after 15months of ownership of the mazda3, the 1st glitch showed up today on the way to work in the morning. It was around 20 degrees, and is snowing heavily, road is covered with slush. The ABS light and Brake like both lit. No problem driving, but I knew the ABS is deactivated when the warning light is on. I got to work place, parked the car, and then shut it off, waited a moment, restarted the car, the BRAKE warning light went off, but ABS warning light was still on. Went to work anyway, and at 6PM, I pulled the car out, the ABS light was still on, but went off as soon as I drove off the parking lot.

I searched the popular forums, quite some people had this problem, especially people in Canada, some suggested there could be snow/ice building up on the wheel speed sensor rotor and sensor itself. I then looked at the workshop manual. The ABS sensor is the magnetic type, so snow/ice should not affect magnetic signal pick up. There are also folks with faulty ABS sensors.

Anyways, after the two warning lights went off, ABS worked (tested on the road) again. If it *is* the snow/ice issue, then it is a design flaw, it's the time you need the ABS and DSC the most but the car turns that off for you.

What you guys think?
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Wong Amat Tower Condos

 

It's your fault for living in the snow-belt!!

Kidding aside, is the first time the car has seen serious snow??

 

No. the car went through last winter no problem, had big snow days last winter.
Snow yesterday was not the 1st in this winter, had the quite a few already, even an ice storm in Dec......
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Weed Bubblers

 

could the front wheel spin while the rear wheel stationary trigger the ABS warning light?
I am not suggesting you guys go try to spin your wheels on ice or snow, but next time when you do drifting or donuts or simply notice your front wheel spin, if the ABS light comes on, please report. It turns out other cars have this problem as well. Maybe the ABS software was from a single source?
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Hot_In_Ohio live

 

Chunk of snow blocking a wheel sensor? Guessing here -- not nearly that much snow here.

 

Even though this has not happened with my three. It has happened on another car I owned.
Just wash the wheels out at a car wash. That fixed my problem when I was on a long trip and the abs went off. Snow storm.

I did have a situation of a blizzard when I was at work one day. So much snow went into the rims, that turned to ice. Threw the whole balance of the wheels off. Had no choice but to stop off at the next car wash and clean out the wheels. -10 and all. Car shook all over the place.

BTW. Probably melted away by now anyways.

 

that happened to me once coming home from my grandma's house. car was sitting in the cold and snooow for about 5 hours. and leaving the abs kept staying on... then it stopped.. hmmm and never has done it since.. car didnt do anythign differently just the light was on. gotta love canadian winters aha