Ok well I have a small fluid leak but I don't think that is the problem.

My 96 SE 5sp w/ VLSD was advertised with ABS when I bought it (used) and it has the ABS actuator in the engine bay. But when i start the car I see no abs light, and when I slam on the brakes there is deffinatly no abs.

I have no CELs or codes and as far as I know i have no ABS codes cause there isn't even a light at all?

I have a 1 year (12,000km) nation wide warrenty on the car ($600cdn w/ $50 deductable) so i'm gonna take it to the stealership on my xmas brake, but I was just wondering what u guys though the problem could be?

 

I would have thought the SE's all had ABS,my GXE does not,so I guess its possible but why the actuator though IDK.

 

my parts 95 GXE has the actuator and it has ABS, my friends 97 GXE doesn't have ABS and there is just a big empty space where the actuator goes.

I recently had one of my axels replaced and the one that was removed was abs as well as the new one that was installed.

The car is equiped with abs, it just doesn't function... that is my problem

 

nope, my 96 doesn't have abs

 

Put the key in the ignition and turn it to the on position, but DO NOT CRANK IT. Look for the pretty amber ABS light. If you don't see it ... well you get the point. When I bought my 98 SE, I figured out that I don't have ABS the VERY VERY hard way. To this day I still am scared of that car cause I have never driven without ABS and I still do the same thing everytime.

 

ABS is crap and i hate it....trust me, you really don't need it...the best way to come to a really fast stop is to push the brake pedal hard enough and gradually to stop and downshift fast enough through the gears till 2nd...if u slam them it'll lock up and you might slidemore in a long distance stop coming from high speeds, but if there isn't much room...slam on the brakes, even if it locks up, it's still would stop faster then if abs came on. ABS is only meant to steer the car while braking, if your a good driver u won't need it

 

i was about to post the same thing but deleted my post. be glad you dont have ABS. i have one with and one without and stop much better without even in the snow. if it is that serious to you check the fuses. if they are good, you may have been scammed somehow.

 

there is no light on the dash for it, but I know the car is abs equiped, which fuse should I be checking?

Maxima's without abs don't have the acutator (like my friends) both of my cars have the actuator and both were advertised with it.

The only method of braking that can stop u faster then abs on a non-abs car is threshold braking, which does work, but is not easy on ice/snow.

If u have a very little time/space to stop downshifting doesn't work too well.

I would like to get my abs working, it came with the car, I might as well use it.

 

your kidding me right ? have you ever seen the tests done on ABS vs NON ABS cars ? Its been proven time and time again that ABS stops car 100x faster than non abs. Its safer and gives you MORE control of the car. and definitly stops you faster than sliding around like an out of control maniac. look up the NHSA tests.

 

My 96 SE doesn't have ABS as well...

 

ill challenge you to a stop contest. my ABS vs your non. i garantee i can control my car better and stop faster in the snow from a high rate of speed. if ya slam the brakes your gonna do nothing but slide and "snowplow".

 

if all you know how to do is slam and hold i dont think i would want to be near you in any driving contest. no offense.
p.s.: the word is "guarantee"

 

ok i don't want this turning into a ABS vs Non-ABS debate, I just want some input as to my my ABS does not work.

 

Pull out the gauge cluster, I bet the light's been taken out. Check the left side kickpanel (next to the driver's door, right next to the dead pedal). That's where the ABS computer resides.

Chances are a reluctor ring or a sensor was broken, and they just removed the light so they wouldn't have to fix it.

EDIT: And ABS is not meant to decrease how long it takes to come to a full stop (although that is a 'side effect' of ABS), but to keep the wheels from locking up to allow the driver to maintain better control over their vehicle. ABS in gravel, and snow actually increase your stopping distance, as if you lock the wheels up, you have the 'snowplow' effect that someone up above said was a bad thing. When this happens, snow/gravel build up in front of your tires and actually decrease your speed.

 

'98 SE 5MT, no ABS..

 

word, if you can't back up your claims. don't make them. here's fact:
ABS will stop your car faster on any surface except dry pavement(where the coefficient of static friction is 1.0 and kenetic friction is .9, actually some might and some might not depends on quality of system) and soft surfaces(like gravel where a locked wheel creates a "dam effect" similar to sticking a plow into the ground). If you need, I can find you articles on that. However, it is not proven that cars with ABS are less likely to have an accident than cars without.

 

If you see the actuator ( a pic would be nice so we are sure your looking at the correct item) and the ABS isn't working and the light isn't working on the dash, then perhaps the bulb is burnt out. If the ABS bulb is out and there is a problem with the system, it simply woun't work. You cannot pull ABS codes from the ECU without the correct scanner. You could have a wheel speed sensor broken, which will put the system out of commission. Because the light is burnt out and you can't pull ABS codes from your ECU, your pretty much out of luck until you find a mechanic that can scan your system and see what the problem is.

 

The actuator is a metal box kinda shaped device with a bunch of brake lines comming out of it, located just below the resivoir.

 

Terrific description..

 

that is how i've always heard it described, i u have a metal box with a bunch of twisty brake lines comming from it, u have abs.