Why did all my ABS sensors blow?

[tgold]

My regular dealer recently replaced both the main and support batteries in my 2015.5 V60 and also performed a software update. Immediately afterwards I started to get a bunch or various warning messages along with the adaptive cruise control and ESC becoming disabled. I took the car to a different dealer and they has to replace all 4 ABS sensors to correct the problems. What happened? I do not believe in coincidences and ask how replacing the batteries or updating the software either damaged the ABS sensors or else caused faulty warnings that were cured by replacing good ones?

[Tannaton]

On most Volvo platforms up to and including P3 (which is yours) having a low system voltage usually results in a plethora of errors from the ABS/Traction control system.

I cannot think of any circumstances where changing the batteries would damage all four, or any one for that matter, of the ABS sensors. The coil resistance in the ABS sensors is sufficiently high that applying a full battery voltage to them wouldn't damage them.

Personally, I give Volvo a ring... get them to ask the dealer how they diagnosed four sensors. but your options might be limited as you've had the repair done at a different dealer.

[tgold]

Thanks for that. I posted the question here in the hope that someone would recognize some obscure issue related to battery replacements triggering ABS sensor failures or else corrupt the programming of the BCM or ECM to cause false reporting that they had failed.

[Sotosound]

I'd also want to check out any reviews of the dealer that did the work......

[Tannaton]

Originally Posted by tgold

Thanks for that. I posted the question here in the hope that someone would recognize some obscure issue related to battery replacements triggering ABS sensor failures or else corrupt the programming of the BCM or ECM to cause false reporting that they had failed.

The abs sensors are simple coils of thin wire… they are not uniquely identified, the bcm cannot detect if they have been changed etc.

[Billstates]

While I'm not an expert, it's possible that the software update or the battery replacement process could have somehow affected the communication or calibration of the ABS sensors. Modern cars are highly interconnected, and changes in one system can sometimes have unintended consequences in another.

[Tannaton]

Originally Posted by Billstates

While I'm not an expert, it's possible that the software update or the battery replacement process could have somehow affected the communication or calibration of the ABS sensors. Modern cars are highly interconnected, and changes in one system can sometimes have unintended consequences in another.

No. The ABS sensors are simple coils of wire. 5 volts is applied to them, a current passes through, as the ring on the axle moves the magnets disrupt the current - that's what's counted. There's no calibration, set up or programming involved, it's as simple as it gets.