I've been noticing something happening a lot lately, literally a few times a day in my normal commutes to work (about an hour round trip). When I hit a small pothole, or even just a small bump (nothing severe enough for the tire to completely lose its traction) I get a strong pulsing sensation back through the brake pedal and I hear it a lot also, sounds like maybe the abs kicking in or something? I'm not sure though, this is my first car with ABS and I've only had it about 6 months. I am concerned that it's affecting the overall braking performance and the brakes really don't feel very strong when it's happening. Any ideas or thoughts would be appreciated.

Thanks

Steve

Just to clarify - this only happens when I hit a bump during braking, not just coasting over one

 

I'm not usually still braking when I go over one of the multitudes of potholes around here, but it could make sense that the ABS might kick in if you were... For that fraction of a second with a big pothole, your tire is suspended in air while the other 3 are on the ground-- I would think your car could easily think that tire is not getting traction and is slipping (as it wouldn't usually assume the ground had vanished beneath it...)

 

Same thing happens to my car. I've always assumed it was the ABS. After awhile it didn't bother me b/c I assumed it's doing it's job.

 

Never would have thought it was the ABS. I thought I was just messing up my rotors.

 

You say it happens while you're braking. Seems pretty unanimous across the board cause my car does that sometimes as well. I've always wondered, but I never took the time to ask or figure out. I just assumed it was normal abs.

 

Definitely ABS kicking in. If it's safely possible, I like to jab at the brakes and then let off momentarily right before going over things like that. This compresses the front suspension and then lets it rebound so it's carrying as little weight as possible as it goes over the obstacle. Once the front tires are past it, another jab at the brakes will lighten the rear wheels.

It's mostly a carry over habit from riding motorcycles but it does help to make those sort of things less jarring.

 

It's ABS kicking it. I love the feeling, especially in the snow. Brake hard and the pulsation feels awesome.

 

it feels weird..

 

The exact same thing happens to me! Is this normal? If it is, then I don't like it. I totally feel as if its affecting my overall braking. Almost no breaking power at all when it happens.

 

I was under the impression that if you are going over potholes you should not be braking. At least not when you are exactly on top of them. From my own experience the car takes more of a hit if you are braking while going over a pot hole. I thought this was common knowledge.

I agree with the tap of the brake, going over the hole, tap the brake, and then let the rear tires go over the hole. That has always seem to work for me.

 

I'm no mechanical engineer, but I would say that if you are braking, and the wheel enters a pot hole, you've suddenly removed - even for an instant - the weight of the car off the wheel (assuming that a portion if not most/all of the wheel is in mid air). So even moderate braking would likely stop the wheel or give it an instant where the ABS may mistake it for the wheel locking up and engage the ABS. The wheel hits the other side and you get the pulse. Woudn't be surprised if that's the cause.

 

agreed, that is a good idea. But I should clarify this happens when hitting a relatively small bump as well, living in the NYC area it's just not possible to avoid breaking at times even when I see there is a rough patch ahead. As long as most agree it's not a safety issue I can live with it, but after never having ABS or traction control before this is something I've never heard of.

 

It is extremely sensitive for me. I sometimes get it while breaking in a turn. Going over a set of train tracks or uneven road also does it for me. I think i'm going to get it checked out next time i take my car in for an oil change.

 

I wouldn't worry too much about it since it's happening to everyone here. It happens to me too and I thought it was a problem. When I go through rail road tracks or pot holes, I feel my brakes "moving". I know it's not faulty cause I tested it out by braking from 40 to 0 and it didn't have the "moving" feeling so I know it's nothing.

 

ABS kicks in whenever you are braking while going over a bump. If there is small irregularity on the road, the abs would kick in when you brake. Don't worry too much and don't brake while going over a pothole..

 

Yep this pretty much happens with any ABS system. You know sometimes you see those skinny black rubber ropes layed out across a road. Usually two in a row...well, I've braked while going over one of those and it caused my ABS to go off as well.

 

It should be noted that the stock tires will lose traction if you look at them funny. How many here that are having this happen constantly are still on their stock tires?

 

i think its abs..i get that alot too breaking downhill on bumpy roads etc...

 

i'm still on the stock tires, only about 9K on the car so far definitely won't be needing new tires for quite a while. I have a 2007 AT, I didn't know the tires were considered crappy, I've had no complaints. I push the car a little sometimes to enjoy some V-tec love potion but nothing insane.