ABS Light came on when I had to break hard

dillo2k10

Hi,

I was on the Motorway last night and I had to break really hard (the person in front jammed on for no reason).

While I was breaking the ABS light came on, but when I released the break it went back off. Is this normal? Its a 2001 Ford Focus

Thanks

For Forks Sake

johnayo

dillo2k10 wrote: »

Hi,

I was on the Motorway last night and I had to break really hard (the person in front jammed on for no reason).

While I was breaking the ABS light came on, but when I released the break it went back off. Is this normal? Its a 2001 Ford Focus

Thanks

Yes.:D

S28382

Yeah its just letting you know your ABS kicked in

Atlantic Dawn

You probably also felt some kickback from the brake peddle, this would be normal.

Anan1

I don't think it's normal. I've seen TC/ESP lights illuminate briefly when the systems are invoked, but AFAIK the red ABS light only ever comes on when there's a fault. Might this be a brake pad warning light?

CiniO

Anan1 wrote: »

I don't think it's normal. I've seen TC/ESP lights illuminate briefly when the systems are invoked, but AFAIK the red ABS light only ever comes on when there's a fault. Might this be a brake pad warning light?

I have the same experience. I haven't driven a car yet, where ABS light would come on when ABS was activated during braking.

CiniO

dillo2k10 wrote: »

Hi,

I was on the Motorway last night and I had to break really hard (the person in front jammed on for no reason).

How do you know there was no reason?

While I was breaking the ABS light came on, but when I released the break it went back off. Is this normal? Its a 2001 Ford Focus

Thanks

Did you ABS actually worked (vibration on your brake pedal which you could feel on your foot)?
Or maybe wheels have locked down and tyres skidded?

Onwardandupwar

I had a friend once who bought there second car it had abs on it.i service it and it was in great shape the girl was driving home in rain a few weeks later and managed to tip the back of someone.she rang me in a panic and said the brakes failed and the abs light came on I asked her how did they fail she said when she hit the pedal to stop it was giving loads of feed back and the abs light came on. I said to her what the hell are u on about that's the abs kicking in meaning your brakes are ok working fine she must of being way to close to the car she hit. She felt very silly after I explained it to her. But she went from a car with no abs to a car with abs, moral of the story that means ur abs is working perfect my friend

muckwarrior

Find a wet empty road and hit the brakes hard. Your wheels shouldn't lock and you should feel a slight thumping sensation through the pedal. If your wheels lock then your ABS isn't working and you should get it looked at.

Just for the record, I also have never noticed the light coming on when ABS is engaged. Then again, it may that that my attention is drawn to other things if I'm forced to brake that hard!

Mycroft H

muckwarrior wrote: »

Find a wet empty road and hit the brakes hard. Your wheels shouldn't lock and you should feel a slight thumping sensation through the pedal. If your wheels lock then your ABS isn't working and you should get it looked at.

Just for the record, I also have never noticed the light coming on when ABS is engaged. Then again, it may that that my attention is drawn to other things if I'm forced to brake that hard!

Going to agree there. I've yet to drive a car where an ABS light comes on when it kicks in. My notion was that it only came on if there was a problem.

I've seen an EBD ligh come on though in operation

pa990

i've noticed ABS lights activating on Volvos and Fords under hard braking.


(if you cant find a safe wet road to test your abs, try a gravel car park)

Mycroft H

pa990 wrote: »

i've noticed ABS lights activating on Volvos and Fords under hard braking.


(if you cant find a safe wet road to test your abs, try a gravel car park)

Ford/Volvo must be different then.


Its also unusualfor a focus of that age to have a ABS system too.

Cuddlesworth

pa990 wrote: »

i've noticed ABS lights activating on Volvos and Fords under hard braking.


(if you cant find a safe wet road to test your abs, try a gravel car park)

I was about to say my it briefly flashes on my puma under hard braking.

Leonard Hofstadter

I've seen traction control lights come on to let you know that they're doing their job (sometimes the light will flash, others it will just come on and go off once everything is back to normal), but like the other lads, I've never come across a car where the ABS light came on to let you know it was working.

What normally happens if the ABS kicks in is that you get kickback through the (brake) pedal to let you know that it is doing its job! Some newer cars don't give you kickback through the pedal because some people thought there was something wrong with their ABS and backed off when the kickback happened under heavy braking:eek:! Brake Assist systems also give a funny sensation through the pedal as well when they kick in too!

langdang

BX 19 wrote: »

Its also unusualfor a focus of that age to have a ABS system too.

True, maybe it's a "you really should have paid for ABS" light.
That'd be great - if someone spec'd fogs or alloys but not ABS there should be Nelson from the Simpsons "Haaa-Haaaa" noise that plays when your wheels lock up

Leonard Hofstadter

BX 19 wrote: »

Its also unusualfor a focus of that age to have a ABS system too.

Ghias had ABS as standard, and most saloons were Ghias. But yeah most of the hatchbacks wouldn't have it alright.

Rose35

Had a 2000 focus and yes during an incident where I had to break on ice( scary moment) abs light came on. I would say normal.

lau1247

dillo2k10 wrote: »

Hi,

I was on the Motorway last night and I had to break really hard (the person in front jammed on for no reason).

While I was breaking the ABS light came on, but when I released the break it went back off. Is this normal? Its a 2001 Ford Focus

Thanks

OP check your car manual, it should have explanation of the operating condition and why it comes on.