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Old 01-22-2009, 07:41 AM   #1
brainless twit
 
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Weird question about my brakes

I'm not sure if something is wrong or if I'm crazy. I'll try to explain this the best I can in my non-technical way.

The other day I was pulling out from a four-way stop and another car ran the stop sign. I had to slam on my brakes to keep from hitting the other car. When I did, there was a sound and sensation like a spring uncoiling. The brake pedal felt really strange under my foot. After I kept going, I didn't notice any problem.

On Tuesday I was traveling on a highway doing about 60 mph. I came over a hill and there was a wide load tractor trailer coming through, so I had to stop quickly and pull to the side of the road. I didn't exactly slam on the brakes like before, but I hit them with more force than I would for a normal stop. I felt the springing again, didn't hear the sound, and my rpms shot up and quickly came back down.

I may be paranoid, and it may be the ABS kicking in or something (my other cars didn't have ABS), but now I'm terrified that something is wrong with my brakes! Can anyone explain what this is? I know I didn't describe it well but I don't know what else to say about it.

I'm going near the dealership where I bought it today, but they aren't very pleased with me because I didn't rate them well on the Toyota survey. The manager actually called me demanding to know why I gave them a low rating on a certain question when they specifically "told" me they needed an excellent rating. Um, well, because my car broke down on the side of the road, I called the dealership, and no one called me back for over 5 hours. I had to call another dealership to have it towed in and repaired (water in the fuel tank, gas station had to pay to have it fixed). So no, I wasn't going to give them an excellent rating when no one even responded to my call. Anyway, that's a whole other post. I don't want to take it in if I don't have to, but I want to make sure nothing abnormal is going on.
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Old 01-22-2009, 07:49 AM   #2
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What you are feeling is indeed the anti-lock brakes kicking in. It is a mighty strange feeling when it happens for the first time. My Yaris is the third vehicle I've owned with ABS, and I still haven't gotten used to the feeling (Particularly, since it's very seldom that I get into a situation where ABS needs to kick in).
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Old 01-22-2009, 07:54 AM   #3
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ABS isn't designed to "stop better" in all situations. It's purpose is to allow a wheel to keep turning, theoretically allowing the driver to maintain traction and turn to avoid a collision, instead of locking up the brakes and skidding.


In short...... nothing is wrong
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Old 01-22-2009, 08:22 AM   #4
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Thanks so much, guys! I had a feeling, but I wanted to be sure. It's definitely something I'll have to get used to!
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Old 01-22-2009, 09:43 AM   #5
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Great question and great responses !! With a few more Q & A sessions, "Brainless" won't be a "twit" for long !!

Later....
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Old 01-22-2009, 09:50 AM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bikegerm View Post
With a few more Q & A sessions, "Brainless" won't be a "twit" for long !!
Oh, yes I will. Believe me, I could keep you guys busy for weeks! I just tend to wait for someone else to ask the things I want to know.

Believe it or not, I'm not this dumb in other aspects of my life. Just don't know much about cars. I do, however, know how to change a tire, change my oil, and drive on icy roads, so I'm getting there.
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Old 01-22-2009, 10:29 AM   #7
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Originally Posted by PK198105 View Post
go out in a parking lot and try to feel the ABS, try to find out when the ABS kicks in this will help you anticipate it better. Happy motoring
What he said. Parking lot, deserted back road, something. Play with your ABS. Understand that the fastest stop you can make with ABS is FOOT TO THE FLOOR. You'll be amazed at how quickly a car with ABS can stop once you accept that it's not like non-ABS where you have to be gentle and "modulate" the brake pedal. Just SLAM IT TO THE FLOOR if you need to stop right now. Try it. Get a feel for it.

Now, a couple warnings:
1. No car behind you is EVER expecting you to stop that quickly. So, use full ABS stops at your own risk. If you're an alert driver, you should usually be able to have a "plan B" that doesn't involve putting yourself at risk for being rear-ended.
2. KNOW whether or not whatever car you're driving has ABS! If you're not sure, watch the dashboard when you start the car. If the car has ABS, an ABS light will come on when you start the car and go out after a few seconds. If you see that light, you have ABS. If the light stays ON, the ABS isn't working! If you get accustomed to driving with ABS, it's easy to forget that you don't have it when you drive something else, and that can be very dangerous. As you're learning, emergency stops require different technique with and without ABS.

Go practice!
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Old 01-22-2009, 10:31 AM   #8
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what dealer do you deal with?

oh ya, and abs tests are fun, just make sure nothing is on your seats as they will fly off. haha
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Old 01-22-2009, 10:59 AM   #9
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what dealer do you deal with?
Toyota of Hopkinsville. Not too far from you! I definitely wouldn't recommend them, which is sad because I like to get along with my dealer.
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