Braking Problem. No ABS?

V3RSAC3 · 14-10-2009, 06:36 PM

Ok so here it is,

Last night (late afternoon) I was driving along in the rain and some spasm stupid middle aged woman decides that she won't stop for traffic as she pulls from a side street to cross 2 lanes of traffic to get across the road to the other direction of traffic (this happened on Golden Grove road, between Milne Road and Grenfell, for those who know the area).

So there I was traveling along at 70kmp/h and out she comes straight across and stops in the middle island with her tail hanging out in my lane. So I've jumped on the brakes (no chance to swerve as it was 4.30pm traffic) and not wanting another accident. But this is where it got alittle bit scary.

When I stomped on the brakes, they had like a spasm attack on me and started kicking my foot back and in and felt like it was grinding? Do you know what I mean? So when I pushed it in it felt as though on the brake disc I was fighting to break through chunks of the disc and my peddel was moving in and out with the grinding. Now I barely stopped in time because of this (ripped up the handbrake and went curbside).

On my dashboard, my ABS light is on CONSTANTLY. Is this the effect you get with no ABS?

Am I making sense?

Here's the Dash, because I got bored lol.

private9 · 14-10-2009, 07:12 PM

Apart from the ABS light being on, the rest sounds normal.

ABS when activated is a little weird feeling the first time you use it. Just keep your foot buried!

The Monty · 14-10-2009, 07:23 PM

The grinding feeling is the ABS sensor (a little rod looking thing) rubs (grinds) along the other sensors that are in a cog form. The result is a funny feeling, exactly like you described.
Now the ABS light is lit as the ABS is now failing in some way. Be it the loom has been unplugged, its worn too much off the sensor and isnt reading (probably up for a new hub and bearing, its a sealed unit, make sure you get an ABS one) or the little sensor has wor a bit, and youll need the sensor and loom (hit the wreckers).
Josh

V3RSAC3 · 14-10-2009, 07:23 PM

Oh ok. Thanks I was alittle worried. I thought ABS would be smooth and do the braking electronically. In the dry when I've locked up my brakes I just lock up and leave tyre marks. LOL

The Monty · 14-10-2009, 07:24 PM

Oh, and the handbrake light will stay on as well usually.

V3RSAC3 · 14-10-2009, 07:38 PM

Yeah it does lol

Erich · 14-10-2009, 09:57 PM

I was working for Nissan when the ABS came out some years ago and on one of the day thing we went on, we test drove a few variances on a test track. Driving at 120 with 1 side in the gravel stomping on the breaks is a funny and un-natural feeling.

How ABS works is you hit the brakes, it picks up the disc has stopped moving (locked up), it releases the pressure to "that disc" (via the block thing under the bonnet with the brake fluid pipes on it), it then locks up again (you have the brakes on yea) then releases it again - numerous times per second. Hence the "pulsation" feeling or feedback and groaning you get through the feet and car

AMB · 14-10-2009, 10:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by V3RSAC3

Oh ok. Thanks I was alittle worried. I thought ABS would be smooth and do the braking electronically. In the dry when I've locked up my brakes I just lock up and leave tyre marks. LOL

Yeah the strange pulsing effect was probably even more exaggerated because the road was wet. But if you can lock up and leave tyre marks in the dry, then the ABS is not working, thats why its called anti-lock brake sytem (ABS) LOL.

GK · 15-10-2009, 09:31 AM

Jack up the car, take off the wheels and clean the ABS sensors. They are magnetic and pick up filings over time. They also get pretty grubby. Gently clean them with a rag and a bit of brake disc cleaner or such and see how you go.

Your car has done a few kms also, so it may be the actual sensors are shot.

Give them a clean first though. It's cheap and easy to do. The sensors look like a little bit of dowel, that rotate around the ABS ring. The ABS ring looks a bit like a cog.

All the best with it.

GK

V3RSAC3 · 15-10-2009, 10:53 AM

Thanks for the help guys. And thanks for that GK. I'll have to do that this weekend when the wheather clears up!... Thanks a bunch.

AMB · 15-10-2009, 09:44 PM

Yeh I've noticed they pick up metal filings pritty quickly. A good blast with compressed air cleans em up well.