What causes the ABS and anti-skid lights to flash on a Golf?
2 Answers
The reasons for the ABS and anti-skid lights flashing on a Golf are as follows: Reason 1: The ABS wheel speed sensor's sensing part is covered by mud, sludge, or other contaminants, affecting the sensor's ability to detect the corresponding vehicle speed signal. This prevents the ABS computer from determining the vehicle speed and the wheel slip rate, thus failing to issue appropriate commands to adjust braking. Solution: Clean the dirt on the wheel speed sensor and adjust the gap between the sensor and the signal ring to restore normal function. Reason 2: Poor signal quality due to loose connections between system lines or poor contact in the ABS relay can cause system failure. The most common issue is a loose connection in the wheel speed sensor wiring, which will also show up as a poor wheel speed sensor signal in the ABS computer's fault memory. Solution: Check the wiring connections and reconnect any loose parts.
My Volkswagen Golf also had the ABS and traction control lights come on before. The common cause is a dirty or faulty wheel speed sensor. These sensors are located near the wheels, and mud buildup can interfere with signal transmission, making the system mistakenly think there's a braking issue. Sometimes it's due to aging or loose wiring, causing short circuits or open circuits, which triggers false fault reports from the control unit. If both the ABS and traction control lights flash on the dashboard, it's best to pull over, turn off the car, and restart it—sometimes the system can recover on its own. If that doesn't work, take it to a professional shop to check the fault codes immediately; don't delay. Ignoring it can worsen braking performance and increase the risk of skidding on wet roads. Last time, I spent a little over 200 yuan to replace a sensor, and that fixed the issue. Remember to clean the wheel hubs regularly during car washes to prevent this from happening.
