Service AdvanceTrac Lights On– Meaning, Causes, & Fixes
If you own a Ford, you may have seen a strange and a little bit scary sign on the dashboard of your car, truck, or SUV. Every Ford driver in the world has seen a “Service AdvanceTrac” message at some point or another while driving to work or school.
AdvanceTrac problems are common among Ford car owners, and even the company’s most popular models, like the Ford F150, Fusion, Edge, Explorer, and Expedition, can have them. Problems like this aren’t usually the end of the road for your trusty Ford, and solutions aren’t always as hard to find as you might think.
Read on to find out more about AdvanceTrac and how to deal with any problems that come up with it.
How does AdvanceTrac work?
AdvanceTrac is Electronic Stability Control (ESC) that is made by Ford. This method is meant to keep a car from skidding in extreme conditions, reducing the chance of an accident.
Ford’s AdvanceTrac system is pretty complicated. It uses a number of sensors to keep track of wheel speed and other aspects of the vehicle’s steadiness.
The system actually merges several different safety systems into a single, integrated system to make it even less likely that an accident will happen because of a loss of traction. The AdvanceTrac device from Ford can do the following things.
Control of Grip
As part of the AdvanceTrac system, the traction control feature helps you keep your grip on the road. When your car’s sensors pick up on wheel slip, the system will either send more power to the wheels or apply the brakes to get traction back.
This can help a lot when it is wet, icy, or cold outside. By using information from the ABS (antilock braking system) sensors, the AdvanceTrac system can help you get through tricky road conditions.
Control of Stability
Another important part of the AdvanceTrac technology is the stability control. This feature is designed to help you keep control when turning, especially when you turn quickly or sharply.
The system watches things like the speed, steering angle, and sideways acceleration of the car and makes changes as needed to keep the driver from losing control. If the system feels that your vehicle isn’t going where you want it to go, it can reduce engine power or apply selective braking to keep it going in the right direction.
In short, Ford’s AdvanceTrac system improves your driving experience by giving you electronic stability control, traction control, and stability control. By constantly keeping an eye on different parts of your car’s performance, the system works to keep you safe and in control, especially when the road is bad or you have to make a quick turn.
Function of Anti-Lock Brakes
Anti-Lock brake systems keep a car from skidding when the driver is stopping quickly. When a lot of pressure is put on the brakes and one or more wheels lock, the ABS controller finds out about it through a wheel speed monitor.
This software then tells the ABS pump motor/valve body unit to quickly pulse brake pressure to the skidding wheel. This stops the skidding.
How Does Traction Control Work?
A device that controls traction compares the information from speed sensors at each wheel end. If the system’s controller notices a difference in wheel speed from one wheel to the next, power will be cut to any wheel that is going too fast, or pressure will be put on the brakes.
This makes each of a car’s four wheels move at the same speed, which fixes any previous loss of grip.
Function of Directionally Oriented Stability Control
Now, when a car starts to skid, many instruments are used to figure out if the car is unstable. These sensors send a full picture of how the car is oriented while it is skidding to a certain controller. The controller then changes the amount of power and brake pressure to each wheel as needed to stop the skidding.
For this action, there are sensors that measure the angle of the steering wheel, sensors that measure the rate of yaw, and accelerometers.
Here Are Some Reasons Why Does the “Service AdvanceTrac” Warning Light Come On?
The “Service AdvanceTrac” warning light on a car can be on for a number of reasons, but it usually means there is a problem with a sensor. In any case, the system manager has found a problem, which makes it impossible for the system to work right.
Here are some of the most common reasons why the “Service AdvanceTrac” light is on.
1: Wheel Speed Sensor Not Working
Wheel speed monitors are part of your car’s anti-lock braking system (ABS) and help keep you from skidding and locking up your tires by keeping track of how fast each tire is turning.
If your wheel speed monitor is broken or not working right, it could make your car less stable, which would turn on the warning light. You might even lose grip, especially on surfaces like ice or snow that are slippery.
2: Rotational Speed Sensor Not Working
Just like the wheel speed sensor, this sensor is a very important part of the ABS system in your car. If this sensor goes bad, it could cause problems with the ABS module, which handles the ABS system. This could cause the AdvanceTrac warning light to come on.
3 – Faulty Steering Angle Sensor
The steering angle sensor measures how far you turn the steering wheel and sends messages to the electronic control unit (ECU) of your car to help keep it stable. If the sensor breaks, it can make it harder for your car to stay stable, which makes the warning light come on.
4: Broken parts of the steering system
Different parts of the steering system are very important for keeping your car easy to handle and in control. If any of these parts break or wear out, it could affect how stable your car is and cause the service AdvanceTrac light to come on.
5 – Damaged Sensor Wiring
If the wiring harness that connects any of the stability-related sensors gets loose, disconnected, or damaged, it can easily stop the AdvanceTrac system from working right. This will cause the warning light to show on your dashboard.
6 – Broken Clock Spring
A clock spring is the part that keeps the electrical link between the steering wheel and the ECU in your car. The messages sent from the steering angle sensor to the ECU can be changed by a broken clock spring, which can make the car less stable.
Many owner’s manuals warn that making changes to a car could hurt its stability control system. Fords aren’t any different.
If your vehicle’s wheel or tire size has been changed, or if you’re running a mismatched set of tires, the stability control system may find that some sensor values are outside the range that is standard for normal operation.
