How to Clear the Anti-Skid Malfunction Light?
3 Answers
The steps to clear the anti-skid malfunction light are: restart the engine and briefly press the ESP OFF button on the vehicle. The reasons for the anti-skid malfunction light to illuminate are as follows: 1. Accidentally pressing the ESP OFF button. 2. Loose or faulty sensor connectors. 3. Short circuit in the wiring or related fuse blown. 4. Software issues causing poor signal transmission. 5. ABS pump failure. The anti-skid system, also known as the vehicle stability system, is a chassis braking technology developed based on the anti-lock braking system (ABS). It mainly consists of a control unit, steering sensor, wheel speed sensor, skid sensor, lateral acceleration sensor, etc. It enables automatic vehicle safety control, effectively improving the driving stability and safety of the vehicle under dynamic conditions such as braking, acceleration, and steering.
Last time my car also had this light on, and it gave me a scare. I figured I'd first pull over safely, turn off the engine, wait a few minutes, and then restart it. Hey, sometimes the light really does go off on its own—probably the computer just glitched for a moment. The key is to check if the tire pressure is accurate. If any tire is flat or inconsistent, this light is prone to trigger an alert, so quickly inflate it to the standard value. If that doesn’t help, then trouble arises—you might need to suspect the little black box near the wheel, the wheel speed sensor. That area tends to accumulate mud or metal shavings; if it gets dirty or damaged, the signal gets messed up, and the system will definitely throw an error. Honestly, driving with this thing malfunctioning is pretty risky. Don’t hesitate—find a trusted repair shop as soon as possible to plug in their diagnostic tool and read the trouble codes. Saves you from guessing blindly and wasting time.
This light is professionally referred to as the ESC light or vehicle stability light, and its self-handling capabilities are limited. The top priority is to determine whether it's a false alarm: try driving the car on a flat and safe road, moving slowly in a straight line to see if the light turns off. Sometimes, a bump can interfere with the sensor and trigger a false warning. If a genuine fault is confirmed, don't just focus on resetting the light—identify the root cause. A loose or corroded wheel speed sensor connector is a very common issue; check if the connector is misaligned or has green corrosion, then secure it or replace it entirely. Additionally, if the ABS reluctor ring under a specific wheel is dirty or cracked, it can disrupt the entire system. The warning light on the dashboard is a major alert, indicating that the vehicle stability function has failed, and the wheels may slip uncontrollably during turns. In such a condition, honestly speaking, even if it hurts your wallet, repairs should be prioritized.