Lexus RX450hL Tires are losing contact with the road Inspection at your home or office.

Common reasons for this to happen:

When it feels like your tires are losing contact with the road, it is usually the traction control system. Sometimes, however, it’s a problem with the tires. These are the most common culprits of a tire losing contact with the road:

• Dirty or damaged wheel speed sensors: Your traction control system relies on information from the wheel speed sensors. The wheel speed sensors are small sensors that exist in each wheel, and track how quickly the wheel is spinning. Your anti-lock brake and speedometer systems rely on these sensors, and so does the traction control system. When the wheel speed sensors note that one wheel is performing differently than the other three – which occurs when a wheel loses contact with the road – then it sends information to the traction control system to send more power to the other wheels.

• Malfunctioning engine control unit: The engine control unit is your car’s computer. Among its many other responsibilities, it takes information from the speed wheel sensors, and uses it to control the power dispersal to the wheel. Without a functioning engine control unit, your traction control system has no command or power.

• Underinflated tires: When your tires don’t have enough air pressure in them, they are more susceptible to lose contact with the road. Low air pressure makes it difficult for cars to have good traction, and therefore easier to hydroplane.

• Tires have poor treading: Tires that have lost most of their treading have the same problem as underinflated tires. They have a hard time maintaining traction, and as a result, they can lose contact with the road.