Even though the tires may look like they are the same size and shape, the wheel speed sensor will show something different if they are not the same. In this situation, the AdvanceTrac device might have a hard time keeping the car from skidding.
7. Tires or wheels that don’t match
Many owner’s manuals warn that making changes to a car could hurt its stability control system. Fords aren’t any different.
If your vehicle’s wheel or tire size has been changed, or if you’re running a mismatched set of tires, the stability control system may find that some sensor values are outside the range that is standard for normal operation.
Even though the tires may look like they are the same size and shape, the wheel speed sensor will show something different if they are not the same. In this situation, the AdvanceTrac device might have a hard time keeping the car from skidding.
8. Limp Mode
If your car is in limp mode, the AdvanceTrac feature is likely not going to work. Limp mode turns on several warning lights, and the Service AdvanceTrac warning is often one of them.
9. Low Brake Fluid
Lastly, the “Service AdvanceTrac” warning light can come on if your brake fluid is low. Low fluid levels can make it hard for your car’s brakes to work, and the warning light tells you to check and fix this problem. Most of the time, the brake warning light will also be on.
Can You Keep Driving If the Service AdvanceTrac Light Is On?
Even if there is a problem with your AdvanceTrac system, you can still drive your car without any trouble. When an active system fault is found, however, most vehicles immediately turn off all AdvanceTrac functions.
Even though this is never a good situation, you are no more likely to get hurt than when you drive a car without stability control.
Problems with AdvanceTrac do not make it hard to drive a car, which is often the case when an engine or transmission-related trouble code is saved. In this case, your car is just trying to tell you that something is wrong with its balancing system.
But it’s best to get your car’s AdvanceTrac system fixed as soon as you can so that your car’s safety is back to where it should be.
In the meantime, it is also important to be extra careful when driving on roads that are slippery or dangerous, like those that are left after heavy snowfall or cold weather.
How to Turn the Service Back On ForwardTrac Light
When a “Service AdvanceTrac” light comes on, drivers don’t have much choice but to fix what’s making the light come on.
Even though it might be tempting to just clear all the relevant codes to get rid of the warning sign, this is just a quick fix. Almost certainly, this light will come on again the next time you turn the key, because your car’s standard system self-checks.
Most of the time, figuring out what the problem is will take a premium scan tool and a trained eye. But a person who likes to work on their own cars can always do a visual inspection to try to find clear problems.
When trying to find the cause of an AdvanceTrac problem, it is best to carefully check each wheel’s speed sensor and the wiring wire pigtail that goes with it. Look for signs that the wires are broken, pinched, or rusty.
Also, make sure that all of the links between these sensors and their middle harnesses work. To see if water is getting in, unplug each speed sensor pigtail from its middle harness.
In some cases, it might also be able to check for power and ground at the modules in the system where they should be.
Without full system input power and a stable ground feed with no resistance, the AdvanceTrac system can stop working. In any case, to do these checks, you will need a wiring diagram or pin-out guide for your car.
If you still can’t find a clear reason why the AdvanceTrac system isn’t working, or if you just don’t feel safe diagnosing it yourself, call a qualified service center for more help.
Trying to stop future problems
There are a few things you can do to make sure the system in your car runs smoothly to keep the Service AdvanceTrac warning light from coming on again.
Check and take care of wheel speed sensors
Keep an eye on your wheel speed sensors because they are a key part of how the AdvanceTrac system works. Check the wiring of the sensors often, clean the area of dirt and debris, and repair sensors that are broken when necessary.
Use Tires and Wheels of the Right Size
Make sure your car has the tires and wheels that Ford says it should have. If your tires don’t fit, the AdvanceTrac system might not work as well and give you wrong information.
Get ready for snowy and icy weather
When there is snow or ice, the AdvanceTrac device can have trouble. In these cases, you should drive at a safe speed, use winter tires, and not speed up or slow down quickly. This will make it less likely that you will get a false warning or have real speed problems.
Update System Programming
The Service AdvanceTrac warning light may come on if there are problems with how the car was programmed. Keep track of any software changes or recalls that your car’s maker sends out, and make sure to take care of them as soon as they come up.
FAQs
When the Service AdvanceTrac Lights On warning is on, is it safe to drive?
Even though the car is usually safe to drive, the problem should be fixed as soon as possible for the best stability control.
Can I turn off the warning light for Service AdvanceTrac by myself?
It’s best to get help from a trained mechanic to figure out what’s wrong and how to fix it. If you press the reset button without fixing the problem, the light may come back on.
Will my car’s performance be affected if the Service AdvanceTrac doesn’t work?
Yes, a stability control system that isn’t working right can affect grip and stability, especially when driving conditions are bad.
What will it cost to fix the problem with Service AdvanceTrac?
The cost depends on what’s causing the problem. To find out the exact cost, it’s best to have a trained technician do a diagnostic evaluation.
Can I ignore the warning light if my car seems to be driving fine?
Ignoring the warning light could cause more problems in the future. It’s best to take care of the problem right away to avoid possible safety risks.
Is there something I can do myself to fix the Service AdvanceTrac Lights On problem?
Hobbyists can do some simple troubleshooting steps on their own, like checking links and sensors. But if you want a correct diagnosis and repairs, it’s best to hire a professional.
