Quick, Easy Question:

Is it possible that I have a 95 SE Auto Maxima that just wasn't built with ABS? I know that if I have it, it doesn't seem to work (I can lock up all four wheels if I slam on the brakes and slide for a long ways on ice or sand). No lights on, either, though.

In anything I've driven with ABS, if you slam on the brakes, you can feel the brake pedal pulsate and the brakes basically chatter on and off. This Maxima doesn't do this at all. Not that I'm complaining...ABS has a tendency to drive me insane!

I think the manual mentions ABS, but it doesn't say if it's standard or not.

Any input?

Thanks!

 

ABS isn't standard.

 

^

 

My 98 SE auto doesn't have it.

If this is your first car without ABS, I would go out and practice, albeit on as slick a surface you can find to save wear and tear on brakes and tires. It may take a bit of practice until it becomes instinctive for you to ease off the brakes a bit in an emergency braking situation for maximum braking, rather than pushing the brake petal harder to the detriment of your braking distance.

 

If you have ABS there is a light on the dash which illuminates on start up.

 

Another way to check is look under the brake master cylinder, if you have a big square metal thing with metal tubes coming out of it you have abs, if you don't have this them you don't have abs

 

I'm actually more used to not having ABS than having it (older vehicles), it just occurred to me when I got this Maxima that it may have it. I couldn't think of a simple way to figure it out. I actually prefer not having it, I'm pretty adept at controlling the brakes for quick stops or slick surfaces (New England ), on the rare occasions that I've driven something with ABS it annoys me when it kicks in. I feel like I don't have complete control over the braking with ABS.

I'm almost positive I've never seen a light for it, I'll have to look tomorrow morning when I start it. Didn't think of that simple way to tell!

...and I'm almost positive I don't have this either. I'll have to look tomorrow, too...can't see anything in the dark!



Thanks for the replies!

 

Maximae not having ABS standard is completely incomprehensible to me. It just doens't make sense that
a) ABS was not standard, and that
b) so many Maximae do not have them.

My SE (in my sig) is pretty well-optioned - it's an SE, it's that dat BOSE and sunroof - yet there's no goddamn ABS. Which ******* decided he wanted a trunklid spoiler and white gauges more than he wanted to steer in the rain? I don't know. But that guy sucks.

 

Just checked, and I definitely don't have it...no light comes on, nothing under the master cylinder, heck--I shined a light against the dash and don't even see a spot for an ABS light--nothing is labeled that way!

...and I definitely agree it's strange that it isn't standard...mine also has fog lights, a spoiler, white face gauges, and no ABS. (No Bose or Sunroof, though--but I replaced the stock headunit and speakers anyway)

 

Haha my car is a 98 SE with only standard features. No ABS, no sunroof, not even a damn "trunk popper". Oh well, I still love it though lol

 

I has a 97 that was fully loaded with every option except for leather and no abs. I guess back then people didn't really know what abs was and thought sunroofs and spoilers were more important.

 

ABS FTW.

What's funny is that most Maxima owners (not here on the org) and private dealers think that ABS is standard on these cars. They were almost insulted when I asked the question and would say stuff like, "This is Nissan's flagship model, of course it has ABS" and "Of course it has ABS, this was a 30k car brand new"... The list goes on and on and on.

After being let down once after being told the car had ABS and it didn't upon inspection, I insisted that the owner check for the ABS light while we were on the phone together when I found another fully loaded Max that I was interested in.

Took me about 9 months to find my fully loaded 99 5spd with ABS.
Took me about 6 months to find my fully loaded 98 Auto with ABS.

Worth the wait.

 

Wow, it almost seems as though 4th-Gen Maximas with ABS are a rarity!