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Home / Symptoms / ESC Light

Four common causes for an ESC light on the vehicle and their related parts.

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Is Your Car's ESC Light On?

The ESC light appears because the car is activating traction assistance at that very moment. Now, if this is happening out-of-context (like, it’s constantly lit all the time), there might be a wheel sensor issue, a tire alignment problem, or a faulty anti-lock brake module.

Watch out: Your car's ESC light flashing is a warning about your traction control system, which can mean issues with your brake system. Instead, it warns that something may risk your vehicle's integrity and you could be losing control. To ensure your safety on the road and prevent symptoms from worsening, you must learn the reasons behind the warning and what to do about it.

The most common causes for an ESC light

The most common causes for an ESC light are:

Disabled ESC system: ESC(electronic stability control) can be toggled on/off in most vehicles. It’s common to activate the ESC system accidentally and have the vehicle display it on the dashboard and not understand it. However, the ESC is a natural system in the car, and an ESC light display doesn’t necessarily mean something is wrong.
Mismatched tires: All tires in a vehicle must have the same tread patterns, hires, and rolling distances; they should be compatible between axles. If the tires are different from each other, your vehicle’s stability system won’t be able to properly read and define the terrain or what’s happening, affecting engine power. Consequently, the ESC light might believe your tires are slipping and will kick in a dashboard light.
Faulty wheel speed sensor: The wheel speed sensor is constantly reading wheel movement and speed to understand whenever the driver might need assistance based on terrain or sudden maneuvers. However, the vehicle speed sensor might fail, for example, a faulty wheel bearing might damage the sensor, making the system fail to detect if drivers perform emergency steering maneuvers.
Confusing dashboard ESC light icon: The light flashed on the dashboard refers to the ESC system, which is one of the most important safety features in your car, and doesn't indicate any issues in most cases. The electronic stability control system typically appears when driving over gravel and accelerating hard.
Faulty steering angle sensor: The steering angle wheel sensors pick up the turning movements of the wheels and engage compensatory movement to the wheels, ensuring the vehicle turns efficiently based on speed, angle, and terrain. However, a faulty steering angle sensor affects performance if a driver tries to regain control in a traffic situation. This engages an ESC warning light on the dashboard.
Faulty anti-lock brake module: The module is the ‘storage’ where all the information from wheel speed and ESC-related sensors go so the vehicle can calculate and perform efficiently. If the module fails, it’ll prevent the anti-lock braking system and ESC from working.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Does the ESC light flashes when driving on slippery roads?

If you also notice the check engine light active, the tires slipping when accelerating, and a growling noise when braking or accelerating, there's an issue.

When your car tires start slipping, the ESC (Electronic Stability control) kicks in to keep you in control. It uses the anti-lock brakes and power control module to reduce power to the slipping wheel, so your car doesn't lose traction and spin. However, when the ESC works, the light turns on briefly. But, as soon as you restore traction, the light should turn off.
Is your car's speedometer acting odd?

You might also notice both the ABS and ESC lights steadily on the car's dashboard. In addition, the vehicle might suffer more slips when accelerating on slippery roads.

The wheel speed sensor checks how fast each wheel spins and tells the ESC (Electronic Stability Control) module. If a wheel or group of wheels slips, the ESC uses the brake and power control modules to adjust these wheels' power, preventing them from slipping. If the speed sensor is faulty, the traction control and anti-lock brakes may flash when they shouldn't. Also, if there's an issue with the sensor, both the ABS and traction control shut off, flashing the warning lights.
Are your vehicle's tires spinning when accelerating on slippery roads?

You might also notice a "check engine" light on the dashboard.

The steering angle sensor tells the anti-lock brake and traction control systems which way the car is going and how fast it's turning. If the readings from the sensor are wrong or unstable, the ABS and ESC systems may turn on at the wrong times or even turn off completely if the problem is serious enough. Consequently, the vehicle is prompt to slip depending on road conditions.
Are your tires locking up when you brake on slippery roads?

You might also notice the ABS, "Check Engine," and ESC lights on the car's dashboard.

The ABS prevents your tires from slipping while braking or accelerating, helping you to control your vehicle in harsh driving conditions. If the ABS isn't working, it'll turn off, and your brakes may lock up on slippery roads.
Is the ESC light the only warning you see on the dashboard?

You might also notice a "check engine" light flashing on your car's dashboard, indicating a deeper problem.

