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I'm a bit at my wits end at the moment and looking for help. I have a 2007 TL 3.2, and a few weeks the my ball joint on my front right wheel came loose and fell out of place. When it did my ABS and VSA light came on, I assumed it damaged my ABS sensor so I had it replaced but the dash lights hadn't gone away. I took it to a shop and this was what they said about it:
They said that they couldn't replace the VSA modulator because Acura no longer manufactures them. I'm really confused about all this, because surely the VSA modulator couldn't have gone bad purely because of my ball joint coming loose. My guess is that there's some loose wiring somewhere, but I don't know enough about the VSA system to know for sure how it all works together or where to start, hence posting here. I've tried clearing the VSA and ABS system errors and they didn't go away, just in case that was the issue.
Any ideas on where I should look next? I'd really rather not take it to a shop and do it myself because I'm not super rich or anything lmao.
How confident are you that you installed the speed sensor correctly? They are very sensitive and the first time I replaced one of my ABS speed sensors I broke it during the install.
FYI, DTC #11 is specifically saying FR speed sensor open or short - not an intermittent error. This DTC means the ABS/VSA unit literally isn't detecting that the speed sensor is present. The fact that you get the code right away also supports this. If the speed sensor were reading but giving the ABS intermittent bad data, you'd see the dash lights go away once you start driving but come back as soon as the error happens. Honda ABS doesn't turn on until you're going over a certain speed.
P.s. I agree it's unlikely you'll need to replace the ABS pump (which also includes the VSA computer), but if you do it's a fairly easy job - and you can likely get one at a junkyard for cheap. My RDX currently has a junkyard ABS pump in it that I paid $40 for.
How confident are you that you installed the speed sensor correctly? They are very sensitive and the first time I replaced one of my ABS speed sensors I broke it during the install.
FYI, DTC #11 is specifically saying FR speed sensor open or short - not an intermittent error. This DTC means the ABS/VSA unit literally isn't detecting that the speed sensor is present. The fact that you get the code right away also supports this. If the speed sensor were reading but giving the ABS intermittent bad data, you'd see the dash lights go away once you start driving but come back as soon as the error happens. Honda ABS doesn't turn on until you're going over a certain speed.
Now that you mention it, I'm not really that confident it was installed properly. It was installed by my local Big Brand Tire (long story but these guys really don't know what they're doing) and they basically just said "uhhh we don't know why its not recognizing it, go to this other auto shop" and the screenshot I posted earlier was from the auto shop I took it to. I'm definitely going to check that tomorrow, because I wouldn't be surprised if that's it. I'm pretty confident the auto shop didn't check if it was installed properly and probably just assumed it was, considering they didn't mention that in the invoice. I'll send another message when I check on it
P.s. I agree it's unlikely you'll need to replace the ABS pump (which also includes the VSA computer), but if you do it's a fairly easy job - and you can likely get one at a junkyard for cheap. My RDX currently has a junkyard ABS pump in it that I paid $40 for.
Oh cool, that's not so bad. All the ones I was finding online were like $300 lol but if I decide I need a new one I'll definitely go to my local junkyard first before I do any online shopping. Thanks for the tip!
Sorry for the late reply, I didn't have access to my jack for a while, and only recently was able to take a look at the abs speed sensor. I removed the sensor and unplugged it but everything looked fine so I put it back in and plugged it back in to no avail. I've even driven it and reset the codes with no change. Honestly my best guess at this point is that the wiring is bad and I need to look into it more and see if maybe all I need is some new wires. I'll add a new reply once I get the chance to look into it some more.
You can't tell if the speed sensor was damaged by looking at it. The way to test this is to swap it with a known-good (aka new) part and make sure it's installed correctly.
Be very gentle when putting it into the sensor well in the knuckle. If it doesn't go right in, you may need to clean rust and debris from the well. It also helps to put a little dielectric grease on the base of the sensor (the part closer to the flange with the 10mm bolt - NOT the tip).
Sorry for the late reply, I didn't have access to my jack for a while, and only recently was able to take a look at the abs speed sensor. I removed the sensor and unplugged it but everything looked fine so I put it back in and plugged it back in to no avail. I've even driven it and reset the codes with no change. Honestly my best guess at this point is that the wiring is bad and I need to look into it more and see if maybe all I need is some new wires. I'll add a new reply once I get the chance to look into it some more.
