Hi chaps,

I've been driving around for the last few months with my ABS and Engine Check lights on, which I know from having my local dealership (North-West UK) plug in the diagnostic machine, is the left rear and right front speed sensors.

Up until now I've thought it was just causing me to lose my ABS but with all the recent snow, I'm now starting to get worried that it is also messing around with my All Wheel Drive as the car doesn't feel nearly as safe in the snow and ice as it did before the warning lights came on!

Is this me being paranoid or do the speed sensors have any influence on the 4 wheel drive operation?

Really appreciate any help people can offer!!!!

Oh, it's a 2.5l 2001 Sport by the way.

Thanks again,

Kris.

 

I'm not a mechanic but I would have to think the ABS speed sensor has no impact on your drive train. One is electrical and the other is mechanical. Since you can't "turn-off" the AWD it shouldn't have an impact. I would think speed sensors may affect stability control if you have it. I had a rear speed sensor go out last winter. Was about $250 to replace at the dealer.

 

Of course it will effect your traction. The wheel speed sensors are also used with the traction control.

 

Mechanically it will not effect anything.

 

Trac and dsc(dynamic stabilty control) are both functions of the abs system and are definitly used during winter snowy/icy conditions
i would get it fixed unless you remember how to drive before all these safty features incorperated into cars nowdays

 

One more point, what kind of tires are you using? I'm in Canada and winter tires are mandatory here, but I know you guys in the UK got a lot of snow recently and if it's very unusual, maybe you're using summer or all-season tires? There's a big difference between good winter tires and cheap all-season ones.

 

traction is 100% based on the tires grip on the snow.... not the abs nor the dsc nor the awd.

what do you notice? wheels spinning more? car drifting more? longer stopping?

 

I had a rear wheel speed sensor replaced (£148 inc labour at a specialist under warranty) and also had a fault code from the front wheel like you.The front one in my case was just the wire (£10 from the dealer).If I remember it goes from the abs sensor and under the front wing.When moved it would cause the abs light to go on and off indicating the fault with the wire.My local dealer (in North East UK) said it was more common for the wire to go than the abs speed sensor which I think is built into the hub on the front.
PS Pass on my regards to the lads in the parts dept at Lloyds in Carlisle if thats the dealer you mean

 

Thank you all for your replies!!!!
It's very much appreciated.

It appears to be as I feared then. I should probably get the work done sooner rather than later.

The tyres are Pirelli P-Zeros all round, so I doubt they are going to be as good as a proper winter tyre.

What I've noticed recently is that the back end will slightly slip out every now and again on bad snowy patches. It has been no where near as bad as a lot of rear wheel drive cars I've seen but still enough to make me sit up and take notice.

Buck, I'm in Lancashire so my local dealer are the fellas in H. A. Fox in Preston if you've ever been there.

When I went in for the diagnostics they gave me the print outs of the error codes which only stated an error with the front and rear speed sensors but didn't specify exactly what was wrong so I'm hoping you're right and that the front will be a simple fix.

The lesson for today chaps..... don't put off till tomorrow what can be done today!!

EDIT: I'm not complaining at all about the X-Type though. I drove an MGF Trophy for 5 years before buying the Jag. Rear engined, rear wheel drive with NO ABS or safety features at all. Once you get used to those, anything else feels glued to the road!

 

Thats right the front abs fault code doesnt differentiate between the wire or the hub but if you take the wheel off and move the wire with the ign switched on you would be able to see if it was the wire at fault or not if you had someone with you
Good luck getting it sorted but I would get them both done....when mine had the problem with the rear wheel speed sensor the engine would sometimes cut out when changing down eg approaching roundabouts and due to this the steering would go heavy...also the ABS would pulsate when not even braking hard

 

You're a gent and a scholar sir!!!

I've been having this EXACT problem over the past few weeks and have searched and searched these forums for possible causes and solutions and come up with nothing except fuel filters. (So I now have a brand new fuel filter in the kitchen waiting to be fitted! )

It can be pretty bloody scary sometimes if the engine stalls in a choice location!

So this problem is also linked to the speed sensor?
Yikes, I've been thinking all this time that all I was losing by not getting them sorted was my ABS!

 

Im very confident it is your wheel speed sensor ring...for the rear its fixed with a new outer CV joint as the speed sensor ring is part of the out CV joint
If you look in the FAQ link at the top Im sure there is a link to an indepth thread I posted with pics on how to replace it from a Jag mag.

I spoke to Jaguar at one of their X Type seminars a few years ago and apparently they said the problem first started in Scotland years ago where there is more salt on the roads causing the speed sensor ring to corrode and fall off.Jaguar then noticed the problem begin to spread further south where it was less frequent at first with the milder weather/less salt on roads.