ABS - Who needs it?

[Rudy602]

My only concern with disabling the ABS is passing state inspection. Do they check it and can they tell? What's involved in removing that bulb behind the ABS light? 3 - 7mm screws hold the inst. panel in. Pull the bulb, done deal, ABS fixed.

 

[Rudy602]

ABS may be one of the greatest things to come down the pike but I still haven't heard from all those people who have had a close encounter with it in real life and don't want the option of turning it off. If ABS is like fuel injection, what is the down side to FI? Am I in some kind of danger if I don't have control of my fuel/air mixture like I am when I don't have control of my brakes?

 

[Mbrooks420]

I'll drop the sarcasm if you drop the sexism.

The reason you don't like/trust ABS is because yours isn't working properly. If ABS increases your stopping distance, it's not working. Fix it, and maybe your attitude will change. I have driven many cars with and without ABS. I feel safer in a car with ABS. I drive in extreme winter conditions most of the winter. I would not buy a non classic car without working ABS, if that car was ever to be driven in the winter.

 

[Pensa]

I have driven in extreme conditions also and never with ABS. I didn't have a problem. The biggest problem seems to be with the drivers not knowing the limits of their cars and the conditions they are driving under.

I guess I am making the case for most drivers to have ABS as it seems far too many have no clue as to the limits of their cars or conditions.

 

[Mbrooks420]

ABS is like fuel injection in that people dislike it for no good reason. People have an "I'd rather have a carb you can tune" over having fuel injection. Simple fact is fuel injection works better, and very, VERY few people can properly tune a carburetor. Same with ABS. In a slippery condition you can't modulate the brakes like ABS, and like mentioned before, you can't ease braking pressure on just one wheel.

What kind of example are you looking for? ABS has worked for me a number of times in the winter, and on loose gravel. Once, I wasn't paying attention on the way home from work, and didn't realize the car in front of me had stopped. I slammed on the brakes, and ended up about 3 inches from his bumper. I am sure had I not had ABS I would have slid. I've also needed it on steep hills. One in particular where the townships change, and they will stop the salt/cinders mid hill.

I drove a car (moms old 95 Blazer) that had a perpetually bad ABS system. It was terrible. This is what you are experiencing, I assume. If it doesn't work, it sucks. But that doesn't take away the usefulness of a working system.

 

[IZwack]

Formula one doesn't race on snow but if they did, they still wouldn't use ABS because they know how to drive, they dont just stomp on the brake and wait for the car to drive for them.

Sorry I'm late but I disagree. If it was legal, I'm pretty sure they'd run ABS - just like they run computer-controlled hydraulically actuated paddle shifters (not manual shifters), computer controlled launch control (for traction), and so on and so forth. ANd if you think that they wouldnt, then you are probably missing the point of F1 - it isnt about the driver, its about the driver and the technology supporting the driver, ABS would most certainly be part of this technology if it was allowed, and would most certainly make a difference in tracks such as Monaco (later braking). Yes F1 drivers know how to drive but the role of technology in F1 (as with other race venues and in every day vehicles) is to remove the burden from the driver so that he/she can concentrate on other things. Probably the greatest example of this is the pit lane speed control - push a button and the car is fixed until you are out of the pits. THe driver doesnt need to worry about breaking the speed limit, he only needs to focus on getting the car to the box.

 

[wood1]

What about Electronic Stability Control? It uses the ABS system. I would have ended up on the roof in a work Tahoe if it weren't for the ESC kicking in and getting my inattentive butt down a snow covered off ramp. I misjudged the road condition, was about 1/8 mile from the office, thinking about what I had to do rather than concentrating on the road that I had traveled thousands of times. Prior to that I didn't like the idea of the computer taking control away from me, now I am a proponent. Anything to make you and your family safer.

Early ABS systems were not even close to the later ones. The ABS in my 1st Gen has been a little disturbing at times, the early ABS GM used in passenger cars was terrible on ice. You just kept on rolling along, not stopping until you ran into something.

My opinion? My family including my wife and teenager do not drive anything without ABS. When we buy our next vehicle, it will have ESC and as many airbags as possible.

 

[Rudy602]

What are the symptoms of a bad ABS system? I'm not looking for any specific kind of example, just a real world experience of a "thank God for ABS" or any other real experience with it. I'm not trying to prove anything, maybe you haven't read my book, it's called " You Can't Tell Anybody Anything and Besides, It Won't Be A Good Idea Untill I Think Of It Anyway " I believe the real world experience speaks for itself. If I or anyone I could ask, had been crashing into things untill ABS came along, I may be more inclined to accept that I'm not smart enough or capable of deciding when I should brake and when I shouldn't. My only experiences with it were similar to others who said it scared the crap out of them and want it turned off. If you think you need yours then you probably do. I'm just asking for other people's experiences and this seems like a good place to get them. I apologize for the sexist remark about the well endowed blonde and i'll cover up those snap-on posters on the garage wall.

