Ford/Mercury: Active Wheel Speed Sensor - Testing Tips

I may have come up with an easy way to get speed sensor remnants out. Not sure if this will be eric approved...but...if you know the sensor is stuck and are replacing it anyway, just break the head off, heat the plastic still in the hole, screw a (not too long) self tapping screw in there and use long needle nose pliers to pry it out. Use leverage to your advantage. Works every time! Yes, I used a propane torch , the screw starts very easily in soft plastic...

Great video.

Today is the day I will find this helpful. In the back of my mind, I remembered something about Ford shutting the sensor down when they throw a code. Thank you Eric, you are an amazing and gifted mechanic and teacher.

Changed the bearing hub and the sensor on a 2016 fusion, when testing the voltage was normal but the voltage drops quickly. Any thoughts

Nice video!!

so if you dont have a scope or a scan tool that can tell you if its reading the speed sensor you can test the plug by using a multimeter in the ohms setting? what is the range of ohms that the sensor is good or bad? i was wondering if there was a way to test a speed/wheel sensor to determine which one is bad when the abs light comes on the dash?

I have a ABS problem, one of the speed sensor are not receiving voltage, what i can do/test?

What autel did you use

Kept thinking, he needs a Dremel with a small wire wheel to get up in that hole.......

It's a ford. Put it in a derby n forget about it!

Good practice for abs repair is to talk to customer if brake repair has been done recently
Some mechanics slap a rotor on not checking for proper chopper wheel spacing if you do that it will generate a code the sensor will test ok some trouble shoot computer generated repair will have you change the computer

Do you think that the reason the ABS module shuts the circuit down, is in case of a short, and save the computer? GREAT information on this vid!

going down the diagnostic rabbit hole, my specialty.
thanks for the tip Eric.

Eric
Couldn't you just disconnect the sensor and connect your scope to the sensor to see if it generate a voltage? Or because of their design, you need to have the sensor connected when testing? Thanks

Eric please take a seat & relax, now, can you tell me why you're torn between Aluminum & Aluminium? Take your time... 😊

Could you use aluminum anti-seize on it instead of fluid film without adversely affecting the sensor? Or is fluid film enough to keep from having to break it off next time?

I’ve run into that with bulbs on fords too. Must at least cycle ignition even after repair just to get the stupid computer to activate the circuit again

I always lube and seal the hell out of everything, maybe they'll end up at a pull it yourself yard and maybe the next poor sucker will have a lucky strike with working easy to remove parts :))

at least the bolt came out, I rarely get that lucky :|

Hmm ... that Maxiscope might be my ticket to acquiring a scope for much less than I had planned! I can deal with glitches - everything I own that's electronic is glitchy, including the truck! 😂 Great vid, btw! 👍

Haven't seen any '08's here yet - seems my entire town has bought '03 Sables & Tauruses, lol. I had 3 customers with the same color, too! Not many left now - they're all rotting into the boneyard, one by one. My neighbor entered his in the demo derby at the local fair this year. When we stripped all the plastic off it in preparation, it revealed how cheaply made these cars are. Hard to believe they hide all that crap metal under plastic, and get close to $30 LARGE for them. Not one of FoMoCo's finest engineering examples. I see the '08's are rusting just as quick there ...

Did a compressor pulley bearing this morning for my buddy's son - '04 Grand Cherokee. I wanted to go to a warbird air show today, but gotta take care of my buddies (We'll catch the show in Glens Falls NY - no biggie). Took me 2 hours because my snap ring pliers are 20 years old. Talk about FRUSTRATING!! Clip kept slipping off - flew down underneath the electric fan 5 or 6 times when installing it, too! Shopping for new tips now, lol. Chrysler compressor is a much better design than GM ones though - didn't even need a puller Would've SUCKED trying to get a puller in there without yanking that fan assembly. Old one was WASTED. Was just about to start spitting bearings out, lol. The grease stunk bad! 162k miles, OE. His son took it home as a souvenir. 😊

