Skip to Content

Can High or Low Tire Pressure Cause ABS Light to Come On?

Generally, the ABS light is the symbol on the vehicle’s dashboard representing ABS problems (Anti-lock Braking System). Moreover, the ABS helps prevent you from locking up the brakes or controlling pressure on the brakes.

So, you might be confused about whether high and low tire pressure causes ABS light to come on. You have to know the requirements for turning on the ABS light. Moreover, knowing about the consequences of high and low tire pressure is also essential. Otherwise, you can’t solve the problem.

Can high or low tire pressure cause abs light to come on?

High or low tire pressure can cause ABS light to come on. Generally, the vehicle’s sensors monitor the wheel speed and send signals to the ABS system. But when the tire has high or low pressures, the speed also becomes abnormal. So, the signal flawed to ABS turns the light on.

However, high and low tire pressure can sometimes make the sensors react differently. You have to know details about the pressure changes if you want to know the relation between tire pressure and ABS light. So, let’s see whether high or low tire pressure can cause ABS light to come on.

High tire pressure:

High tire pressure can cause the ABS light to come on. Generally, your car has many sensors that send signals to the central computer unit. These signals are represented on the dashboard of your car.

So, when high pressure on the tire, it will change the speed or affect the car’s speed. The change in the speed will send signals through the sensors. As a result, an abnormal speed or signal will be represented on the ABS system.

So, the ABS system will cause the ABS light to come on. So, the tire’s change of speed or high pressure can cause the ABS light to come on. 

Low tire pressure:

Like the high tire pressure, low tire pressure can also cause the ABS light to come on. When there is low pressure on the tire, the speed will also be changed. Generally, the ABS system maintains the connection between road and braking.

So, when the speed changes, the ABS system will get notified by the signals. These signals will turn the ABS light on. Generally, the ABS light doesn’t turn on for the low tire pressure. It is because of the speed changes caused by pressure change.

Does ABS control tire pressure sensor?

Generally, the ABS doesn’t control the tire pressure sensor directly. But ABS system has a connection with the tire pressure sensor. For example, the ABS system is affected by the speed changes due to pressure changes.

When the tire has an abnormal pressure, the signal will be collected by the tire pressure sensors. The abnormal pressure can be both high and low pressure. So, when the sensors are notified of the abnormal pressure, the sensors send a signal to the car’s control unit.

On the other hand, when the ABS system receives an abnormal signal, the ABS light turns on. So, when the speed of the brake changes, the ABS system is notified. Thus, the ABS system will make the light come on.

So, you might not find any direct connection between the ABS system and the pressure tire sensor. Moreover, the pressure tire sensor will not affect the ABS system directly. But pressure changes will indirectly make the ABS light come on.

What can cause abs tire pressure light to come on?

Now that you know that tire pressure can cause ABS light to come on, you might want to know the reasons. So, let’s see what causes the ABS tire pressure light to come on.

ABS Module Failure

A bad ABS system or ABS module failure can cause the ABS tire pressure light to come on. A bad sensor or system can provide wrong signals. So, if the ABS module has a problem, the light might come on.

Computer control unit problem:

You might know that the computer control unit receives different signals from sensors. So, if the control unit has a problem, it will represent the wrong information on the dashboard. If you don’t fix the computer issues or re-program it, the control unit might be responsible for making the ABS light on.

Abnormal tire pressure:

When the tire pressure is higher or lower than the usual pressure, it will cause turning on the ABS light. Because when the tire pressure changes, the speed also changes. So, the connection between the road and brakes also gets interrupted. That’s why the ABS light might turn on when the tire pressure is not usual.

Low Levels in the Fluid Reservoir:

You might know that the brake system requires fluid to work effectively. Sometimes, the brake fluid is not enough in the fluid reservoir. This might happen when there is a leakage, or the fluid evaporates soon. So, low levels in the fluid reservoir can also cause ABS light to come on.

Bad wheel-speed sensor:

If the wheel-speed sensor is defective, it can also cause a problem in the ABS system. Sometimes, the wheel-speed sensor is broken or dirty. This can disable the ABS system from working properly. So, a bad wheel-speed sensor can cause the ABS light to turn on.

Other problems:

Some other problems might also be responsible for making the ABS tire pressure light on. For example, a blown fuse, a defective steering angle sensor, faulty steering rack, defective pump, bad wheel alignment, dirt and debris, low battery voltage, turned off traction control, etc., can also be responsible.

Why are my abs tire pressure light still on after filling tires?

If you have filled the tired and still see that the tire pressure light is on, there might be some problems. For example, the pressure of the tire became high. High tire pressure can also cause the ABS tire pressure light to turn on.

When the high pressure changes the speed, the sensors will provide an abnormality signal to the ABS system. As a result, the tire pressure light will be on. Moreover, if the tire has leakage, the tire pressure light can turn on.

When there is a leakage on the tire, the tire pressure will remain low after filling the tires. This low pressure will provide signals through the sensors. As a result, the tire pressure light will be on.

Moreover, some other problems like computer issues, brake issues, brake fluid issues, and steering issues can cause the tire pressure light to come on.

How to turn off abs light?

Now that you know ABS light can turn on for many reasons, you might want to turn the light off. You have to reset the ABS system to turn off the light and solve the issues. So, let’s see how you can turn off the ABS light.

Primarily turn off the light:

If you want to turn off the ABS light instantly, you have to follow this step. For this, you have to reset the central computer. When resetting, you have to disconnect the positive cable of the car battery. Then, you have to hold down on the brake pedal and let the electrical system drain out. After that, you have to plug the positive cable again and restore power.

Permanently resetting:

Sometimes, the ABS light turns on after a week of turning off. So, you have to follow this step then. You have to check the ABS sensors whether they are worn out or not. You can change the sensors by unscrewing their wheel hub-mounted housing and unplugging the wires. Then you have to connect the wires again. Finally, you have to reset the computer again.

Seeking professional help:

If step 1 and 2 both fails, you have to seek professional help to turn off the ABS light.

Can high tire pressure cause TPMS light to come on?

Yes, high tire pressure can cause the TPMS light to come on. TPMS light is a tool that helps to alert people when the pressure is abnormal. When the pressure is too low or too high, it provides signals to the sensors.

These sensors provide information about pressure abnormality and the speed changes for the pressure change. So, high tire pressure can cause TPMS light to come on.

Final Thoughts

Pressure abnormality can cause ABS light to come on. When the tire pressure is too high or too low, it will cause speed changes. Moreover, the connection between the brake and the road will also be interrupted. This will send signals to the ABS system, and the ABS light will turn on.