how to test a front wheel speed sensor??
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 288
Likes: 2
From: Winnipeg, MB, Canada
how to test a front wheel speed sensor??
1996 CE LT1 auto,
The previous owner had a bad front wheel bearing, so replaced it, but the speed sensor in the new bearing does not work, still to this day. Now I buy it, and I get the traction control dummy light on at all times, and all sorts of traction control issues. He included with the sale of the car, the original wheel bearing, so I tried it, i put it back on and everything works fine.
how can i test this sensor, can i unplug the speed sensor from the car, put an ohm meter to it, and turn the spindle, or how exactly can this be tested? Ideally i would like to pop off the wheel speed sensor from the old one and swap with the new one. considering i cannot return the bearing... (since it was on for years).
any advice? other than "just buy a new one". haha
Thanks,
john
The previous owner had a bad front wheel bearing, so replaced it, but the speed sensor in the new bearing does not work, still to this day. Now I buy it, and I get the traction control dummy light on at all times, and all sorts of traction control issues. He included with the sale of the car, the original wheel bearing, so I tried it, i put it back on and everything works fine.
how can i test this sensor, can i unplug the speed sensor from the car, put an ohm meter to it, and turn the spindle, or how exactly can this be tested? Ideally i would like to pop off the wheel speed sensor from the old one and swap with the new one. considering i cannot return the bearing... (since it was on for years).
any advice? other than "just buy a new one". haha
Thanks,
john
Team Owner
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 54,124
Likes: 30
From: Cincinnati, Oh USA
The speed sensor puts out pulses from the star wheel and you really need an oscilloscope to see the pulses and compare them to known good wheels. Another way to test it is to find a dealer with an ABS tester and test your ABS system. The ABS tester can tell you which wheel sensor/s are defective.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 5,043
Likes: 8
From: Tampa Florida
Should be between ~ 800 - 1300 ohms depending on the relationship of the sensor to the teeth.
OR
These sensors put out a low AC voltage when the wheel/hub spin. You can put an AC volt meter on the sensor's leads and spin the wheel/hub and check for the low voltage.
OR
The best solution was already mentioned above: hook it up to an oscilloscope and spin the wheel/hub and watch the counts/peaks for 1 full revolution.
Ensure there is not a connector/contact problem with the new sensor's harness where you plug it into the car's wiring.
