My ABS doesn't work, and that is just fine with me.

The ABS on my '96 is out of commission, and I am not going to do anything about it.

I've never liked ABS. I always feel as though it comes into play before it is really necessary, and takes away brake feel. I don't feel I have the control over the car when it activates.

I know, I know, there are all kinds of studies that show an ABS equipped car stops faster in slippery conditions, but my opinion based on real world experiences is that they don't.

I live in Minnesota, so like most that grew up in snowy, icy areas, I know all about how to lightly pump a brake pedal if a car starts to slide.

I suppose it is beneficial to most driver's that panic and lay on the brakes no matter what.

P.S.
Don't tell my insurance agent.

Just wondering if others feel as I do.

On my 03 Silverado the ABS does some stupid shit. It has only happen a few times but could easily cause me to rear end someone.
When stopping if the back wheels hit a bump that causes the rear of the truck to loose traction for a split second the ABS kicks in and the vehicle will travel several feet farther than it should before it stops.
It has always happened at speeds below 20mph.

Bert

Actually there are only certain circumstances where ABS will stop the car in a shorter distance - the primary purpose of ABS is to maintain traction so you can maneuver during a panic stop. I can understand wanting to leave it off, if you grew up driving without ABS, it's a tough adjustment.

Pickup trucks often have ABS 'issues', mostly because the back end is so light the rear wheels lock up very easily. My van does the same thing if you hit the brakes hard. You end up sailing along towards the thing you were trying to stop about... can be pretty scary. In my van it turned out somebody had driven it with the E-brake on once and warped both rear drums so they would lock up in a heartbeat.

Bought my Riv with an ABS problem but it works fine without it.

Just came in from a huge snow storm, hwy and backroads. No plroblems what so ever.

But I agree you still need to be carefull.

deekster_caddy wrote:

Actually there are only certain circumstances where ABS will stop the car in a shorter distance - the primary purpose of ABS is to maintain traction so you can maneuver during a panic stop. I can understand wanting to leave it off, if you grew up driving without ABS, it's a tough adjustment.

Pickup trucks often have ABS 'issues', mostly because the back end is so light the rear wheels lock up very easily. My van does the same thing if you hit the brakes hard. You end up sailing along towards the thing you were trying to stop about... can be pretty scary. In my van it turned out somebody had driven it with the E-brake on once and warped both rear drums so they would lock up in a heartbeat.

Those braking tests often compare one car without ABS and one with ABS by having the test driver lay on the brakes as hard as they can.

You reminded me of the fact that the Ford Ranger I used to own had ABS on the rear brakes, and in that case I found it was beneficial.

Usually, when I first head out after a snow fall I will test to see just were the point of lock up is as I head down my street.

We had about 6 inches of snow yesterday. I went out today to do my Christmas shopping, (after receiving "the look" from the wife yesterday) and drove a short stretch of freeway which was pretty slick due to black ice. (Exhaust freezes on the roadway for those not familiar.)
You could feel the car was hanging on by a prayer, so I got off as soon as I could.
The exit ramp I took heads downhill and was packed polished snow.
A State Trooper was down towards the bottom with lights on blocking the right turn lanes as there were 2 other cars that apparently came down the hill too fast and plowed straight through the intersection and into snow banks.
I thought to myself, I suppose I jinxed myself by posting that thread about ABS this morning.
I crept along at about walking speed gingerly applying the brakes. Fortunately other drivers around me took care and we all stopped fine. I always worry about the person behind me not being able to stop when it is slick.
No real point to that story other than no amount of technology can help a driver if they don't use a little common sense and drive according to conditions.

One thing that I have found with this Riviera is that if I lock up the wheels it does slide in a straight line. It is also a very well balanced car, and easy to correct if the rear should slide out during a turn.

Gotta find myself an empty parking lot for some real wintertime fun doing some Rockfords.

I am indifferent about the ABS, although since the car came with it I keep ti working.

I find the ABS feature helpful \. For instance, one fall several years ago I was taking an exit off the George Washington Parkway (Northwest DC) and while decelerating around a corner hit a tch of leaves. The ABS kicked in as I rounded the curve, and the dancing of traction from wheel to wheel was noticeable. Without the ABS I strongly suspect there would have been a problem, because if the wet leaves built up enough under the wheels I would most likely have skidded to the outside of the curve I was on in the otherwise unfamiliar car (it was a rented Delta 88, 3 other pax and luggage in car).

Traction Control helps although it's inferior to AWD or 4WD. It's easier to get up an icy hill with 4WD, for instance, because all traction control does is stop spinning wheels, not apply torque to wheels with traction - a very different thing (unless you are a certain car salesperson, I suppose...). I think traction control helps the Riv's maneuverability on sketchy road surfaces, thinking about the time I was driving my family eastward on I-90 from Niagara Falls toward Buffalo, in a rather nasty snow squall. That one sticks in my memory because of the SUVs that had skidded off the roadway. That is, every so many miles we'd see a volunteer fireman or some such (blue emergency lights on a pickup truck cab) parked next to a busted guard rail or scuffed up road shoulder, apparently waiting for more help. I'd joke that SUVs with 4WD were jsut a way to get 3 or 4 car lengths further in troupble and probably beyond the point of no return.

So Dale, I am indifferent about *your* ABS, I have enough issues just dealing with each hand life has dealt to me. But since you asked how others feel, I don't mind 'weighing in' and saying that most of the ABS shutdowns I've seen on Rivs involve the wiring to or connectors to the wheel sensors, and if the fix is that easy you may find the benefits of it are actually worth the tradeoff.

Albertj

albertj wrote:

So Dale, I am indifferent about *your* ABS, I have enough issues just dealing with each hand life has dealt to me. But since you asked how others feel, I don't mind 'weighing in' and saying that most of the ABS shutdowns I've seen on Rivs involve the wiring to or connectors to the wheel sensors, and if the fix is that easy you may find the benefits of it are actually worth the tradeoff.

Albertj

The person I bought it from said the codes always referred to a wheel sensor.
In the summer I may look into it.
Right now, I have a piece of black cardstock I cut out and slid over that SES, ABS & Traction control warning light area on the dash. All 3 are lit up. It is so bright it's very distracting. Which I guess is the point of them.

THe OE hubs are pretty durable - I'd consider getting used ones from Ed Morad, I'd suspect he won't charge that much for them.

A dealer will be able to tell you which hub is throwing the bum code.

Albertj

I just fixed my abs, replaced the ebtcm.So if it's not a wheel sensor, then it's the ebtcm.

Do you still have traction control?

Natesriv wrote:

I just fixed my abs, replaced the ebtcm.So if it's not a wheel sensor, then it's the ebtcm.

Do you still have traction control?

No, it doesn't work either. Not sure I wouldn't use it even if it did.

Until it is warmer out, and I feel like really looking into the causes of the SES and ABS lights being lit, I cut out a piece of black cardstock and placed it over the lens of that warning light pod in the dash.
They are almost blinding at night. The car runs perfectly fine.

it looks like the traction control on your '70 Riv isn't working either

zombiesarebad wrote:

it looks like the traction control on your '70 Riv isn't working either

Yeah, damn, everytime I put it in drive.