ABS Problem? - Smart Car of America Forums : Smart Car Forum

smartwhidbey · 09-10-2009, 01:40 PM

At just under 7,000 miles, our ABS light came on and stayed on. No difference in braking or performance. Took it to our Smart Dealer where my wife was told "a tooth on the axle had been damaged when we hit something", Huh? Haven't hit anything. They "repaired" it, so now the light is off BUT, the braking is terrible, pedal is sloppy and you can push through almost to the floor and hear a clicking sound.
Dealer says it's because of the road damage, it's not covered by warranty, it estimates total cost of $700.
Anyone ever hear of anything like this?
Thanks,

**jimvw57** · 09-10-2009, 02:37 PM

If it was road damage, maybe insurance would cover it. Seems like road damage bad enough to knock out the ABS should have bent a rim or something.

Padawan · 09-10-2009, 02:45 PM

Do you have the Repair Order?

What exactly does it state is damaged, and what did they "repair"?

ssppxyz · 09-10-2009, 03:42 PM

A "tooth on the axle"?

Sounds like dealerspeak along the lines of a "muffler bearing" or similar nonsense.

I would consider having it looked at by another dealer if possible.

Padawan · 09-10-2009, 03:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ssppxyz

A "tooth on the axle"?

Sounds like dealerspeak along the lines of a "muffler bearing" or similar nonsense.

Not necessarily. The ABS system functions by using a circle of teeth and a sensor on each axle or hub. The sensor detects how fast the teeth are rotating past it, and by comparing all 4 speeds, it can determine if a wheel is spinning too quickly (for traction control) or locking up (ABS). Now, those teeth are normally rather robust, but if an object happened to strike and damage one, it could indeed cause the ABS system to malfunction.

Here's a common example of what this looks like:

**jimvw57** · 09-10-2009, 05:37 PM

Any work on the sensor or gear should not have affected the brakes. if it feels spongy and now makes noise, I'd guess the brakes were not put together correctly. Check for leaks on the parking area and get it back to them ASAP!! you don't want to take a chance with brakes. At $700 I'd be darn mad!! It should stop on a dime and give you .09 change.

The chances of something striking a tooth and breaking it off without damaging anything else is in my opinion pretty remote. I'd get a second opinion or at least see the replaced part. (damaged part) If that is not possible, take it to a second mechanic and have them check and see if the gear was replaced or 'fixed'

Just my opinion but maybe one of the tooth valleys got filled with dirt and needed cleaning.

**SmartDigger** · 09-10-2009, 06:34 PM

I would ask for the old part and also look to see if there is any other marks around the axel

parts4smarts · 09-10-2009, 06:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by smartwhidbey

At just under 7,000 miles, our ABS light came on and stayed on. No difference in braking or performance. Took it to our Smart Dealer where my wife was told "a tooth on the axle had been damaged when we hit something", Huh? Haven't hit anything. They "repaired" it, so now the light is off BUT, the braking is terrible, pedal is sloppy and you can push through almost to the floor and hear a clicking sound.
Dealer says it's because of the road damage, it's not covered by warranty, it estimates total cost of $700.
Anyone ever hear of anything like this?
Thanks,

I can sell you a pair of reluctor ringsfor U$100 , and point you to very good DIY instructions.
The ABS reluctor rings are starting to wear out on some the older 450 models, especially the ones exposed to road salt etc, so I stock them, and am starting to sell a few
see here : ABS rings for 450

smartwhidbey · 09-11-2009, 09:23 AM

Thanks for all the good advice. Padawan and jimvw57 are right on the mark. Dealer did clean the teeth valleys and stated that if that didn't work, i.e., the light wouldn't go out, then we would need to replace at $700. It's only been since the 'cleaning' that the braking is so crappy. When I called the dealer to tell them about the poor braking they said they would need to replace axle. Must have been a laser precision strike to damage one and only one tooth.

Padawan · 09-11-2009, 10:28 AM

If the brakes seemed to be working normally before you brought the car in, and the brake light is not currently lit, then I would at the very least try flushing the brake fluid before spending the $700 for a new axle. It's possible some air or water entered the system while they were "checking" it. Will only cost you a few dollars for the fluid and a weekend afternoon.