2000 D2: Traction Control Engaging While Making Left Turn

MacRoadie

Well-known member
Jan 24, 2017
111
0
Placentia, CA
Just replaced a grenaded front diff, and while in there I took the opportunity to swap out both CV's/half shafts (ordered them because I didn't know if the splines had been damaged and it's cheap insurance), left and right axle seals, and the driver's side wheel speed sensor (the little set screw bracket on the old one had come loose and I had a spare sitting around).

Everything went together just fine, and the truck drives great in high, low, and with diff lock engaged. Got rid of about 90% of the clunk we all hear when putting a D2 into drive too. Bonus!

Downside, the traction control now engages whenever the truck turns left, applying braking to the front right wheel. No problems on right turns, just turning left. This is on flat, level asphalt.

I assume the TC is seeing the right wheel rotating faster due to the longer arc it makes versus the left as slippage. Is there a chance the brand new sensor I just put in is bad and not reading the left wheel rotation accurately? Anyone else experienced this? I did a forum search, but didn't get any hits along these lines. There are a couple over on the Land Rover Forums, but I trust the knowledge base over here much more.
 

Drillbit

Well-known member
Oct 12, 2005
5,943
1
Glasgow Ky
I would change the sensor first, just because it's the easiest thing to swap. Your hub could be bad too but swap the sensor first.
 

MacRoadie

Well-known member
Jan 24, 2017
111
0
Placentia, CA
I would change the sensor first, just because it's the easiest thing to swap. Your hub could be bad too but swap the sensor first.

My guess too. Both hubs are almost brand new. I ordered another set of four sensors this morning. Will swap out that driver's side when they come in and keep the rest in the inventory.
 

MacRoadie

Well-known member
Jan 24, 2017
111
0
Placentia, CA
Quick question: in the past, when I've purchased hubs, the sensors came with them. This new sensor I installed came with extra "spacers" in addition to the o-ring. Other hubs didn't have any of these spacers, just the little flange used to attach the sensor to the hub body.

Is there a chance the sensor is too far down in the hub body, and possibly even touching the hub ring? I know the sensor is nothing more than a magnet, and the ring has notches (dentitions) that affect the magnetic field as the hub rotates faster or slower, sending a pulsed signal to the ABS ECU. Adding a spacer or two would move the end of the sensor further away from the hub ring. That must have some impact of the calibration and sensitivity of the sensor.
 

MacRoadie

Well-known member
Jan 24, 2017
111
0
Placentia, CA
Follow-Up:

It was the new wheel speed sensor. Before pulling the hub back off (and requiring a new axle nut, etc.) to swap it out, I tried adding a couple of the spacers that came with it. Like I said in the OP, I've never used them before, and haven't seen any on hubs I've purchased that came with sensors.

Anyway, I added all three spacers, put everything back together, and immediately got the Three Amigos, and an error code indicating the front left sensor signal was too weak. Obviously too many spacers and now too far away from the hub ring. Pulled it apart again, and tried again with a single spacer. Success. Three Amigos gone, no codes, and no traction control activation while turning.

Happy ending.