Fix Cadillac ABS Light that Stays On

This guide explains what it means when the Cadillac ABS light stays on, common problems, and how to troubleshoot the Anti-lock Brake System (ABS).

If your Cadillac ABS light stays on, the anti-lock brake system has detected a problem. Anti-lock brakes, traction control, and stability control will be disabled.

Symptoms

• ABS Light Stays On,
• Longer stopping distance,
• Service Stabilitrak Warning Message
• Service traction control light ON
• Traction control and stability lights ON

When your ABS fails, you may also get a warning message asking you to service ABS, Traction Control, and Stabilitrak.

Why is my Cadillac ABS light on?

A faulty ABS wheel speed sensor is the most common problem that triggers the ABS light to stay on in a Cadillac vehicle. Cadillac vehicles have four ABS wheel speed sensors, one for each wheel. To find out which is faulty, follow the steps below to read the codes from the ABS module.

Possible problems that can trigger the ABS light on a Cadillac include:

• A faulty or dirty wheel speed sensor,
• Defective steering angle sensor,
• Damaged wires,
• Bad ABS module
• Blown fuse
• Bad ABS relay

Any of these issues can trigger the Cadillac ABS light to stay on.

How to Read and Reset Cadillac ABS Light

You must read the ABS module’s fault codes to determine why your Cadillac ABS light is on. Your Cadillac dealer, a local auto mechanic, or yourself can perform this procedure.

In this guide, we will show you how to read fault codes from the ABS module of your Cadillac. Once you get the codes, you must fix the related problem before resetting the ABS light.

What you will need

• ABS Scanner for Cadillac

The YOUCANIC Full System Scanner can help you determine the cause of the check engine light in your Cadillac. This powerful scanner can read and clear codes from all the systems present in your vehicle. 

Procedure

Follow these instructions to read and reset ABS fault codes on Cadillac vehicles 1996 and newer. This method works on models such as ATS, CTS, XTS, CT6, XT5, Escalade, SRX, DTS, STS, BLS, XLR, and Deville.

1. Park your Cadillac in a safe area where you can work. Locate the Cadillac OBD-2 port under the dashboard.
2. Connect your OBD-II scanner. 
3. Turn on the ignition. All Cadillac dashboard lights should turn on but not start the engine. If your Cadillac has START/STOP button, press it twice without pressing on the brake pedal.
4. Allow your Cadillac OBD-2 scanner to connect to the Engine Control Unit (ECU). This may take a few seconds.
5. Select Cadillac from the menu. Manually select the Anti-lock Brake System menu.
6. Read codes from the Cadillac ABS module using a Level 2 OBDII scanner such as the YOUCANIC full system scanner.

Once you fix the problem discovered in the previous step, return to the ABS menu and clear Cadillac ABS codes.

Don’t use a generic OBD-II scanner. A generic scanner will display no error codes even if the ABS light is on. For this procedure, an ABS Scanner is needed.

Suppose your scanner cannot communicate with the ABS module. In that case, it is possible that the ABS module is defective and needs to be replaced, which can be an expensive repair, or use a third party that provides Cadillac ABS Module Repair Service on eBay.

We hope you find the Fix Cadillac ABS Light that Stays On guide helpful. Check these troubleshooting and repair guides for more help on your Cadillac.