Yesterday it was snowing and I had to stop abruptly, ABS kicked and this UNGODLY noise is coming from the front brakes. I am talking a LOUD! Is this normal? I would hate to have people in the car to hear that, hell people outside the car could hear that! Either way it's the loudest ABS system I have ever hear. It sounded like the car was going to break or explode.

 

I would do a visual inspection first, do some test stops at different speeds in a safe area with no one around. For ABS, if you mash down on it, you may feel a pulsing through the brake peddle. I don't think UNGODLY noises is a Nissan Standard for safety equipment. If it were with my Brakes (Safety related), I would get it over to the dealer...

 

yes it is loud. but is it really more embarrassing than driving too fast for conditions and unable to brake properly? I would hate for people to be in the car and be fearful we weren't going to stop.

 

Same here, basic check, or dealer asap. Lug nuts are loose, caliper bolt missing, strut, ??? It may have been your lucky day.

 

Something must be wrong with your brake/ABS system, because mine didn't do like that when I had to stop ABRUPTLY when an 18-wheeler decided to change lanes without signalling 1st and I was running like 70mph and he changed lanes when I was just maybe about 150 feet! I felt the brake pulsating but I didnt hear any UNholy sound or something.

 

Well this happened in snow covered ice, and it was first time I actually needed to used it. I am not sure if it will sound different on dry or even wet but I may try it out. I know that the tires were not gripping worth a **** but not many would in ice. Aside from the noise I never had any problems braking.

 

It does sound louder on ice than on loose gravel. Don't know why. At least thats been my experience with the ABS.

 

My ABS sounds very quiet on dry land, but on snow, it's really LOUD!! I also couldn't push the pedal down nearly as far, and I could feel much stronger pulsation through my brake pedal as well.

So I think your brakes are fine.

Ming

 

I think your ABS are working as designed, just louder than you'd like Mine are the same way, but as long as i stop and the dash isn't lit up, i'm good.

 

From personal experience the abs is much louder when the car detects that you are sliding. If you are on ice and you hit the brakes hard the abs go to work pumping the breaks. Don't forget about electronic brake distribution feature. If the car senses a panic stop the system kicks in. All of this depends on factors such as speed, conditions, amount of pressure and so on. It does sound different on dry panic stops because the car doesn't slide as much thus less pumping action and less noise. It sounds like it works fine. I would rather hear the loud noise from abs over the loud noise of running into the back of someone's car. Hope this helps. If you are still unsure you can go to the dealer. More than likely they will tell you it's fine.

 

not a maxima but my mustang when i use to drive in the snow for fun when i hit the brakes (abs) it would sound like the car was coming apart because the actuator would try to stop and release the brakes at it maximum rate (like 34 pulses per second) multiply that on a ice road with no tracting and the wheels locking and letting go locking and letting go it would sound like that front end was falling off. but i knew that it was working. under same dry conditions you wouldnt even hear it so its probably natural.

 

The noise just freaked me out, as well as the suburban coming at me. And it did sound like the car was falling to pieces, it was absolutly freaky. I am going to try it on dry ground and see what happens, before taking it in.

 

Go gentle on it or your next post will be complaining about warped rotors. lol

 

this noice ONLY happens when the ABS kicks in and the wheels slip, like on ice, not when dry..

the wheels have to start slipping while its on, and it makes that noice..

NORMAL, happens to me all the time here in new england..

 

I've had a few times where I had to brake hard where the ABS sytem came into play. It is a bit loud. Sounds like a whipping sound (for example when you take a rope or a belt or something and just whip it in the air, that little faint sound it does). Might be loud because your braking system is doing everything possible to make sure you stop on time. What were you doing hauling a$$ is snowy conditions anyways? Never driven in snow but even I know that's a thing to do.

 

abs are loud but ungodly? no

 

Kinda hard when your siding into an oncoming suburban

 

Is it ABS or VDC ?? My front brakes makes a very loud noise a few times already. Yes, the sound is embarassing and I haven't heard any car making that kind of sound. There is no snow here and I don't believe the situations need ABS to activate. I think you all can make it happen to (I have VDC/ABS). Try to make a "quick" right turn into a parking lot. Hit the brake while doing it. It may kick in. I didnot have to make a fast turn, just like crusing around and opps I need to turn in here. I applied the brake and at the time the wheel turing/going over the incline... The sound is terrible. But everything is fine afterward. In fact it won't happen for normal slow turns. The car drives normal, so I didn't care. Later on, I asked my mechanic to look into it. He didn't find anything wrong. The last time it happened was months ago. But I bet I can duplicate it anytime.. wheel turning+Wheel jumps over dip+braking will make it happen. Oh, I've tried a few times, if I'm not holding the brake it won't happen. I can turn in with a much fater speed and it won't happen if I'm not braking.

