Code
C05F4
Generic
C — Chassis
Rear Drive Shaft Speed Sensor Circuit Range/Performance
Views:
UK: 13
EN: 17
RU: 12
AI status
Completed
Completed
100%
Causes
- Open or shorted sensor wiring (broken conductor, chafing, pinched cable)
- Corroded, loose, or contaminated connector at sensor or control module
- Failed or degraded speed sensor (Hall-effect, magnetic/VR or active type)
- Damaged or missing tone/ring reluctor on the drive shaft/axle
- Intermittent connection due to water ingress or connector deformation
- Faulty ABS/traction control module or poor reference power/ground to the sensor circuit
Symptoms
- ABS/traction/stability warning lamp illuminated
- Poor traction control or inconsistent ABS activation
- Speedometer or drivetrain control message (if vehicle uses sensor for speed)
- Intermittent or erratic wheel speed readings in scan tool data
- Reduced engine/braking performance in some drive modes
What to check
- Visually inspect sensor, connector, wiring harness and tone/reluctor ring for damage, contamination or displacement
- Check for corrosion, bent pins or water ingress in the sensor connector
- Use a scan tool to read live rear drive shaft/wheel speed sensor data and compare with other wheel/shaft sensors at various speeds
- Measure sensor supply/reference voltage and ground at the connector (for active sensors)
- Measure sensor resistance (for passive sensors) and compare to specification
- Back-probe connector while turning drive shaft (or spin wheel) and observe waveform with oscilloscope or multimeter AC
Signal parameters
- Passive (variable-reluctance) sensor: AC waveform amplitude increases with speed; low-speed AC millivolts up to several volts at higher speed; typical resistance often 500–2000 ohms (vehicle dependent)
- Active (Hall or magnetoresistive) sensor: digital square-wave output, typically 0–5V (or 0–12V on some systems), frequency proportional to rotational speed
- Reference/supply for active sensor: commonly 5V (verify vehicle spec) with stable ground
- At a slow spin (few km/h), expect a clean waveform (no dropouts) and frequency proportional to rpm; no signal or noisy/irregular waveform indicates problem
- Compare left/right or front/rear sensor signals at the same rotational speed for consistency
Diagnostic algorithm
- Retrieve freeze frame and related codes; note conditions when fault set (speed, temperature, load).
- Visually inspect sensor, tone ring and wiring for obvious damage, contamination, missing teeth or debris. Repair as needed.
- Disconnect sensor connector, inspect pins for corrosion/bent pins and clean/repair connector. Reconnect and re-check.
- With connector disconnected, measure sensor resistance (passive) and compare to spec. Replace if out of range.
- For active sensors, with ignition on, measure reference supply voltage and ground at the sensor connector. If missing or out of spec, trace supply/ground to ABS/ECU.
- Back-probe sensor output while rotating the drive shaft (or wheel). Use oscilloscope to confirm expected waveform and amplitude or use multimeter to check pulses. Look for dropouts, noise or incorrect amplitude.
- Perform wiggle test on harness and connectors while monitoring live data to locate intermittent opens/shorts.
- If wiring and connectors are good but signal is absent or wrong, replace the sensor and re-test.
- After repairs, clear codes and test drive to confirm proper operation and that the code does not return.
- If problem persists with good sensor and wiring, investigate ABS/traction control module inputs, grounding points and CAN bus communication integrity.
Likely causes
- Wiring harness damage or connector corrosion at the rear drive shaft sensor
- Failed rear drive shaft speed sensor
- Physical damage or contamination of the tone/reluctor ring
- Faulty sensor reference voltage or ground from ABS/ECU
Fault status
Status
Rear drive shaft speed sensor circuit exhibiting out-of-range or poor performance values. Check sensor, wiring, connectors, tone ring and control module inputs.
Repair difficulty: Medium
Diagnostic time: 0.5-2.0 hours
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