The ESC has an on/off switch that you can activate for specific driving conditions. If the switch is not functioning or there's a problem, the ESC warning light will stay on steadily.
Do you have tires of different sizes or tread patterns on your vehicle?

Notice if your vehicle's braking and acceleration are slippery on wet roads. In addition, you might also notice a "check engine" light on the car's dashboard.

Tires with similar rolling distances are essential for vehicles with electronic stability control; each tire's length when spinning should be equal. Unfortunately, different tread designs and tire brands have different rolling distances, even if they're the same size. Also, worn tires have various measures than new ones. Using mismatched tires confuses the wheel speed sensors, triggering traction control or anti-lock brakes even while driving straight. This may also disable the ABS or ESC systems.

Typical fixes to address the cause(s)

These are typical processes and repair services that fix a check engine light issue

The most common cause: Faulty wheel speed sensor

The most common reason for a car dashboard to show an ESC warning light is due to a faulty wheel speed sensor. The wheel speed sensor constantly measures the movement and speed in your tires and then calculates how to compensate and make the vehicle’s movement ideal for the terrain and movement. A faulty wheel speed sensor won’t give the needed information for the ESC system to operate properly. Consequently, a dashboard warning light might pop up.

Symptoms it causes: Apart from the ESC warning light on the dashboard you might also notice tough handling, tires slipping, inefficient turning, etc.
Medium risk of priority: The wheel speed sensor is needed so the ESC light knows when to kick in and provides stability assistance. Therefore, a vehicle with faulty wheel speed sensors has

How exactly does the wheel speed sensor fail?

The tire wheel speed sensor is typically a durable component. However, it does still have a life cycle, typically around 6 - 10 years. Additionally, the sensor might also fail due to external factors, like road impact, driving manners, terrain, and mileage. For example, if the vehicle constantly drives on rough terrain and develops a faulty wheel bearing, the bent bearing might affect the sensor, damaging it.

Go safe: Ask for a mechanic to inspect your vehicle’s wheels to investigate if the wheel speed sensor is failing due to surrounding components and if there’s further damage to check out. Many shops do transparent vehicle inspections and lay out your options after investigating your vehicle’s conditions.

What’s a vehicle inspection? It’s “detective work” on your vehicle, checking its systems to see if anything prevents the car from working as expected. In this case, mechanics examine different parts of your vehicle to track if anything is causing the wheel speed sensor to fail. They’ll also check the condition of components during their inspection, noting which are causing the problem and which got affected by it, recommending to replace them in order of priority.

Transparency example in a low tire pressure service

A tire and wheel inspection is the most transparent process to understand why your vehicle’s wheel speed sensor is faulty. This is because many components surrounding the wheels and tires can have a say in the issue, meaning they might be culprits, damaging the sensors.

Let’s read an example of how this kind of inspection helps to service a faulty wheel speed sensor.

A customer reported a noise coming from their vehicle's left front wheel. The noise started as a hum but got louder and felt like a rumble. A week ago, the ABS and traction control lights also appeared on the dash.

The mechanic test-drove the vehicle and found the ABS and traction control lights on the dashboard. The left front wheel's noise got louder when doing a right turn.

During a vehicle health inspection, the mechanic found a loose wheel bearing on the left front wheel, making a loud noise. They fixed the wheel bearing and replaced the wheel speed sensor and tone ring, which had been damaged.

After repairs, the mechanic used a scan tool to ensure the speed sensor worked adequately. The ABS and traction control systems are restored and can work with the electronic stability control (ESC) system.

Faulty wheel speed sensor

In this case, the mechanic put the “Immediate Action” tag on the wheel speed sensors.

Similar Symptoms

Below are just a few examples of typical Symptoms and Fixes your car might be experiencing

Batteries can develop damages, become weak, or run out of power, preventing the vehicle from starting.

Is Your Car's ESC Light On?

The most common causes for an ESC light

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Frequently Asked Questions

Does the ESC light flashes when driving on slippery roads?

Is your car's speedometer acting odd?

Are your vehicle's tires spinning when accelerating on slippery roads?

Are your tires locking up when you brake on slippery roads?

Is the ESC light the only warning you see on the dashboard?

Do you have tires of different sizes or tread patterns on your vehicle?

Typical fixes to address the cause(s)

The most common cause: Faulty wheel speed sensor

How exactly does the wheel speed sensor fail?

Transparency example in a low tire pressure service

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