Q: The ABS & Brake light come on randomly. It is not because of low brake fluid or a bad sensor.
I’ve got a 2012 Sonic Manual, and the ABS & Brake Lights will randomly and frequently light up, accompanied by what is becoming a very annoying alarm.
I’m told this usually means that the brake fluid levels are low, but in this instance they are not. The next diagnosis appears to be a bad brake level sensor. But in this instance, it is not. The dealership replaced the sensor back in September, and then I took it to a local mechanic earlier this month—who did the same thing—and today when I brought it back to the (same) dealership they informed me that my brake levels are good, so it must be my brake level sensor, and they asked me if I wanted to have the part ordered.
Taking ANY other suggestions. The dealership also missed a faulty coolant sensor which caused the car not to start—very inconvenient. That was replaced in February.
(I know how this sounds, but if there are any suggestions or tips on just removing the alarm, that would be great too.)
My car has a manual transmission.
Hello. Typically diagnosing a random problem like this where the warning lights come on and off can confuse a lot of mechanics who firmly believe that a component or part must be damaged to cause a light. However, in most cases, the error code that triggers the warning light in the first place is due to a bad electrical connection. I would start your diagnosis by checking the connections to each ABS sensor and ABS module to see if the electrical harness is damaged, corroded or simply loose. Beyond that, the only other advice I would suggest is to have a professional mechanic download the stored error codes to see if that helps trace the issue.
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