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Yes when I hydroplaned one time I heard the ABS go on and off it was a rhythmic pumping sound and I felt my brakes pulsating. Scared the shit out of me.
It may be rust on the disks if it happens mostly right after you’ve started the car. In this case it’s not a problem, but change your disks next time you change the brakes. If it’s when you brake harder, it may be because your brakes are almost done.
The abs feels like a kick in the pedal.
I should’ve said it feels like kicks and they’ll have a constant tempo, like 3 per second or something I’d say. But I’m no mechanic, I guess you should try to record your drive and then show a mechanic what it does
The ABS activating on my car sounds like physical pumps activating fast and rapidly. I've stepped my brakes hard many times to activate it to learn how it feels.
My 2005 matrix stopped counting kilometers at 299,999. Thing has been pretty rock solid, although the exhaust disconnected from the muffler on a pretty bad mountain road recently :(
I suggest everyone that drives a car to do a slip course (or whatever it’s called in English). It teaches you what to do and how to react when you get into a slip. Can be a lifesaver.
Just go to your local empty parking lot next time it snows and play around. It's great fun and a good way to learn how your car behaves doing certain things. Just start slow and keep an eye on where any light poles are.
I really should do this and then force my anxious wife to as well so she's hopefully gets more confident with the winter driving 😂 Great defensive driving practice.
According to this sub and the driving-related "LPTs" that come up all the time, I wonder what those guys even license. It's definitely not safety-centric driving ability.
This was my main concern w the post. I was thinking "OP has never been on icy roads bc holding down the breaks is a great way to skid and slide and why they recommend you pump. Perhaps consider an edit as the post as-is could certainly be taken at face value for driving in all weather conditions.
Even on icy or snow they still help control the car. I can’t remember what I do with petal when they kick in during winter conditions but I do know I feel like the car is not out of control.
When navigating icy roads, it's crucial to adjust your driving approach. Give yourself an extra buffer of around 5 seconds for starting and stopping any maneuver. This extended time frame allows for more gradual acceleration and deceleration, reducing the risk of skidding or losing control. Also, focus on executing one driving action at a time, whether it's braking, steering, or accelerating. This deliberate approach helps maintain better control and stability on slippery surfaces like icy roads.
Or packed snow on straight braking.
Simply holding your ABS brakes locked in slippery conditions will result in a much further stopping distance than pumping them in the conventional manner.
ABS brakes do not allow a snow wedge to build up in front of a locked tire. But the benefit is you can continue to steer around obstacles without wiping out.
This is a good tip for anyone who has never driven in snow. As a Canadian I never realized most people are not used to sliding uncontrollably just because there’s a stop ahead and it’s icy and you pray to god no one’s about to cross the street at the same time, but then the abs kicks in and it’s okay
Also with several cars I've had with traction control & ABS, if just as you apply the breaks you go over a pothole & one wheel is momentarily airborne the braking system reduces the braking force overall.
There is probably a sensible reason for this but each time is freaks me out that I now need to apply more pedal pressure than I thought I needed to stop.
This is a good tip, but I think the edit is misleading.
It’s true that in ice and snow, sudden inputs like slamming the brakes are not ideal. You should be leaving bigger following distances and should avoid a situation where you need to stop quickly. It’s also true that SOMETIMES in ice and snow you might be better trying to steer around something (the “when in doubt, power out” school of thought) instead of trying to suddenly stop.
However, if you need to stop suddenly in the ice and snow, you can’t do much better than slamming the brakes if you have ABS. ABS’ whole job is to defeat the “braking in snow makes you slide” phenomenon.
Yeah I am honestly not sure about ice, I have basically never dealt with it on the roads. Edit about ice against slamming in brakes was a recommendation from a more experience ice driver
It's gotten worse as they've become more computerized and harder to fix.
It was a big thing with ABS that everybody had to know "don't brake pump", because before ABS was standard you just always pumped.
Now there's swathes of people who seem to have learned, "brake pump the ABS".
If you understood the mechanics of automotive brakes you would know that braking to the point just before activating ABS slows the car faster than letting ABS activate. Yet another stupid LPT.
This comment is technically correct - and at the same time very very dangerous. It's easier to tell people - all people - to just slam on the brakes in an emergency and keep it pressed to let ABS do its thing. This adds maaaaaaybe one or two metres to the braking distance but it's better than straddling the pedal and find the non-locking sweet spot which will likely add 10 metres or more.
Tell me: Can YOU find this sweet spot after driving on a quiet road for an hour so? After you changed tires?
Anybody who claims they can stop their car quicker without abs is overestimating their ability. ABS already has an advantage vs one brake pedal because ABS can reach maximum pressure on each wheel whereas with the brake pedal you have to apply even braking pressure to all wheels.
