Posted on 1/30/2026
ABS is one of those systems you barely think about until the road is slick and you need a hard stop. Instead of the wheels locking up and sliding, ABS helps keep the tires rotating so you can still steer while braking. The whole system depends on accurate wheel speed information, and that comes from the ABS sensors. When a sensor starts lying or dropping out, braking can feel strange, warning lights pop on, and other safety features may switch off too. How ABS Sensors Actually Read Wheel Speed Each wheel has a sensor that tracks rotation speed. Depending on the vehicle, that sensor reads a toothed ring, a magnetic encoder, or a built in tone ring that’s part of the wheel bearing. The sensor sends a signal to the ABS module, and that module compares all four wheels many times per second. The important thing is consistency. The module isn’t only looking for a wheel that slows down fast. It’s also looking for one wheel that reports a speed that does ... read more