2011 Ford Edge ABS Brakes
About this episode
A 2011 Ford Edge came in with an ABS warning light, and the diagnosis pointed to a broken right-front ABS tone ring. The hosts explain how the tone ring’s notches create a wheel-speed signal and how ABS uses those signals to modulate brake pressure. They also connect the failure to axle rust that expands and snaps the ring, sometimes only after driving a few feet. The shop replaced the axle (not a short-lived fix), and the ABS light went away.
2011 Ford Edge
"We're talking cars. How's it going Bernie? Doing very well. So today's guest is a 2011 Ford Edge. What was happening with this vehicle? So this vehicle came to us as a new client."
This episode is about a 2011 Ford Edge and why its ABS warning light was coming on. The problem is tied to a part that helps the car measure wheel speed so the anti-lock brakes can work correctly.
The 2011 Ford Edge is the specific vehicle in this episode, and the hosts focus on how its ABS system behaves when the ABS warning light comes on. They trace the issue to a failed wheel-speed signal component (the tone ring) and explain how that affects ABS operation during braking.
diagnostic on the ABS system
"So we proceeded to do a diagnostic on the ABS system and found that the right front tone ring for the ABS was broken."
A diagnostic is how the shop figures out why the ABS warning is happening. They check the ABS sensors and electronics to locate the specific faulty part.
A diagnostic on the ABS system means checking the anti-lock braking electronics and sensors to find what’s causing the warning. In this case, the diagnostic points to a broken wheel-speed signal component on the right front.
tone ring
"So what is a tone ring? So it is basically a ring that has notches on it. And as the wheel turns, it's on the axle. As the axle turns, there's an ABS sensor nearby and it sends a signal to that."
A tone ring is a ring on the wheel that has little notches. Those notches help the ABS sensor “count” wheel speed so the car knows what each wheel is doing.
A tone ring is a toothed or notched ring mounted to the wheel hub/axle that provides wheel-speed information to the ABS sensor. As the wheel turns, the notches change the magnetic signal, letting the ABS module calculate how fast each wheel is rotating.
ABS sensor
"And as the axle turns, there's an ABS sensor nearby and it sends a signal to that. [73.1s] a signal based on the speed of how fast the wheel is turning to the computer ABS module."
An ABS sensor measures how fast each wheel is spinning. It uses the tone ring’s notches to send wheel-speed information to the car’s ABS computer.
An ABS sensor measures wheel rotation speed and sends that data to the ABS module. The sensor reads the tone ring’s changing magnetic pattern to determine whether a wheel is slowing or locking up.
ABS module
"it's on the axle. As the axle turns, there's an ABS sensor nearby and it sends a signal to that. [73.1s] ...to the computer ABS module."
The ABS module is the car’s ABS “computer.” It looks at wheel-speed data and decides when to adjust braking so the wheels don’t lock up.
The ABS module is the control unit that receives wheel-speed signals and decides when to activate anti-lock braking. It compares each wheel’s speed to detect when a wheel is decelerating too quickly (a sign of impending lockup).
modulate
"then it'll turn the ABS brake on. It'll modulate it and put less brake pressure to that wheel until that wheel turns at the same speed."
To modulate (in ABS terms) means the system rapidly adjusts brake pressure at a specific wheel to prevent lockup. By reducing pressure when a wheel slows too much, then restoring it as traction returns, ABS keeps the tire rolling and steering possible.
hard braking
"And all that means is that you can maintain control of your car even under hard braking. Exactly. Hard braking and especially when you're going around corners."
Hard braking is when you stop quickly and firmly. ABS helps keep the wheels from locking up so the car can still be steered.
Hard braking is the scenario ABS is designed for: sudden, high braking force where wheels can lock and lose traction. ABS helps maintain control by keeping wheels rotating so the driver can steer rather than slide straight.
skid
"Hard braking and especially when you're going around corners. That's where it's really most important because if the vehicle goes into a skid, it won't turn."
A skid happens when the tires lose grip and the car starts sliding. The episode’s point is that ABS helps prevent that lockup so you can keep control, especially in a corner.
A skid is when a tire loses traction and stops following the driver’s intended path. The host explains that without ABS intervention, a locked wheel can cause the vehicle to slide straight instead of allowing directional control through turns.
right front axle shaft
"What is this? So this is the right front axle shaft removed from the vehicle. And the tone ring is lying on the ground just to the left of that arrow."
The axle shaft is the part that spins the front wheel. Here it’s taken out because a metal ring on it has broken, and that ring is needed for the car to correctly detect wheel speed for ABS.
The right front axle shaft is the rotating drive component that transfers power to the front wheel. In this case, it’s removed because the tone ring attached to it has broken off, and the broken ring prevents the wheel-speed sensor from reading correct speed.
rust
"the axle rusts. And as it rusts, it expands... metal is also pitted"
Rust is corrosion that eats away at metal and can also make it swell or get rough. In this case, rust growth helps break the tone ring, and rust pitting can also make it hard for a new ring to fit correctly.
Rust is the corrosion that forms on metal surfaces and can physically change the metal’s dimensions over time. Here, the host explains that as the axle rusts it expands, stressing the tone ring until it cracks and snaps; later, pitting from rust also affects how tightly a replacement ring can fit.
wheel-speed
"So the ring, of course, doesn't spin at a proper speed. And the computer right away notices... sets the light on."
Wheel speed is how fast the wheel is turning. ABS uses that information to decide when a wheel is about to lock up, and a broken tone ring can make the car think the wheel speed is wrong.
Wheel-speed refers to how fast each wheel is rotating, which is used by the ABS control computer to detect slip and prevent wheel lockup during braking. The host ties the broken tone ring to incorrect wheel-speed information, which is why the ABS system is disabled and the ABS warning light comes on.
all wheel drive
"So it's an all wheel drive vehicle. So there's four of them. So possibly all of them will break over time, but it doesn't make any sense to do it while it's not broken."
All-wheel drive means the car can send power to more than two wheels. The shop is saying that because there are multiple parts involved, more than one could eventually wear out—but they don’t replace the others until they’re actually broken.
All-wheel drive (AWD) sends power to more than just the front or rear wheels, typically using multiple drive components. In this segment, the shop is explaining that an AWD vehicle has multiple similar components that could fail over time, but they only replace what’s actually broken.
shock absorbers
"Like sometimes there is with shock absorbers, say. No, exactly."
Shock absorbers help smooth out the ride by controlling how the suspension moves. The shop uses them as an example of a case where replacing one side might change how the car feels.
Shock absorbers (dampers) control how the suspension moves over bumps by damping oscillations. The hosts mention them as an example where replacing one side can sometimes affect balance/feel, unlike the current repair where the system is fine if the input is working.
brake pads
"Sometimes when you replace a certain component, say brake pads, you don't just change the left front brake pad."
Brake pads are the parts that squeeze against the brake rotors to stop the car. The shop is saying that with brake pads, mechanics often replace things in a balanced way, but this situation is different.
Brake pads are the friction material that clamps against the brake rotor to slow the car. The shop contrasts brake-pad replacement practices (often replacing a set/side-to-side for even wear) with this case, where the issue is a computer input and only the faulty side needs attention.
ABS light
"And after repair, all worked just great. No ABS light. Yeah, all good."
The ABS light is a warning on the dashboard for the car’s anti-lock braking system. If it’s not on after the fix, that’s a good sign the system is working normally.
The ABS light is the dashboard warning indicator for the Anti-lock Braking System. If it’s off after a repair, it usually means the ABS is communicating correctly and isn’t detecting a fault.
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