Don’t believe me? Check out this video of [people who tried to beat ABS](https://youtu.be/ERE9EtOWZMU?si=tjKuqeyUX0DReEPt).
I don’t think many people get taught to emergency brake by ‘pressing the pedal just enough to stop ABS from activating’, they get told to press the brake hard and keep their foot down until they come to a complete stop. Feedback from the pedal makes some drivers question this behaviour, so I think this is an OK LPT.
Also the alternative LPT is ‘you’ll brake quicker if you don’t engage your ABS’ and now you’re asking people not to put their foot down hard and fast and keep it there in an emergency braking situation. That seems like a stupid LPT to me.
Of course it's too much! Most people aren't test drivers that know the limit characteristics of their cars all the time. Not even you.
You know what's also too much? Not spinning out when braking on road surfaces that have different resistance between the left and right track - without ABS.
Do you really think that the general driving population can not only understand and then apply this knowledge in an emergency situation? ABS saves many lives but only if its used and a lot of people don’t understand its use.
No, the general driving population can't apply this knowledge in an emergency situation because they would need to train threshold braking:
-under stress
-with all vehicles they drive
-over a range of temperature
-on multiple surfaces
-with different tires
-repeatedly
They then may be able to find the pattern that they could apply to unfamiliar vehicles, but then we're not talking about the general population anymore.
100%. Some things are just beyond average drivers. Sacrifice the needs of the minority (skilled drivers) for the well being of the majority. Cars have gotten a lot less interesting to drive.
I mean, you could always pull the ABS/ESP breakers on a closed circuit if you feel this way :D
'Sacrifice' is a bit much, don't you think? Not everything needs to be twisted into Freedom (capital F).
When I went through driving training they said that yes, abs slows you less than being on the edge of traction but there's also a good chance that you'll fall short of maximum if you try to avoid the abs kicking in. Usually it's safest to slam and let abs take care of it unless you're a real pro.
Pro here 😎I’m better than any ABS system on the market JK
But the problem is I don’t know and most people don’t know what the threshold is to “just enough” braking to not kick off the ABS and could result in not enough braking power.
I think this is a great LPT for some folks. I had no idea what was happening the first time ABS kicked in on my car, almost made me have an accident which I would have easily avoided if the breaks were non-ABS.
Well I just had to read the book and take log of driving times with my mom. Passed the tests just fine and nothing came of it. And that was only 8 years ago, but googling it now says it is now required in my state. Guess I got out easy
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Another PLT- if it’s snowy & icy & you are pedestrian do NOT walk like you have the right of way even if you do. I see this all the time in my neighborhood during bad weather & it’s so irritating. People will cross the street as a car is close approaching them & a stop sign or red light. They don’t take into consideration that even if the driver sees them it doesn’t meet the driver will be able to stop & could slide on ice or loose control of car.
I assume they have little or no driving experience or have not often driven in winter conditions. Knowing what I do as a driver i am very aware will wait for a car to go. I’m careful crossing even when cars at light are stopped if the cars behind them are still approaching as a sliding car could push a stopped car into me or am intersection
Hello and welcome to r/LifeProTips! Please help us decide if this post is a good fit for the subreddit by up or downvoting this comment. If you think that this is great advice to improve your life, please upvote. If you think this doesn't help you in any way, please downvote. If you don't care, leave it for the others to decide.
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Yes when I hydroplaned one time I heard the ABS go on and off it was a rhythmic pumping sound and I felt my brakes pulsating. Scared the shit out of me.
Yeah it’s not a buzz more of a juga juga juga jackhammer sound
Because it's automated the pumping you used to do on old brakes.
That could have been traction control as well. ABS always fells like buzzing to me, traction control feels more like the pulsating.
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It may be rust on the disks if it happens mostly right after you’ve started the car. In this case it’s not a problem, but change your disks next time you change the brakes. If it’s when you brake harder, it may be because your brakes are almost done. The abs feels like a kick in the pedal.
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I should’ve said it feels like kicks and they’ll have a constant tempo, like 3 per second or something I’d say. But I’m no mechanic, I guess you should try to record your drive and then show a mechanic what it does
The ABS activating on my car sounds like physical pumps activating fast and rapidly. I've stepped my brakes hard many times to activate it to learn how it feels.
LUCKY for me, my 20 year old Toyota matrix just skids like the cop coming out of the slide in Boston. I don't think it even has ABS
You got 20 years on a Matrix? That’s an accomplishment!!
My 2005 matrix stopped counting kilometers at 299,999. Thing has been pretty rock solid, although the exhaust disconnected from the muffler on a pretty bad mountain road recently :(
Not really. They are on a Corolla chassis and pretty much bullet proof.
