I have abs on my car and for some reason anytime I have to stop quickly either in the rain or dry pavement, my car still locks up a bit. I know when I first got the car I always felt the quick pulses of the brakes, but it never really worked "right". Curious if this was common due to old technology, or if there is possibly a problem. I have never had the abs light come on or anything. Just curious because the other day I had to react quickly and they locked up on me again and I started to slide. I never had a car with ABS before, but driving the new cars when I used to work at dealerships I know its almost impossible to lock the brakes and slide in them.

Any suggestions are highly appreciated. Thanks

 

how sure are u that u have abs ? when u turn ur car on look at the dash and in the lower left corner area, look for the abs light. If its not there then u have no abs. if it turns on then turns off after car is on and running , u have abs.
from what u are describing, u have no abs.

 

Check your fusebox on the right side of engine bay. If you have fuses in there for ABS then you have it, if you dont you dont

 

The problem isn't your ABS, you need a driving lesson.

In over 100,000 miles of driving my ABS equipped Maxima, I've had an ABS assisted stop maybe three times.

Perhaps a larger following distance and more attention to whats happening in front of you will give you the stopping assistance you really need.

 

Just because you have ABS doesnt mean you cant still lock up. I locked up a few times when it was wet out, and my tires were way past time for a burial. The pulses you feel is the ABS working, trying to prevent lock up, but It can still happen with ABS or not.

 

Wow! Do you really have enough information to draw such a conclusion, or are you just blowing off steam??

My hunch is it's old technology--our Maximas produce a clicking sound every time the car starts and is moved from rest for the first time. I was told in 98 that it's the system checking itself. I don't hear that sound in the Honda or 330. I too have only had 2 incidents in which I needed ABS, and once admittedly I was blowing a red light in Manhattan while it was raining. But I will say that as of late (115k) the ABS seems to be more sensitive than when the car was new. That's just with day-to-day driving whenever there's precipitation and a moderate press of the brake pedal.

On the new CR-V and e90 that we have, never even verified that ABS is working, figuring that if there's a problem a warning lamp would be lit. But those cars have traction stability yada yada point being in day-to-day even in the wet, never had ABS activate. But with the Maxima, it seems to want to activate earlier than it should. my .02

 

One shouldn't rely on ABS, either, or you'd pretty much be ****ed in the case that for some reason the system failed and you needed to stop suddenly.

Try disabling your ABS system, go to a large empty parking lot and try controlled stops (minimizing lockup and skidding, of course)...that's what I did after breaking my driver's rear ABS speed sensor, then the speed sensor ring broke (long story).

 

From what I read, ABS is not there to help you stop quickly on the slippery road condition, but to make you able to steer away from ... while skidding.

 

Lots of comments in here and judging my driving skills is a funny one... I do not rely on abs when I drive. My SR20det didn't have abs, or even power steering. I rely on my knowledge and instincts like anyone should. I always keep a good distance in front of me, but during the holiday rush things happen on the road. At 42 years old, I am sure you have had more than one incident in your life time when you had to brake quickly to avoid something from happening. Anyway, thanks for all the information from everyone else. This is what I thought the threads were meant for, "information", but apparently even at an older age some feel the need to express emotions and get rude.

 

I remember we had to watch a whole video on ABS in driving school and it does help you stop faster as well, but there are a couple conditions in which non-ABS brakes would stop you faster such as on a dirt road when if your brakes lock up, a "wall" of dirt builds in front of the tires allowing you to stop shorter.

It is meant to stop you quickly on slippery roads however because the computer can pump the brakes much faster than a human possibly could. Newer systems of course are much more effective than the older ones.

 

I have the same question to as why my ABS has never kicked in on me. Its wrong to judge someone's driving just because they locked up their brakes once or twice. All he's asking is a solution to fix his problem. When it snows its almost impossible to not slide or lock up the brakes sometimes. ABS is a good thing to have to make sure things are under control.

Anyways, my question is the same as his. If i have ABS and its not working, what are somethings to check so i can get them working again.