing great, they were replaced when I got the car in 2/2007, and the tires are horrible in the snow.
 
My ABS and handbrake light just came on today when driving home after work. We just had some snow and the city wasn't quite ready yet so many of the streets aren't plowed yet.

I used the brakes a couple of time, and the abs came on normally (slippery outside) but only for a second. Then when I accelerated to turn left, I slid a little and then started to move, and both lights came on. I wasn't even using the brakes at that time, I was only going about 5-10mph. They were on all the way home, not really a problem since I live less than 3 miles from work, but those lights stayed on. When I got home, I turned off the car, waited a minute, then turned it on again and the lights were still on.

Do you think that maybe some snow got someplace it shouldn't and froze the sensors? The brakes are working, just not the abs part. The car is in the garage now and I'll check it in the morning before work. Hopefully the lights are off, but if they aren't, would something like this be covered by the factory warranty? The factory warranty is up in July of this year, car is a 2005 Mazda 3 hatchback.

Thanks for any assistance from others who have gone through this. BTW, the brakes and pads are doing great, they were replaced when I got the car in 2/2007, and the tires are horrible in the snow.

The other day, after a fresh snowfall, i went drifting around in a parking lot (drive), and my abs+handbrake light came on. It scared me cause the last time that had happened, it was an ABS sensor that cost me 270$ to fix. But yeah i drove home, parked it, left it overnight. The next morning, I get in, put the key in, and go "please please please please please" and turn, and DAMNIT THE LIGHT IS STILL THERE :( another 270$ FOR A FAULTY SENSOR! but then I put it in gear and moved the car a little and it turned off (evil).

It was just snow that got stuck and compressed there, and once I moved it it cleared it and everything was fine. Long story short, tomorrow morning you'll know if you're fine or not.
 
also agreed on the faulty sensor, changed one on the car not too long ago

ditto, just had my rear driver's side replaced. the handbrake and abs lights would come on after a couple minutes after starting the car. If I restarted the car they'd go out for a while. Eventually they just stayed on until I got it fixed.
 
also agreed on the faulty sensor, changed one on the car not too long ago


update:

i still have that issue. i havent changed or check the brake pads, so anyways. i had found someone who would sell me the whole axle assembly anyways. i hear this grind noise on the front left wheel . driverside. at a specific point.

anyways. the snow got stuck inbetween the sensor and the speed sensor rings. thats why its not picking up the pulse from the magnetic field. hence your ecu read it as a faulty sensor. so it threw on the abs and brake indicator light. since they are one in the same circuit. just an FYI
 
I'm having the same issue. Brake and ABS lights come on occasionally, usually when I'm just starting out in the morning.

It happened after I had the brake pads changed at a local garage. I suspect a faulty ABS sensor or connection to the sensor, because it seems to go away after the car warms up.
 
My "ABS" and "E-Brake" light came on after a smog check. The guy at the smog station said just drive it and it should go off. I drove it for about 15 mins. and it's still on. My brake fluid are ok, all pads, and sensors are good. What cause these lights to come on at the smog station and how many miles do I have to drive the car for it to go off?
 

Latest posts

Back