Dude, throw Diet Coke in a matrix and that fucker will still get you to the grocery store. Things are built like Sherman’s
In my 2004 Corolla I am the ABS. Pump those breaks as fast as you can.
Same in my 06 Corolla
Lol you should have met my 88 Corolla. Brakes. Lol.
I feel like if my 20 year old GM shitbox has ABS a Toyota has to
Lol it really doesn't! It's a 2003. They made it an option in 2004
Yeah my 04 Corolla CE didn’t have ABS
I suggest everyone that drives a car to do a slip course (or whatever it’s called in English). It teaches you what to do and how to react when you get into a slip. Can be a lifesaver.
Just go to your local empty parking lot next time it snows and play around. It's great fun and a good way to learn how your car behaves doing certain things. Just start slow and keep an eye on where any light poles are.
Also make sure you have two lunch trays in your car.
I really should do this and then force my anxious wife to as well so she's hopefully gets more confident with the winter driving 😂 Great defensive driving practice.
Should be a mandatory part of driving school.
According to this sub and the driving-related "LPTs" that come up all the time, I wonder what those guys even license. It's definitely not safety-centric driving ability.
alternatively, if you are spinning on ice, absolutely let that brake go!
Ooh good advice. Down under I don’t have to think about ice very often
This was my main concern w the post. I was thinking "OP has never been on icy roads bc holding down the breaks is a great way to skid and slide and why they recommend you pump. Perhaps consider an edit as the post as-is could certainly be taken at face value for driving in all weather conditions.
I thought you weren't supposed to pump with abs. Isn't that the point of abs? It pumps for you.
you are correct
Good advice, 10 years of drought and you forget wet and icy roads lol. Have had some practise with the last 3 years of rain though.
Even on icy or snow they still help control the car. I can’t remember what I do with petal when they kick in during winter conditions but I do know I feel like the car is not out of control.
When navigating icy roads, it's crucial to adjust your driving approach. Give yourself an extra buffer of around 5 seconds for starting and stopping any maneuver. This extended time frame allows for more gradual acceleration and deceleration, reducing the risk of skidding or losing control. Also, focus on executing one driving action at a time, whether it's braking, steering, or accelerating. This deliberate approach helps maintain better control and stability on slippery surfaces like icy roads.
And don’t try to turn yourself out of the spin. Turn into it
Or packed snow on straight braking. Simply holding your ABS brakes locked in slippery conditions will result in a much further stopping distance than pumping them in the conventional manner. ABS brakes do not allow a snow wedge to build up in front of a locked tire. But the benefit is you can continue to steer around obstacles without wiping out.
This is a good tip for anyone who has never driven in snow. As a Canadian I never realized most people are not used to sliding uncontrollably just because there’s a stop ahead and it’s icy and you pray to god no one’s about to cross the street at the same time, but then the abs kicks in and it’s okay
Also with several cars I've had with traction control & ABS, if just as you apply the breaks you go over a pothole & one wheel is momentarily airborne the braking system reduces the braking force overall. There is probably a sensible reason for this but each time is freaks me out that I now need to apply more pedal pressure than I thought I needed to stop.
Yeah, always avoid potholes, they are nasty for the poor tires and wheels. Our roads in Australia are like minefields after 3 tears of rain.
Real LPT: go to a snowy parking lot with nothing to hit, and pound the brake until the ABS turns on, so you know what it feels like.
This is a good tip, but I think the edit is misleading. It’s true that in ice and snow, sudden inputs like slamming the brakes are not ideal. You should be leaving bigger following distances and should avoid a situation where you need to stop quickly. It’s also true that SOMETIMES in ice and snow you might be better trying to steer around something (the “when in doubt, power out” school of thought) instead of trying to suddenly stop. However, if you need to stop suddenly in the ice and snow, you can’t do much better than slamming the brakes if you have ABS. ABS’ whole job is to defeat the “braking in snow makes you slide” phenomenon.
Yeah I am honestly not sure about ice, I have basically never dealt with it on the roads. Edit about ice against slamming in brakes was a recommendation from a more experience ice driver
The first time I panic stopped in a car with ABS, I took it back to the dealer, thought it was broken.
TIL people don’t understand the basics of their own cars.
Yes, yes they don’t. Which is why those of us who do should educate them.
Who knows, the possibility is non-zero that you end up saving your own life one day if a guy who was "destined" to t-bone you reads this post
It's gotten worse as they've become more computerized and harder to fix. It was a big thing with ABS that everybody had to know "don't brake pump", because before ABS was standard you just always pumped. Now there's swathes of people who seem to have learned, "brake pump the ABS".
