ABS and traction light on

PATTVAN

MEMBER
2015 SCION FR-S
AUTOMATIC
50,000 MILES

Hello,

I am from Denver and recently slid and hit a curb on the right side of my car (more towards the right front wheel). Wasn't much impact I initially thought but after hitting that curb. Thought it wasn't that bad as I did not see any dents or scratches or broken pieces from my car. A day after I turned on my car and the ABS and Traction Light was on and went I reversed out my car felt weird and the wheel felt really loose. I went for a test drive around the street and it felt really weird driving the car, like it was going in a different direction than I wanted. I noticed today when I parked my vehicle that my front right wheel is slightly turned in (just a little) and all my other three wheels are straight. Need some advice and afraid I did some bad damage and want to know if this is a cheap or expensive fix? I am scared to drive it as I feel like if I turn, the car will go in a different direction. Wondering what kind of work you think needs to be done here and what kind of services I should seek out for? Thank you.

2 Replies

JACOBANDNICKOLAS

MECHANIC
108,401 POSTS

Hi,

Honestly, I suspect either the wheel bearing/ABS sensor was damaged or you damaged the tie rod.

Here is what I suggest Safely lift the front right wheel off the ground. Place your hands at 3 and 6 o'clock and with pressure wiggle it back and forth and pay attention to see if it feels loose, you feel any clunk, or anything out of the ordinary. Also, do the same with your hands at 12 and 6 o'clock.

Now, if you feel any play, have a helper watch under the vehicle to see what is loose.

Here is a video that shows in general how to replace a tie rod end. I'm adding this so you have a general idea if what to look for.

https://youtu.be/rBP2UKYtIl0

Here is a link showing how a ball joint is replaced. Again, this is to help you locate the part.

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/how-to-release-a-ball-joint

Here is a link that shows in general how to check and or replace a wheel bearing:

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/how-to-replace-front-wheel-bearings-and-seals

__________________________

These are the first steps in checking what may have happened. If you find a part that is a problem, take a picture of it and upload it for me to see and I'll explain what to do. Also, if you find nothing is loose, then you need to have the alignment checked. You may have cause it to go out as well.

Let me know.

Joe

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Thursday, February 6th, 2020 AT 6:05 PM

JOETECHPRO

MECHANIC
705 POSTS

Hey PATTVAN,

An impact to the wheel could have bent or damaged suspension and steering components.

I would advise the best course of action would be to get the vehicle towed to a reputable shop and get them to inspect for damage.

They should be able to visually inspect and give you an initial quote on what is visually damaged. This should not be expensive.

They will run you through this but after the initial obviously damaged parts are replaced a wheel alignment check will then have to be performed. If out of spec and not possible to adjust you may then require further work to replace components that were not easy to identify as out of shape with a visual inspection. Its difficult with these situations as its not always possible to visually see if components are bent or not.

As this is a safety issue it is always better if you are worried about driving the vehicle not to do so, it is not worth the risk. Once it has been assessed by a shop let us know what you have been quoted for replacement and if you have any questions that they are not answering.

Hope this helps, if you have any further questions please do not hesitate to ask.

Regards, Joe