When I first bought my car the guy mention the brakes not being to well. I've been driving it a year now with brakes that seem fine and I just found out what he was talking about. A squirl ran out and stops in front of my car while I was about 45mph, gives me a look, I hit the brakes and he dashes and countiues across to the other side of the road.




When I hit the brakes I felt a vibration on the brake pedal, a sound that sounds like your riding on a wooden roller coaster, and it seemed like the brake pads were slipping on the rotors. Is it my brakes or ABS??

 

All that vibration and noise was caused by the ABS kicking in.

 

the brake system has well in excess of 1000psi of hydraulic force in the line. if you were a 12v electric pump and you had to duplicate that. you'd make a loud noise too!
the pulsing is the solenoids closing to let the pressure off the brakes. the front wheels are under individual solenoid control, the rear wheels are paired together on one solenoid.

welcome to ABS 101. if you just want to stop put the thing to the floor and let the computer sort it out. if you're going to manuver... you can get away with not letting tottally off the pedal but remember it's brake on, brake off, turn.


oh... man don't hit the brakes for a squirrel. didn't you see the geico commercial??? they cause wrecks for fun!?!?!? seriously tho natural selection man. if it's not big enough to damage the car, dont risk the car.

 

Yes, the pulsing and noise is ABS functioning normally.

Run over the damn squirrel in the future. One of those nearly caused me to pin a mailbox many months ago in the rain.

 

So how does ABS work?



1.When a certain amout of force is pressed down on the pedal, the ABS system will rapidly pump the brakes on and off?


2.When a certain amount of force is pressed down on the pedal, the ABS system only allows enough pressure on the the brakes to slow the car down to prevent the wheels from locking up and sliding across the payvment.

 

Introduction to How Anti-Lock Brakes Work

How Anti-Lock Brakes Work: Anti-Lock Brake Types (the 2nd in the series)

 

Mine worked perfectly...well...skidded a little bit but thats because I stoped from 45 really really fast. Nearly hit the idiot bmw driver

 

Haha! Yeah, just run the thing over... ABS is a little over controling though, especially when you don't want it.
"For those respectabe drivers"

 

Yes you do stop faster in a straight line without it. However that's not the point of the system It's to keep you pointing frontways, and allowing some level of manuverability while maintining the maximum amount of braking during manuvering.
There's a reason why the SCCA still wants to ban ABS from it's top divisions. It makes cars much, much faster when it comes to diving into corners under braking. (Also why formula cars use it tehehe)




It can be disabled by pulling the ABS fuse, however I STRONGLY advise not doing so.