ABS Light On: What It Means and What to Do

You’re driving through a Canadian winter morning, roads slick from an overnight snowfall, when a small amber symbol suddenly glows on your dashboard. It reads “ABS”. Your first instinct might be to panic, wonder if your vehicle is safe, or simply hope the light goes away on its own. You are not alone. The ABS warning light is one of the most commonly misunderstood dashboard indicators, and yet it is one of the most important.


This guide will walk you through everything you need to know about the ABS light: what it is, what causes it to turn on, whether your vehicle is safe to drive, and exactly what steps to take – whether you drive a compact car, an SUV, or a pickup truck. If you have ever typed “why is my ABS light on” into a search engine at 7 a.m. in a Tim Hortons parking lot, this article is for you.

What Is the ABS Warning Light?

The ABS warning light is a dashboard indicator that alerts you when something is wrong with your vehicle’s Anti-lock Braking System. Depending on your vehicle, it may appear as the letters “ABS” in amber, yellow, orange, or red, or as a circle with “ABS” inside it. On some vehicles, particularly older models, it can also appear in red.

The light is part of your car’s onboard self-diagnostic system. Every time you start your engine, the ABS control module runs a quick self-check. If everything is functioning correctly, the light turns on briefly and then goes off after a few seconds. This brief illumination is completely normal and is known as a bulb check. If the light stays on after startup, or turns on while you are driving, it is telling you that the system has detected a fault.

It is important to distinguish the ABS light from the standard brake warning light. The brake warning light (often a red “!” inside a circle with parentheses) typically signals issues with your main braking system, such as the parking brake being engaged or critically low brake fluid. The ABS light, on the other hand, specifically refers to the anti-lock function. Both are serious, but they do not mean the same thing.

Continue reading here: Common Reasons Your ABS Light Is On

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