I have been experiencing my ABS to kick in very early in braking. I have completed a few panic stop tests, and my conclusion on absolutely dry roads is the ABS will kick in when I slam the brakes from 30 km/h (18 MPH). I was wondering if anyone else is experiencing this? I have a 2003 TL-S with the stock Tires, and brakes. I spoke to the dealer about pulsation, and when I mentioned this ABS issue, he seemed more concerned about this more than anything. Has anyone ever done this in their car and concluded the same thing? Also I run my tires at 36 PSI in the front and 34 PSI in the back. I have been experiencing this since Day 1, where the tires were inflated to 32 PSI all around, therefore I have concluded that it has nothing to do with the tire pressure, however that doesn't eliminate the problem being the tires.

Hopefully the dealer does find a problem with my brakes, and at only 14500 km I get a brand new set of Rotors and Pads...and under warranty

 

It's normal for the ABS to kick in during a panic or hard stop regardless of the road conditions. ABS isn't only for wet roads.. it kicks in at any point during braking when the wheels may lock up. I can't believe the dealer is actually "worried" about this as it sounds like your ABS is working 100% normally to me.....

 

like juniorbean said. abs doesnt care the road conditions, if it senses that a wheel is locking or locked up it will activate. i find it hard to believe that a dealer couldnt have told you that

 

How can I fix part of this problem? I think it most likely has something to do with the garbage stock tires on the car? By putting on a better tire, will it improve my braking ability significantly?

 

yeha..what you described isnt abnormal...if it didnt do that then you should worry...better tires would improve your braking...but either way you abs will kick in if it thinks your wheels are gonna lock up..and you would feel a pulsation from the abs...thats how it works...

 

Again, as everyone mentioned... it's not a problem... it's normal. It would be a problem if your car DIDN'T do what you're describing.

Changing your tires will help the car grip better, but they won't necessarily improve your braking much. If you're looking for better braking, your best mods are stainless steel brake lines, new rotors and new pads. They will all help to improve your braking, but don't think that they will stop you from experiencing the brake shutter when ABS kicks in, b/c that is normal.....

 

I understand that when the ABS kicks in there will be a shutter. That's not what I'm worried about.

Okay let me give you an example. Let's say you're coming to an intersection where ppl are stopped. You anticipate that you only need a certain level of force on your brakes, however just before you slow down, you realize more pressure is needed, therefore you apply a bit more pressure to stop. Well on many occassions I have noticed that the ABS will kick in during situations where I would never have this occur had a I been in another vehicle. I'm simply saying that it doesn't feel normal that the ABS should kick in even under no panic stop attempts. Simply stopping at a stop light, and applying a bit more then needed force to the brakes certainly shouldn't make the ABS kick in.

 

our stock tires are crap, its really easy to lose traction during slightly hard braking. new tires will fix the problem easily.

 

that's what I figured...any suggestions on what to replace the tires with?

While I'm at the dealer road testing the brakes with the service manager, I'm gonna see if he's willing to replace all 4 tires under a good will replacement, seeing as the problem probably won't be rectified after replacing all 4 rotors. I mean it's worth a shot.

He'll probably tell me where to go, but it's worth a shot.

I'll let you guys know the outcome, although my hopes aren't too high that he's gonna replace all 4 tires under warranty.

 

how fast are u going?.. im sure the ABS is kicking in at the right moment, when it reaches the threshold of what the tires can take to prevent skidding. U do know what abs is for right?

 

umm yes I know what abs is (anti-lock braking system), it engages when the car detects the wheels to be sliding as a result of them locking up, and engages the ABS to unlock the wheels. It's really only coming from a stop from 40, and when I push a little harder then normal on the pedal is when the ABS kicks in...

whatever after driving the car a little bit more, I think the issue is just me being paranoid again. The car is most likely running normally.

 

uneven pavments will activate the abs while braking as well.

 

yah I noticed when i go over a bump on the road, the pedal feels shaky, which is causing the ABS to kick in.

You feel somewhat of a rumbling under your foot...

oh well!!!

 

like SilverUa5 said if the pavement was uneven (something to make a slight loss of traction) when you first applied the brake it coulda caused the system to activate

 

Dude! Did you check how much tire you still have? You can have the best ABS in the world, tires, brake lines, rotors, pads and all that and if your tires are in need to be replaced, your ABS will activate if it detects lock up PERIOD. Now if after you replace the tires you still have a premature lock up then your ABS needs to be check.

 

just got back from the dealer...got a new set of front rotors. Problem is no longer there!!! or maybe it's just psychological...in any event I see a world of a difference in the smoothness of the brakes, and I find them much more responsive.

I love Acura of Markham!!!

 

Sounds like you mistook vibration from warped rotors for the ABS pedal pulsation. If you never had warped rotors before or ABS brakes it could cause some confusion. The key difference is you should feel the ABS "pulse" only in the pedal (and even then it is not much). Rotor warp "pulse" can be felt in the pedal *and* in the steering wheel.

 

I was experiencing both issues. Dude I know what warped rotors are. When mostly travelling at highway speeds, when you apply the brakes, you will feel a pulsation coming through the steering wheel.

In any event, both issues have been cured.

Thanks guys.

 

Yeah, I had my ABS kick in on a dry surface, when I had to slam my brakes cuz of some jackass cutting me off, and then wanted to pull into a parking lot, so he not only cut me off, but came to a full stop practically, gotta tell you ... the brakes on my baby.. are great!! Stoped on a dime, but I did feel the ABS kick in. Just glad it works and is doing its job!!

 

there is one time i hit my brake so hard..
car stoped on a dime alright..
but i had to resurface my rotor..
so, i'm so afraid to push my brake paddle now..
i run through as many red light as i can..
d'oh~!

 

pulsation from the abs
LOL that just sounded funny when i read it as opposed to spelling 'ABS' in caps.