When you are driving your car and see a message or indicator light appear as an ECS warning or ESC warning light, it is a really alarming sign. It shows that your car can lose control where improved traction is necessary. Your vehicle is in danger of meeting with an accident.
What Does ESC Service Mean?
ECS means Electronic Stability Control in a car. It basically controls your car’s grip on the road. It keeps your car from rolling over on surfaces where you’d expect it to. It serves a crucial function as a vehicle stabilizer.
But if you see an ECS Service Required or ECS System Service sign in your car, it means your car’s stability system is not working well. You have to examine it yourself or have it inspected by an expert technician quickly.
What Causes an ESC Service Light to Come On? And their fixes
Here, some causes have discussed in detail:
Faulty Wheel Speed Sensors
Sometimes, sensors attached to the wheels get faulty due to debris, dirt, or impact. Watch them carefully. Faulty sensors are the common cause of the ECS warning light on the dashboard.
Fix
Clean the sensors first, as they get dirty and stop working due to dirt and debris on them. Clean them with a good cleaner. Check the wiring of the sensors. Check the brake fluid level because low levels can cause the sensors to malfunction. Maintain a normal brake fluid level.
Damaged Steering Angle Sensor
The sensor is positioned in the steering column. Sometimes, it gives wrong readings to the ECS. That is why the ECS warning symbol turns on. It is often the cause of the traction light warning. It can lead to a loss of traction in the car.
Fix
For this, a quick way is to use an OBD scanner to see if you find any error codes of the steering angle sensor. You will get a quick diagnosis.
If you don’t have a scanner, check manually if the sensor’s wiring is in normal condition or not. If not, change the wiring, and you will get rid of the ECS light coming on the dashboard.
Blown Fuse or Wiring Problem
Sometimes, the wiring of the ECS system gets torn. Sometimes, the fuse of the ECS system blows. These causes are also common in cars. They can cause your car to skid where it shouldn’t.
Fix
Electronic Stability Control wires may get torn. Check the wiring and restore it to normal condition. Check the fuses to see if they are working appropriately or if any of them are blown. Read the cap of the fuse; you may get full details on the exact fuse for the ECS system.
ABS system fault (ESC works with ABS)
The ABS system and ECS system work together. If the ABS experiences any fault, it will definitely cause the ECS system to turn on the warning sign. An ABS module fault, low brake fluid, or any issue with the wheel sensors may cause a faulty ECS system in the car. The car will not make good grip on the road.
Fix
Check the level of the brake fluid for the ABS. Check the performance of the ABS module. Check if the sensors attached to the wheels are in a good position. If any issue with the ABS system is detected, it will cause the ECS light to stay on. An OBD scanner will also detect issues if the ABS system is having problems.
