My anti lock brakes suck

[OpenRoad]

My new Honda's anti-locks are way too aggressive in engaging early. I was coming off the freeway the other day and had to brake hard due to traffic backed up on the off-ramp, then had an oh-sh_t moment when the anti-lock "clicker" came on. Had to pump hard to re-engage brakes. I'd rather have a slow speed slide than smash into the back of another car.

[category4]

I've never noticed the anti lock brakes kicking in on the Vette, I guess that's a good thing.

Now the active handling feature will scare the crap out of you the first few times it activates!!!

[OpenRoad]

I've never noticed the anti lock brakes kicking in on the Vette, I guess that's a good thing.

Now the active handling feature will scare the crap out of you the first few times it activates!!!

My cousin was a few days before his wedding down in L.A. a few years ago. He owned a new Vette and let his girlfriend drive it without him one day. She was turning left at a traffic light, and punched it to turn between two cars and was not prepared for the power to rear wheels. She went sideways and smashed in both right wheels against the curb. I arrived the next day before the wedding, and went with him to the auto shop. He was telling the mechanics there that his fiance was driving..... the mechanic asked him, "so, are you still going to marry her?".

[ELVATO]

What do you mean by "clicker"?

[JDS]

I was coming off the freeway the other day and had to brake hard due to traffic backed up on the off-ramp, then had an oh-sh_t moment when the anti-lock "clicker" came on. Had to pump hard to re-engage brakes. I'd rather have a slow speed slide than smash into the back of another car.

I...I think you're VERY confused about how ABS works. Or you're describing things weird. When you say the "clicker" came on, you mean that you felt and heard the brakes pulsating, yes? Never "pump" the brakes when that happens. It doesn't mean that the brakes aren't "engaged". It means that they're engaging and disengaging 10+ times per second, maintaining the maximum level of deceleration possible without skidding. As long as you keep the brake pedal to the floor, the car is going to stop as fast as it possible can.

[Obsidian]

My new Honda's anti-locks are way too aggressive in engaging early. I was coming off the freeway the other day and had to brake hard due to traffic backed up on the off-ramp, then had an oh-sh_t moment when the anti-lock "clicker" came on. Had to pump hard to re-engage brakes. I'd rather have a slow speed slide than smash into the back of another car.

+1 to what JDS said ... you don't pump antilock brakes, you keep firm pressure and steer.

As far as the antilock feature engaging too early ... check your tire pressures. If they are overinflated then that can cause it. The brakes on my Honda are spot on, though they are obviously different cars.

[supercowpowers]

My new Honda's anti-locks are way too aggressive in engaging early. I was coming off the freeway the other day and had to brake hard due to traffic backed up on the off-ramp, then had an oh-sh_t moment when the anti-lock "clicker" came on. Had to pump hard to re-engage brakes. I'd rather have a slow speed slide than smash into the back of another car.

+1 to what JDS said ... you don't pump antilock brakes, you keep firm pressure and steer.

As far as the antilock feature engaging too early ... check your tire pressures. If they are overinflated then that can cause it. The brakes on my Honda are spot on, though they are obviously different cars.

I had a vehicle one time that I bought new, and stupidly figured that everything would be perfect on it... After a month of squishy handling and, yes, the ABS kicking in way too early, I checked the tire pressures and discovered they were at 25 PSI instead of the specified 32...

You do have to know what to do with ABS. If something pops out in front of you and you have to stop right now, just stomp and pray and let it work. If you were trying to maintain some sort of constant braking effort that should have been less than 100%, just keep the same pressure on the pedal - it's not unusual to hit a bump or a slick spot in the road and have the ABS activate for a split second; it works pretty fast.

[OpenRoad]

I was coming off the freeway the other day and had to brake hard due to traffic backed up on the off-ramp, then had an oh-sh_t moment when the anti-lock "clicker" came on. Had to pump hard to re-engage brakes. I'd rather have a slow speed slide than smash into the back of another car.

I...I think you're VERY confused about how ABS works. Or you're describing things weird. When you say the "clicker" came on, you mean that you felt and heard the brakes pulsating, yes? Never "pump" the brakes when that happens. It doesn't mean that the brakes aren't "engaged". It means that they're engaging and disengaging 10+ times per second, maintaining the maximum level of deceleration possible without skidding. As long as you keep the brake pedal to the floor, the car is going to stop as fast as it possible can.

Yes, that is what I felt. I'll try doing it again when the snow falls and I am driving on ice in a parking lot.... hopefully not for another 4 months.

[JDS]

Yes, that is what I felt. I'll try doing it again when the snow falls and I am driving on ice in a parking lot.... hopefully not for another 4 months.

Wait, what? You mean just to test out what it feels like when the ABS kicks in?

Remember that if you're actually on snow or gravel, the ABS will **** you, because you NEED to lock the wheels to stop on those surfaces. Best bet is to pull the handbrake, that's immune to ABS, although of course that only works on the rear wheels. On ice, well, there's really no way to stop with or without ABS...

[yamaha1]

Yes, that is what I felt. I'll try doing it again when the snow falls and I am driving on ice in a parking lot.... hopefully not for another 4 months.

Wait, what? You mean just to test out what it feels like when the ABS kicks in?

Remember that if you're actually on snow or gravel, the ABS will **** you, because you NEED to lock the wheels to stop on those surfaces. Best bet is to pull the handbrake, that's immune to ABS, although of course that only works on the rear wheels. On ice, well, there's really no way to stop with or without ABS...

Precisely!! Depending on the conditions, ABS can be your best friend or your worst enemy!

I rigged up an inline fuse and toggle switch across the terminals for the ABS fuse in a truck I used to have. When we would go out to play in the snow or mud, that switch got turned off and the ABS disabled....it prevented a repeat of rear ending the guy pulling me out of the s**t I had gotten myself into!

Before the switch, sometimes I would just pull the fuse but that made it hard to switch back and forth when going to a new play spot......I found that not having the ABS, for those trips between spots made the rear wheels lock first when you needed to stop in a hurry! When you're dodging deer, it's always good to be able to steer.