I have a 2004 crossfire and two days ago I took a friend home and the roads were covered in snow. No trucks plowed yet. The next day my spoiler would go up when I started car and then the abs/ESB light would come on.

The check engine light came on today and the code ran wheel speed sensor A. Can any one tell me what this is and where it is located?

 

Each wheel has a speed sensor, it is a reluctance sensor that reads a notched ring.

 

Wheel sensor is a hall effect (electro-magnetic) sensor in each wheel hub. There is a toothed wheel in the hub that rotates with the wheel and creates a small signal in the sensor as the teeth come by. There will be a cable that runs from the sensor into the body and routs to the ABS module.

You may have ripped the cable off in the snow.

 

Are all the speed sensors the same? Would I need to replace each on individually to find the bad one? Or is there a way to tell? Are they easy to replace or is this a dealer type job?

Thanks for the replies!

 

The service manual PDF is somewhat confused about speed sensors, it keeps confusing them with brake pad wear sensors, so I can't really add any more other than I know there is one for each wheel.
Maybe onehundred80 or MrMiata knows more ?

 

Okay I'll check the wheel hub. When the code got ran this morning it said wheel speed sensor a. Does that mean front left is a then front right is b then so on or is the a irrelevant?

 

I suspect "Wheel Speed Sensor a" is really "Wheel Speed Sensor and connector." Since Chrysler refers to then a "right front" or "left rear". The error code should be 11xx and the xx value would indicate which wheel.

You can check the connector end for continuity, think it is supposed to be about 5 ohms.

I have also seen the toothed wheel when exposed get packed with gunk and fail to work properly.

 

Thank you Mr Padgett, I stand corrected. After reviewing the schematic, I see 12v going to them, so they are not reluctance sensors .....

 

What is the code number?
Is it possible that some crap has got wedged in the gap?
Does the cruise control work?

 

I have not check cruise control since the code appeared. I did notice I could not turn traction control off. Auto zone didn't give me a code number just "wheel speed sensor a" is all the device read and what he told me. I'll stop at pep boys after work for another code read for a number. I'll try cruise control then too. The spoiler stays up and the light blinks red.

 

Biggest part of the job is jacking up each corner and removing wheel. They are all different from each other. If I'm not mistake at a "user level" you would need and oscilloscope to be able to read and test each one.

 

There is no cruise control.

 

Strange coincidence you should mention me, I have possibly the same problem on my wife's 300 now.
I'm looking for answers.

 

Mine was the wheel speed sensor. $150 part and labor was about the same. Abs lights off now and everything works. Traction control cruise control the whole works.

 

Thanks for getting back.
Which wheel, and how did you/they isolate which one was bad ?

 

I couldn't isolate it myself. I would have to replace each one til I got the right one. And each of them a different it seems. Apparently the dealers device can isolate which one it was. Auto zone pep boys etc could just tell me it was a wheel speed sensor not which one. The dealer could tell which one. So I sucked it IP and paid the money for a diagnosis. I need my traction control for this snow.