ABS failed...I think!

kitkat.3b4t

Hi
I was driving home in my little Yaris yesterday evening around 5:30. There was a little sleet falling but the road didnt look particularly slippy. I was travelling quite slowly circa 55 kpm. I tried to break while taking a corer but the break wouldnt work..it felt like it was jammed...I tried to press my foot down but the break would not budge. I had to use the hand break to stop.

Is this what happens when people say their 'breaks locked' or was it something else. I thought I had ABS but it doesnt seem to have worked. I'm afraid to drive anywhere now.

Could someone please give me some advice...I dont know much about cars!!

Thank you

Waesfjord

definitely get your brakes checked, can't tell you what problem is though.

locked brakes mean simply that your brake pads have stopped the wheel from turning, however car still moving, i.e. you are skidding.

ABS simply prevents the wheels from losing traction from road (i.e. stops skidding), so they will disable the breaking action before onset of skidding occurs. You normally feel a clicking on the brake pad when ABS kicks in.

hope this helps. I'm sure others will be able to provide a more detailed prognosis of your braking problem.

homer simpson

beleive it or not this is a common complaint it slushy/snowy weather, if it is what i think it is it's basicly slush/ice forming on the teeth on your cv joint preventing your abs from working properly, abs works when your car senses wheels locking during braking then using the teeth on the cv joint
to stop the skid by sliding a cog onto the teeth and freeing the wheel up again, usually you wont stop as fast as normall and is accompanied by banging and your brake pedal moving up and down slightly( sorry for the poor explanation on abs:rolleyes:) , if OP's prob is what i think it is solved by simply clearing the ice/slush out of the cv joint by a mechanic or simply by thawing, but still get it to a garage asap and get it checked out.

mickdw

homer_simpson wrote: »

using the teeth on the cv joint to stop the skid by sliding a cog onto the teeth and freeing the wheel up again,

This is not at all correct. The teeth on the cv joint are simply used by magnetic pickup to work out the rotation speed of the wheel and then brake force is adjusted as required. There is no mechanical contact with those teeth.

homer simpson

mickdw wrote: »

This is not at all correct. The teeth on the cv joint are simply used by magnetic pickup to work out the rotation speed of the wheel and then brake force is adjusted as required. There is no mechanical contact with those teeth.

i've been badly misinformed then so.......:pac::pac::pac:

langdang

kitkat.3b4t wrote: »

Hi
I tried to break while taking a corer but the break wouldnt work..it felt like it was jammed...I tried to press my foot down but the break would not budge. I had to use the hand break to stop.

Kitkat, get the car checked out for safety sake but... have you ever experienced ABS kicking in before?

A lot of people, not just Yaris drivers (sorry;)), go for years without having to brake in such a way that the ABS system will activate.

Depending on the car and the person, it can be unnerving the first time you feel the ABS working - you may feel the pedal kicking back against you, resisting any extra pressure, and you may hear a loud buzzing noise.

Take my car for example:
If I brake hard on a dry but very bumpy road, sometimes the ABS will activate because a bump in the road has given one wheel much less grip. This happens so quick that it feels like someone has hit the pedal back with a hammer, then the wheel grips and everything is OK again.

If I brake too hard on ice or a greasy road, the pedal will resist any foot pressure and I hear a loud "BAWR!" noise until I have grip again or until I ease off and brake more gently. (My car is a bit "agricultural", the ABS in more modern cars may not be as aggressive or loud)

kitkat.3b4t

Thanks for your replies everyone. I wont be able to get the car checked until Wed but I'll take the train to work tomorrow.

daveharnett

langdang wrote: »

...I hear a loud "BAWR!" noise...

Excellent description of the noise

OP, it sounds like the abs is working fine to me. When it engages on snow or ice it will make the brake pedal much harder or even push back against your foot.

macnab

I would think that you have just had your first experience of the ABS cutting in. If so then nothing sinister to worry about.