 

[Mbrooks420]

Your ABS doesn't work right. THAT'S why it scares you. Several have posted positive experiences with ABS. If it were such a bad idea everyone here would complain, and their would be a sticky on how to disable it.

 

[Rudy602]

There was nothing wrong with my ABS that required fixing untill recently when the light came on. The reason it increased my stopping distance is due to reduced braking while on a hill. Gravity and ABS, combined with a winter roadsurface, caused my Ex to practically freefall toward a busy highway. There was no malfunction in the ABS the ABS was the malfunction. The ABS nazi said "no brakes for you" - "too slippery - try again later" Think fast, seconds to impact, what to do?

 

[Turdle]

I have always been amazed how well ABS works on Ice and snow. Yes, I have been saved by it.

All I can say is, whoever says they are better and faster than a proper ABS system must have one crazy case of Jimmy leg.

 

[my pos mounty]

There was nothing wrong with my ABS that required fixing untill recently when the light came on. The reason it increased my stopping distance is due to reduced braking while on a hill. Gravity and ABS, combined with a winter roadsurface, caused my Ex to practically freefall toward a busy highway. There was no malfunction in the ABS the ABS was the malfunction. The ABS nazi said "no brakes for you" - "too slippery - try again later" Think fast, seconds to impact, what to do?

Contrary to what you may believe, ABS will NEVER increase your stopping distance beyond what is humanly possible (if operating properly). If you did not have ABS you would have been much worse off.
What really happened here is that you drove your truck too aggressive for the road conditions, thus having to rely on the ABS system to save your behind.
It only "feels" like the ABS is taking longer to stop the truck because your butt is in pucker mode and the "oh ****" running through your mind makes it seem like its a long time, but it isnt. It is faster than you could ever be.

 

[Mbrooks420]

If your ABS increases your stopping distance, it's not working right. Just because a light isn't on, doesn't mean its working properly.

As to the seconds to impact thing, I am confidant my Mounty would have had no problems stopping. If I couldn't stop in my Mounty, I am also confidant I couldn't stop in a non ABS vehicle.

 

[Rudy602]

I was hoping for some real life experiences with ABS from mechanically inclined people driving a similar vehicle to my '97 Ex. [but any vehicle would do] I never dreamed I would get such attention from the self proclaimed "greatest driver on the surface of the planet" but I do appreciate the time and effort involved to make your case for ABS. Though there was nothing wrong with my ABS system 10 years ago when I got my first taste of ABS brakes rejection, the light has recently come on and I am reluctant to fix something that works so poorly. I'm sure the newer systems work better just like a computer from '97 isn't as good as a new one. Since there's no shortage of things to fix on an Ex, I think I'll give this one a wait and see.

 

[Rudy602]

forgive me doubting the confidence of the best driver on the surface of the planet.

 

[Turdle]

What I find amusing about your thread is how you asked for opinions but still feel the need to argue unless you are agreed with.

OK, we get it. You do not like your ABS and never will.

Sometimes stating an opinion once Shows more integrity than rambling on a soapbox.

 

[Rudy602]

No, mypos, I wasn't just dreaming it, I was there and have driven the same road the same way many times with many vehicles, one of us was there, I'm not trying to convince you to change your mind but in my mind I'm confident that the same vehicle without the ABS would have stopped in time. When I stepped on the brakes all I got was the duh duh duh. I was definately going too fast for an ABS equipped rig but any one of my old pos stopped everytime in plenty of time. I knew as soon as I touched the brakes it was never going to stop.

 

[silky]

Formula one doesn't race on snow but if they did, they still wouldn't use ABS because they know how to drive, they dont just stomp on the brake and wait for the car to drive for them.

Formula one drivers also do not have to deal with inpredictabilities. Everyone in the race is driving in the same direction with the same goal, you don't need to worry about people turning into you, pedestrians, guys on bikes etc.

 

[Rudy602]

I'm not looking to project integrity, i'm looking to learn, I asked for other peoples experiences, not opinions, opinions are like butts, everyone has one. So "we" get it? Who is we? Is this "your" forum? You the "pro" ABS vs. me the "anti" ABS? I'm glad you're amused but you sound more critical than amused. There are plenty of other threads to monitor if you're so disgusted with this one.

 

[Turdle]

So you just want to hear negative experiences then. OK