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Anti-Lock Brakes?

Most of today's vehicles have ABS (Ant-Lock Brakes). The function of the ABS braking system is to keep your tires from sliding under a panic or slippery condition stop. When the tires are not sliding, they have more traction, AND you can steer your vehicle.

Cool! But, What happens when they malfunction? In most cases, you will have standard braking, but there is the occasion of a partial failure that can cause an unsafe condition.

First, a short explanation of how ABS works. If you will, picture a small metal wheel with about 30 notches. Above the metal wheel, there is a sensor that can determine the speed of the rotating notched wheel as it turns. Each of the wheels on your car has a sensor to determine the speed of each wheel. The wheel speed should all be about the same, even under a panic stop. If one wheel is sliding, the ABS brake module will pulse the brake fluid to the sliding wheel to prevent it from sliding.

If an ABS sensor fails to read the wheel speed correctly when stopping, the “brake can be pulsed,” thus preventing your car from stopping. The amber ABS light does not typically come on in this type of failure and, therefore, is no help for your Auto Technician. However, typically the Tech. can see each wheel's speed on a Scan Tool and determine which needs further testing.

There is something you can do at home: One, check the brake fluid level and see how clear it appears in the reservior. The reservoir is typicaly under the hood directly in front of the driver. The fluid should only be low if the brakes are in need of repacing soon. Happy Motoring!