Yesterday I had to do a right lower ball joint on the trusty '86 Grand Marquis - time for a sticker. I got slid on the play at first - felt like a wheel bearing ... but I saw zero movement between the rotor and knuckle. Had my wife shake the wheel, but she didn't have the arm strength to make it click. Thought I saw a little movement in the pitman arm and right outer tie rod end. Had a Moog pitman arm laying around here for the past 10 years, so I threw that in, then had the wifey run to Advance for a Moog rod end. Parts cannon! Didn't fix the problem! Had no play whatsoever at 6 & 12, prybar or by hand, loaded or unloaded - same with 3 & 6. Only had play at 2 & 8! Had my neighbor come over to shake the wheel - barely saw the play in the lower bj, but then I noticed the recessed nipple on the bottom. Bingo. Ended up being the lower ball joint. First time in 25 years I've ever seen one fail that way. The boot had a TINY tear in it, which explained the brief squirt of water the past 3 years when greasing. Turned my red Amsoil grease pink! Must've got just enough grit in there to finish it off. Was a NAPA ball joint. Only 5 years/50k miles on that one. The other 3 are NAPA ones I installed in '05 - roughly 170k on those, and all still good! Good stuff right there. 😎 I switched to the blue Amsoil waterproof grease in case that happens again - might buy me a few months. 😁

If we only had a garage like this down here in pa

Using your Autel scope again, thought you gave that to your brother, good video I dont get to use my Autel Scope as much as I would like, its good to someone else using one, Keep up the good work Mr.O

HEY ERIC GET A BENCH BUDDY TO CLEAN YOUR WHEEL SPEED SENSOR

Great job A+

I have cleaned a couple of speed sensors and they started working again. Not all of them go completely dead. Great Video. Thumbs Up.

Good advice , nice one ! Eric O .

good thing to know funny how they leave that stuff out of the manuals

Awesome job 👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽

Thanks for the info. That info is worth a lot of money if you think about it. If people like myself use the info you provide them go to patron website and give a little to help you continue to make these types of vids.

hmmm the circuit shuts down when code sets.....good tip!

The master at work thanks for sharing!

Your the Man.

For me (and I think not only for me) you are Eric Top of the Top car specialist on YT. I learn sooooo much from your videos, which are also entertaining :) Great, great work!

My abs is not working on my 05 cavalier and I do not care....Just as long as junk starts, stops and go's. I think the new engine stop start will be another unnecessary money pit cluster f

Eric, look into Cor-Ban 27L. We use it on airliners to prevent corrosion of the hardware and such. Be warned that the stuff is extremely nasty, and you must use gloves with it, but it works awesome

Little tip: Measuring across the sensor is fine for circuit checking, but it´s easier to see the waveform if you measure from a battery plus to sensor plus. U don´t have to zoom as much.

Funny enough, I have the same issue on my 2010 Mazda 3 GT Sport 2.5i sedan and had it diagnosed last Tuesday by my guys at the shop I work at. Turns out it's the drivers side wheel speed sensor. Getting it repaired this coming Tuesday and I have the same symptoms with the ABS and Traction Control being disabled. But it also had the adverse effect of disabling my cruise control as well. Not sure if it caused the same issue on this car but that's what happened to mine.

That sensor mount should be stainless steel sleeve. Sensors should not be designed through the cast as you see here. Note to automotive engineers. Someone needs to push the automotive industry to get better at design concept and real world environmental's of electronics in the elements. You are paying for it in a new automobile and not getting it. It what it is.

Eric, nice video!!

Love your video's

nother of dem fine fords with all dem sofissakated diageenostee procedires.... been a ford week in my shop ....damn .... too much fun for me , just one left to finish

Nice to see how efficiently you verify the diagnosis, and the way you don't waste time, you drill out the broken part. I would have wasted a whole day on that repair.....

Sir! You are a work machine! Impressive!

you fix it

Eric is what's up wed. A thing of the past? Haven't seen one in a long time.

Where do u buy ur heat shrink

Another most interesting and informative video. Thank you so much for taking the time to do these. If it ever gets too cold for you up there come on down to SW Florida. No rust down here and I will be your best customer!

what is your opinion on the autel scope? I have the elite and i love it, was wondering if the scope was worth it or should i just save for the pico? I really just need all the test leads for a pico, the shop has one for diagnosing vibration it just doesn't have the leads for the electrical diagnosing,