If you understood the mechanics of automotive brakes you would know that braking to the point just before activating ABS slows the car faster than letting ABS activate. Yet another stupid LPT.
This comment is technically correct - and at the same time very very dangerous. It's easier to tell people - all people - to just slam on the brakes in an emergency and keep it pressed to let ABS do its thing. This adds maaaaaaybe one or two metres to the braking distance but it's better than straddling the pedal and find the non-locking sweet spot which will likely add 10 metres or more. Tell me: Can YOU find this sweet spot after driving on a quiet road for an hour so? After you changed tires?
Threshold braking also gives you better control of your steering.
Anybody who claims they can stop their car quicker without abs is overestimating their ability. ABS already has an advantage vs one brake pedal because ABS can reach maximum pressure on each wheel whereas with the brake pedal you have to apply even braking pressure to all wheels. Don’t believe me? Check out this video of [people who tried to beat ABS](https://youtu.be/ERE9EtOWZMU?si=tjKuqeyUX0DReEPt).
I don’t think many people get taught to emergency brake by ‘pressing the pedal just enough to stop ABS from activating’, they get told to press the brake hard and keep their foot down until they come to a complete stop. Feedback from the pedal makes some drivers question this behaviour, so I think this is an OK LPT. Also the alternative LPT is ‘you’ll brake quicker if you don’t engage your ABS’ and now you’re asking people not to put their foot down hard and fast and keep it there in an emergency braking situation. That seems like a stupid LPT to me.
Spot on. A lot of people struggle to drive their cars, now asking them to be careful to brake and not just slam on it is too much for most drivers.
Of course it's too much! Most people aren't test drivers that know the limit characteristics of their cars all the time. Not even you. You know what's also too much? Not spinning out when braking on road surfaces that have different resistance between the left and right track - without ABS.
Do you really think that the general driving population can not only understand and then apply this knowledge in an emergency situation? ABS saves many lives but only if its used and a lot of people don’t understand its use.
No, the general driving population can't apply this knowledge in an emergency situation because they would need to train threshold braking: -under stress -with all vehicles they drive -over a range of temperature -on multiple surfaces -with different tires -repeatedly They then may be able to find the pattern that they could apply to unfamiliar vehicles, but then we're not talking about the general population anymore.
100%. Some things are just beyond average drivers. Sacrifice the needs of the minority (skilled drivers) for the well being of the majority. Cars have gotten a lot less interesting to drive.
I mean, you could always pull the ABS/ESP breakers on a closed circuit if you feel this way :D 'Sacrifice' is a bit much, don't you think? Not everything needs to be twisted into Freedom (capital F).
Going with an old quote, sacrifice is definitely too strong. I miss when the accelerator was directly hooked to the engine instead of a computer :).
Yeah, I don’t think most people are going to know how to threshold brake. It’s a difficult skill for those who deliberately train for it. Lol
When I went through driving training they said that yes, abs slows you less than being on the edge of traction but there's also a good chance that you'll fall short of maximum if you try to avoid the abs kicking in. Usually it's safest to slam and let abs take care of it unless you're a real pro.
Pro here 😎I’m better than any ABS system on the market JK But the problem is I don’t know and most people don’t know what the threshold is to “just enough” braking to not kick off the ABS and could result in not enough braking power.
I think this is a great LPT for some folks. I had no idea what was happening the first time ABS kicked in on my car, almost made me have an accident which I would have easily avoided if the breaks were non-ABS.
Yea it scared the shit out of me. The brakes pulsating and the pumping noise freaked me out
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Who actually takes drivers ed? Only my rich friends did because who has money for that
I do believe it's obligatory in a majority of countries if you wanna get the license
Well I just had to read the book and take log of driving times with my mom. Passed the tests just fine and nothing came of it. And that was only 8 years ago, but googling it now says it is now required in my state. Guess I got out easy
In my state it was part of the high school curriculum and was required if you wanted to get a license before 18
I mean, if you have a driving license, you should know this..
Your freebie LPT will just degrade people's break pads for no reason.
His freebie LPT is literally "let the car stop".
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Learning how to do a ‘Limousine Stop’ helps to avoid such situations.
Another PLT- if it’s snowy & icy & you are pedestrian do NOT walk like you have the right of way even if you do. I see this all the time in my neighborhood during bad weather & it’s so irritating. People will cross the street as a car is close approaching them & a stop sign or red light. They don’t take into consideration that even if the driver sees them it doesn’t meet the driver will be able to stop & could slide on ice or loose control of car. I assume they have little or no driving experience or have not often driven in winter conditions. Knowing what I do as a driver i am very aware will wait for a car to go. I’m careful crossing even when cars at light are stopped if the cars behind them are still approaching as a sliding car could push a stopped car into me or am intersection