 

If your ABS is kicking in... then you are not driving according to the road conditions!! your car is taking evasive action to save U!!

everytime mine has kicked in... I know I was going too fast!!

 

I don't have VDC just ABS and TCS. Actually I was not going to fast the road was snow cover but the section I hit had ICE as well. You can be going 10mph and slide on ice, hell my last car I was stopped and it started to slide sideways almost into another car, again I was stopped and slid sideways!

 

abs systems make noise in all cars...

 

my car does that as well, but on dry pavement...i was once doing 80 on the interstate in the left lane, and this 18 wheeler who was going 55 decides to cut over on me nearly ramming me off the road...i had to stop so quickly that although the ground was dry, my ABS had to seriously kick in, and it made such a loud noise that i thought my brakes were broken (just as you thought) I've never had it happen besides that once, but to me, it sounds normal...

 

I don't know if we're talking about the same noise. I wouldn't call it a "noise". I thought my front end got broken off. Another issue is the VDC, I think Nissan tune it for ice&snow. There is no such thing here in CA. It can be clear&dry, and VDC can interfere with me sometimes. It happens when I just make some tiny last-moment steering at low speed+foot on the brake, like slowing down at the light then move to the next lane. It gets worse if I run over some badly-patched road surface. Suddenly I thought I lost control, I think VDC brake each wheel individually. I think it would help great deal on ice. But this is some minor maneuvers on a bright&sunny day at 5-10MPH ???? One time it scares the hell out of my passenger as I slowly making a left turn and the road surface was still under work, no loose gravel or anything, the front just started wiggling left and right.

 

MaxFan - You are correct in that VDC can brake each wheel individually. VDC is based on the tires having some grip on the road. Neither VDC nor any other system can properly control a car on ice.

-sin- - Neither ABS nor any other system of braking is of much use on ice, as the tires are continually slipping, and the ABS system has no way of handling that. I don't think you have a problem other than counting on your brakes to work on ice. They won't.

 

Yeah, I was thinking that the noise was normal, given the new nissan standards, just wanted to make sure... Just freaked me out.

Thanks guys

 

The one thing that seems to get over looked here is the fact that the car also has EBD = Electronic brake distribution. If you add all of these factors with abs and vdc if you have it that will point you into the right direction. The car can't see what is going on so it tries to compensate for what it feels as a panic. When you press on the brakes a little harder than normal the brakes apply more pressure to stop the car faster in conjunction with the abs. All sixth gen's have abs and ebd. The car is just trying to help even if we don't think we are panicing. Some people praise it and others don't. Most people want to control their own car. Most driving enthusiast find some of these systems bothersome to say the least. They are just there to help. It just annoys some people. For most of us it quite usefull. Most of our older cars didn't have ebd. It just takes some getting used to. Especially if you have a heavy foot.

 

I'm not complaining if BFD, BA, VDC, Traction control are helping me out. I'm a little heavy on the right foot, but am a very responsible driver. I actually experience with all of them and that's not a good thing. VDC is like insurance, I paid for it and hope never need it. I think Nissan has a lot of tuning to do. And it doesn't have to sound like the bottom of my Max is scraping on the ground.
I can do the same maneuvers on the same patch of road surface @much higher speeds and nothing happen. It usually comes when I'm slowing down (foot on the brake). It feels like somebody fooling w/me by taking turns braking each wheels. Another issue is with traction control, when it's wet and I just step on the gas, the system is trying too hard that it causes a hard thug and a loud bang. Make me miss my old Max with that nice wheel spinning.
In this same situation, the other drivers would look at my old Max and admire its power. They just look at my new Max and wonder what's wrong.

 

maybe not then lol cuz in any of my cars it never sounded like a bumper breaking...more or less a grinding sort of noise cant really explain it. but def not a breaking bumper lol.

 

on my 5.5gen it does the same thing. LOUD noise when ABS kicks in.... sounds like grinding or something. gotta get it checked out as well.

 

That sounds like the vdc is sensing the car is turning too fast for the speed. That would seem to be annoying. The thing you described about the brakes sounds like it. I guess technology tries too hard to think for us lol. I would think those systems would want to work at higher speeds. If the car is not malfunctioning then they do need to do better. Oh and take it easy on those corners 10mph is way too fast for a high performance sedan,

 

damnnnnnnnnnn.............