alexthegreat5

Hello,
I just bought a 97 CRV and it had the ABS light on when i bought it. I need to get the issue fixed in a few days in order to pass ontario's safety inspection so i can plate the car. I checked the code and it is code 13 (wheel sensor (open short to body ground/short to power) Front left). So i disconnected the sensor and checked voltage from ABS control module to the connector for the sensor and it read 5.6v. That is too high as the repair manual says it needs to be around 2v and anything after is a short. Only issue is, the car has no short what so ever that i can find. I checked the wires going from sensor to firewall and they're fine, then followed them behind the dash and there is nothing i can notice. I know its not the sensor since the code is saying short and there clearly is high voltage. I was wondering if anyone has had any problems like this involving Honda's ABS wiring.
Thanks.
Alex.

ThisIsMatt

Hi Alex. Either something here isn't quite adding up, or I'm misunderstanding. If you have voltage at your wheel speed sensor connector, you don't have a short circuit. A short is when your voltage finds a ground before reaching the intended load in the circuit. In this case the intended load is the wheel speed sensor, and by your admission above, you've still got voltage at the wheel speed sensor plug, so the power wire from your ABS control module all the way to your wheel speed sensor plug is contiguous (i.e. no shorts). I'm not quite sure why your repair manual says your voltage will go UP when you have a short, unless possibly your ABS control module has an internal short and is sending 5.6v down the power wire to the sensor instead of the 2v that is supposed to go to the sensor. In a case when you have a short in an individual circuit, prior to the short you have exactly the source voltage or less, after the short you have zero voltage because your energy has already found a ground. What DOES go up is your amperage because the electricity in your circuit has found an extremely low-resistance path to ground (V=I*R). That's why fuses blow when you have a short.

Here's what I would do if I were in your situation...see if you can find a test for the sensor and not the wires to-and-from the ABS controller. I would say 7 times out of 10 when your ABS light comes on it's due to a wheel speed sensor, and 9 times out of 10 when you have a code specifically for a wheel speed sensor, the sensor is the problem (whether it needs to be cleaned or replaced). I agree it's odd that you've measured more than double the supposed supply voltage on your power wire (assuming 2v supply is correct...I don't honestly know), but I'd start with the most likely failure and test the sensor. If your sensor is fine, then look up-stream.