ABS question

[Dave]

what does the ABS feel like in the Accord?
i only ask because when i hit the brakes hard, or when braking down from highway speed, i feel a shudder in the brakes. i dont get the violet stearing wheel shake like warped rotors and the car stays straight when braking. there are no unusual odors or noises.
i also find the brakes very grabby at slower speeds.

this is only the 2nd car i've owned with ABS (which i still dont like, but thats another thread). with the last car, a WRX, it felt like there were rocks in the brakes and they felt like they were going to fail when the ABS kicked in. (a very disconcerting feeling the first couple of times it happened, to say the least)

thanks for any help/info
Dave

[BenjiBoy650]

You should feel a pulsation in the brake pedal. There might also be a noise like a slow pump...not sure how to explain it.

[princess]

You explained it very well! I brake pretty soft & haven't hardly felt the pulsating though. When I have to brake hard, I'm usually more concerned about not hitting the idiot that caused me to do that!!

I had a booger of a time getting used to the brakes on the '03! You'll get used to them! They're BIG & stop really well, & different than others I'd driven. Prince had no problem. Probably because he drives so many different cars everyday. :)

[ratmicecar]

Hi,

ABS brakes can and will perform better overall than any human faced with the same situation. I have owned both types. I remember locking my brakes on the older car and having to release and reapply. This was usually under heavy rain. Let me tell you, if I had not practiced braking I would not be here.

With ABS, you just have to get used to it and accept it. The best thing you can do is drive to an abandoned parking lot and apply the brakes hard a few times. Not more than six times or else you will overheat the brakes and they will stop working. Do this until YOU LEARN what your car can do and how it behaves. Get confident with the feeling.

Then keep an eye out for a rainy day and drive back to the parking lot. Try the same braking exercise and LEARN how differently your vehicle handles.

Do this three times a year for the rest of your life with whatever car you have. This will hone your braking skills and when that day arrives, which it will, you will perform like a race car driver.

Also, when you practive your braking, slowly turn the wheel and LEARN to maneuver the braking vehicle.

ABS works by very quickly applying and releasing the brake calipers around you brake disc. This very rapid stop and release is what you hear and feel on the brake pedal (pulsating).

There is no one noise that ABS brakes make. Different vehicle pulsate others make a grinding noise etc. Whatever noise your vehicle makes. Recognize and trust that noise and learn how to use your life-saving stopping power.

[BenjiBoy650]

All ABS vehicles I've driven make a pulsating noise when braking hard, but that may not be true for all vehicles. I have yet to hear the grinding noise. It would be somewhat disheartening to hear it.

Princess I don't know if I agree that the 7th gen brakes are powerful. I've heard many complaints of warped rotors and even some engineers/mechanics quitting because they refuse to work on a dangerous car with insufficient braking power. Magazine tests seem to confirm this with 200+ feet stops from 70, which is worse than many new SUV's.

[princess]

the pads are bigger.

I've never heard of anyone quitting over a part, faulty construction or not! It doesn't make any sense! Yes, the rotors are warping, but as long as the owner isn't so stupid as to drive so long that the pads don't even hit them, then there's not much danger. AND if there were, it's not the tech's fault or responsibility. Like us, many of the techs own the same cars they're working on. SOunds like forum rumor to me!

As long as they're not warped & for a long time after they are, they DO stop extremely well! For the first couple of months I did a few nose dives in mine. I never did that with the '02, which stopped nicer than the '86 with it's undersized pads. (He meant to replace the parts with a different year to go to bigger ones....but never did)

[BenjiBoy650]

Originally posted by princess
the pads are bigger.

I've never heard of anyone quitting over a part, faulty construction or not! It doesn't make any sense! Yes, the rotors are warping, but as long as the owner isn't so stupid as to drive so long that the pads don't even hit them, then there's not much danger. AND if there were, it's not the tech's fault or responsibility. Like us, many of the techs own the same cars they're working on. SOunds like forum rumor to me!

As long as they're not warped & for a long time after they are, they DO stop extremely well! For the first couple of months I did a few nose dives in mine. I never did that with the '02, which stopped nicer than the '86 with it's undersized pads. (He meant to replace the parts with a different year to go to bigger ones....but never did)

I've never driven a 7th gen so I wouldn't know, but can't really argue with Car and Driver's 202 foot stop from 70. That is slightly disappointing.

[princess]

yet they keep rating it high......go figure!

[Dave]

thanks.

i know the whole concept of ABS. i've owned 10 cars and have had regular access to at least that many over the past 20 some odd years. the new car and the last car were the only 2 that had ABS. i know they are a good idea. i'm just used to threshold braking. an essential skill if one wants to get anywhere in the winter around here (New England) file it under teaching an old dog a new trick :)

i have been able to reliably reproduce the effect i mentioned in the past 2 days (finally got a few days off) so i must just be feeling the ABS.

[Accord9404]

I've never driven a 7th gen so I wouldn't know, but can't really argue with Car and Driver's 202 foot stop from 70. That is slightly disappointing.

I believe this is mainly due to the tires. Honda chose to go with a tire that offers better mpg's (low rolling resistance ,less sticky ,longer tire life) than braking.
I say get rid of all the air bags (politicians to) and fill the car with popcorn (packing peanuts) instead.....
:D

[Dave]

lol

i like that idea :D

bubble wrap interiors maybe?...

[BenjiBoy650]

Originally posted by Accord9404
I've never driven a 7th gen so I wouldn't know, but can't really argue with Car and Driver's 202 foot stop from 70. That is slightly disappointing.

I believe this is mainly due to the tires. Honda chose to go with a tire that offers better mpg's (low rolling resistance ,less sticky ,longer tire life) than braking.
I say get rid of all the air bags (politicians to) and fill the car with popcorn (packing peanuts) instead.....
:D

You're probably right that it affects braking but the tread life is not as good as the old Michelins. The new Bridgestone Turanza EL41 is rated at 300, while the previous Michelin Energy MXV4 Plus is rated at 400. I suspect it may also have something to do with the 300lb increase in curb weight. As for me, I'll keep the airbags. Peanuts are good...but not that good lol

[princess]

How about foam? Like in the movie, "demolition man"....wasn't that the one that all the restaraunts were Taco Bell & Arnold became Prez??

[Accord9404]

By all rights the "Baby Boomer Generation" should be all dead given we did not have all these airbags, seat belts, helmets, shinpads, kneepads, caution labels (don't use this hair dryer when taking a shower etc..) but through it we survived. That's why I personally feel we've gone overboard with all this "
:censored: ".

[BenjiBoy650]

Originally posted by Accord9404
By all rights the "Baby Boomer Generation" should be all dead given we did not have all these airbags, seat belts, helmets, shinpads, kneepads, caution labels (don't use this hair dryer when taking a shower etc..) but through it we survived. That's why I personally feel we've gone overboard with all this "
:censored: ".

I don't know 'bout that... Remember that people have gotten dumber :)

[Dave]

dont forget about the population explosion of lawyers recently.
too many predators. not enough prey. should see a die off in a generation or so....