ABS

[normanh]

Beginning to suspect i may have a bigger brake problem, anyone have the experience on what the ABS feels like when envoked. Having driven loads of cars over the years with ABS. Seems that my 2 has yet to yield to me the feel. I have no idea whether its functional the light goes out on the dash thats all I know, tried a stop tonight from 60 and nothing, was wondering as to whether it is really activated unless really needed?


normanh

[Anonymous]

When the Abs kicks in you'll feel it alright!  Trust me...... 5th floor car park at work, wet surface, 1st gear, a little heavy with the right foot and wheeeeeee all the way round 270 degrees with brakes locked on, ABS chattering away - ABS not too effective sidewards.  Luckily no one watching... phew   s:oops: :oops: s:oops:  

There goes my my first lesson of driving a 2' on slippy surfaces.  Two sqirms since on wet roads.. no recent need for ABS tho'  s:lol: :lol: s:lol:   - I still consider myself a novice,  I've got a feeling the 2 can kick you in the ar*e if you don't drive sensible in the wet on slippery surfaces.

[Tem]

was wondering as to whether it is really activated unless really needed?

Huh?

Of course ABS isn't activated unless it's needed. What would it do before that anyway?  s:? :? s:?  

Find a straight road and check that there's no one behind you. And I mean that. Then stand on the brake pedal with all you got. That's ABS and some massive braking power. Welcome to the world of sportscars.

[Liz]

It does work well, when I had to slam the brakes on once to avoid a car coming towards me, it rattled away nicely.

[normanh]

Mmmm did the test last night and to be frank was not conclusive thats why I asked, getting a bit feed up with bits not working so I wondering is the ABS working as  the hand brake packed up in 3 days.

Oh I am well familar with the abs effect from Citroeons going way back into the late eighties!!!!!


normanh

[Tem]

Mmmm did the test last night and to be frank was not conclusive thats why I asked, getting a bit feed up with bits not working so I wondering is the ABS working as  the hand brake packed up in 3 days.

Oh I am well familar with the abs effect from Citroeons going way back into the late eighties!!!!!

The pedal feels VERY different in C5 when the ABS kicks in than in the '2. But the function itself should be the same, the wheels shouldn't lock. Did they?

[normanh]

No locking a very slight twist but car was straight just never experienced that jolt!


normanh

[SimonC_Here]

It took a lot to get the ABS to come on with my car. 90mph to 0 as quickly as possible actually. This was on the North weald airfield training days I've been on.

It came on easier with left foot breaking. Andy said something about the left food being trained to stamp down harder than the right. because it is usually used for the clutch.

Simon

[Tem]

It took a lot to get the ABS to come on with my car.

Yeah, that's true. There's plenty of grip for braking on dry roads and we don't have featherlight brake pedal, like some modern grocery getters do.  s8) s8)

[BenF]

IMO - when the ABS 'trips' it feels just like you're driving over a loose gravel surface.

You'll hear some noise from the front of the car (the ABS pump working) and the brake pedal will pulse under your foot. Ignore that, and lean on it really hard if you are looking to stop.

I rarely trip it - but it did help yesterday morning on damp roads when a woman driving a brand new 06 Audi A3 dediced to do an emergency stop in front of me on a clear road as she missed a turning   s:evil: :evil: s:evil:  

Its well and good knowing cadance braking and how to steer a skidding car away from a staionary object, but ABS is certainly one thing I'd always want on any car I buy.

[philster_d]

I regularly practice/test emergency stops (on clear roads)

Good to know you can stop especialy if you drive entheusiasticaly   s:D s:D

[Anonymous]

Seems that my 2 has yet to yield to me the feel. I have no idea whether its functional the light goes out on the dash thats all I know, tried a stop tonight from 60 and nothing, was wondering as to whether it is really activated unless really needed?

It's a common misconception that when the ABS kicks in, "it feels like the wheels are square" or "the wheels intermitendly lock".  The wheels most certainly don't lock under any circumstances unless the ABS is not working properly; it does however bring the wheels very close to locking.  The "square wheel" feel is nothing more than the valves opening and closing.

The algorithm is very complex - on most cases it detects acceleration/deceleration and road conditions.  There is a possibility that the ABS will not kick in even under hard breaking if friction is very good.  If you really want to test your ABS, you have to do it under slippery conditions.

[Tem]

There is a possibility that the ABS will not kick in even under hard breaking if friction is very good.

I'm not so sure about that. If the ABS kicks in on track with slicks, surely it should do that everytime and everywhere, if needed.