I know the ABS won't let you lock the brakes up, so my question is this: With ABS, is it still necessary to pump the brakes in wet conditions, or does the ABS do that for me? My darling wife says it ain't needed anymore, and I'm just "old school". I ain't saying I'm right, but it do have me wondering. Any comments?

 

My understanding is the ABS unit can do it far more effectively than you can (unless you can pump your foot up & down hundreds of times a second). Also, when not applying pressure on the pedal your ABS (& brakes) are momentarily ineffective, so I think your wife is correct.

 

Sorry man, your wife is right. Just step on the pedal and hold it down. If you admit she was right on this site (world wide) it might get you some points....

 

LOL! Yeah, she'll be smilin' when I tell her she's RIGHT! Obviously I AM old school! It will feel weird not pumping the brakes, but I'm sure I'll eventually get used to it. Thanks for the quick responses!

 

Just stand on them and let them do the work. I recommend doing this on a wet road (so you don't wear your tires so much) a couple of times in NON-emergency situations so you get a feel for the ABS kicking in, how the vehicle acts, and how it steers when under ABS conditions, as being able to steer while braking can be a life saver.

Stopping distances are not greatly reduced in many conditions--don't think ABS will save your bacon from excessive speed.

Ice & off-road conditions can be a real problem in some situations as you will want to lock the wheels and won't be able to.

GOOD tires are your friend.



Oh.., I see...

Happy Motoring!

 

stand on it...BUT

certain models of ABS work by bypassing a little fluid, if you are on the brakes for *a while* (like sliding down an icy hill 1 mile long at 5mph like I did a week ago) the pedal sinks to the floor and you have to get a fresh bite of brake fluid.

(truth be told, last weekend it was a semi-controlled crash)

 

The story that I hear most often is that ABS lets you steer while braking in a stress situation. This is not to say that it doesn't also replace pumping.

However, at least when it first came out, a skilled driver could make shorter stops by pumping regular brakes. ( Since 90% of drivers are ' better than average' that would be almost everybody ) . I don't know how things stand these days.

I will say that with my last vehicle (96 Caravan), I felt that the ABS came on much too early. My current vehicle seems about right. However, I don't know of a good way to assess this.

Also, I've read that you can screw up your ABS performance if you DO pump your brakes.

 

'92 or so Pontiac rental in the snow & another similar GM in the dry.

'00 or so Taurus in snow.

'98 Exploder 4x4 all conditions.

'97 Olds Silly minivan, wet/dry

'90 Continental, wet conditions

'04 Audi A4, wet/dry

'01 Lexus LS430, wet/dry

All abs, all worked best standing on it. You need a little finesse in the snow, but otherwise they worked like a champ.

 

If you want to crash with no braking power, stand on the brakes in a Chevy truck with 4 wheel ABS off road - baby go BOOM

 

Yea, ABS is not always your friend, off road especially.

Also, the "stand on it" advice is meant for the situations when you have little choice. You will stop faster if you can keep the brakes at max without triggering ABS. Requires the delicatessen touch and nerves of steel in many cases...