Mitcham Common's open roads and a missing wheel speed signal
The A236 across Mitcham Common is open and fast-feeling, and speeds creep up between junctions. That's where a working ABS system matters, because a sudden stop from speed on a wet road is when wheels are most likely to lock. If the ABS light is on, the car's normal brakes still work, but ABS and stability control are both off, so you lose the ability to steer around a hazard while braking hard. On a road where others are travelling quickly, that's a real loss of safety margin.
Elsewhere in Mitcham, driving is slower but harder on the hardware. Streatham Road and the Figges Marsh junction bring stop-start traffic and plenty of vans from the industrial estates, while the residential roads around Pollards Hill are being brought down to 20mph with traffic calming. Speed humps and kerbs knock wheels and hubs, which over time can loosen a sensor, damage wiring or add play to a wheel bearing. By the Cricket Green, cricketers cross the road between pavilion and pitch, another reminder that sharp stops happen on local roads.
When your car comes in, we read the ABS fault codes to find the wheel, then check live wheel speed readings and test the sensor, wiring and connector. We inspect the reluctor ring or bearing encoder and check the bearing for play, since either can cause a false signal. You'll get a written quote explaining the cause, and we'll tell you if a quick wiring repair will do the job instead of a new sensor. Parts we fit are OE or OE-equivalent, matched to your car.
From the Cricket Green, take Cranmer Road onto Carshalton Road and head south over the railway by Mitcham Junction into Hackbridge, about 2.5 miles. With only the ABS light on, you can usually drive here carefully. Many sensor jobs are done the same day, and all repairs carry our 3-month workmanship warranty.