Boltzman

well that settles it.I'm drivin like grampa!!

EleanorsMine

My car is minus Tc and ABS-
Which means I hydroplane in the rain and spin on gravel- but I know how to handle it. I turned it around twice the first week I had it, but I managed to learn how to deal with it.
I drive my other car with all that crap, and I hate it. The brakes are too resistant.

In contrast, my hubby drove Ellie to Orlando last week in the rain, and was not used to the losing traction on slick roads thing. We were out last week in the rain and he said "your car tends to hydroplane a lot" well..........

rhumb

I think Stoopy summed up the ABS thing quite well. There are certainly better systems (some good 4 channel Bosch) and worse (the cheap, ancient Delphi systems on many GM cars) and some, VERY rare situations where a VERY good driver might do better sans ABS. And suspension design, tires, brakes, chassis balance, etc. can have a huge effect on how well a car can keep some right-pedal mashing ape from an inopportune trip through the trees.

But on the whole, and in reality, 95-99% of all drivers, and that means most of us too, benefit far more from ABS than are hurt by it. Sort of like the old argument that it's better not to wear a seatbelt and get thrown clear from a crash -- yeah, that might be true in 1% of the crashes, but in the other 99%, d'em belts really will save your bacon. Darwin will soon weedout those anti-belt wearers from the gene pool soon enough anyway.

Unfortunately, ABS, like any other system, can make for a convenient scape goat when things do go wrong due to driver error. "If it weren't for that danged ABS get'n in the way, I coulda taken that sandy hairpin at 100mph..." But in reality, that bothersome ABS probably mitigated the consequences of ones rash driving enough to allow said road warrior to scribe up some vacuous excuses.

poldrv

ABS does not add braking force. The purpose of ABS is to allow you to steer once you have applied the brakes. On a vehicle with a conventional braking system your vehicle would have went off the road. Braking in a curve is never recommended. The brakes should be applied in a straight line prior to the curve, once the vehicle is beginning the turn left your foot off the brake. ABS is a fine system as long as you know how the system works.

Extra care is required when driving on loose surfaces such as gravel and sand as the car's tires will not be on a solid traction force such as pavement or cement. More often than not incidents like yours are more often the result of driver error.

Stoopy

Can I just agree with you both and go home and have a cold one? (and, thank, you, rhumb).

- Agree that ABS doesn't add braking force.
- Agree that it achieves mission of compensating for panicky ape-descendant with size-12 shoes stomping brake pedal with 600-lb force.
- Agree that this is much better braking force than ape-descendant would obtain with size-12 shoe stomping on brake pad with 600-lb force. Some may consider this "added" over what ape-descendant could manage. Moot point, different apes drive at different levels of badness!
- Agree that by acheiving prinmary mission, ABS also allows for steering during breaking effort because traction has not been lost and wheels are still turning while slowing vehicle and the fronts can do their thing.
- Agree that I have been able to turn while braking also, without ABS, as long as I didn't lock 'em up or exceed the manuevering capabilities of car, allowing ape-descendant to spin out in either case.

Not sure about references to level of knowledge required. What makes them difficult to learn how to use. Only caution that I've seen commonly quoted is to get old-timey ape-descendants who are in the habit of pumping brakes in panic stop, to stop pumping ABS brakes. Otherwise, no specialized knowledge or intensive 6-day training programs run by Navy Seals seems to be needed. However I've been wrong before so if there is, please pass along any info as I would like to attend.

Time for cold suds for this ape. Drive safe.

Boltzman

Erich,drink up and be merry

Stoopy

Danke!

And if I may, I'll buy a round for MontrealStang, since I think the original point here was about his broken machine and 'nuff said about lessons learned....once again, hope you get 'er back good as new soon.

MontrealStang

Thanks Stoopy

BTW, I got the estimate ... $12850 ... ouch :bang:

Thank god for insurance ! :worship:

MustangFanatic

You aren't kidding ouch!! Hope you get her back soon.

gnatsum265

I own a 2002 Mustang GT. Dont know to much about the new ones but I have the option to turn off my ABS. It is near my fog light and rear defrost buttons. It is the first thing I turn off when I start the car but leave it on when raining.

On a second note. I am interested to know if the insurance company doenst total it. I have always been told that when your air bags are deployed that is pretty much it. I hope I am wrong and they fix it, but good luck!

MontrealStang

That switch is for traction control not ABS. The only way to turn off the ABS is to pull out the fuse.

The car is 6 months old and was 36K CDN. You don't total a 36K car for 12K damage unless the frame is too severely damaged. I wish they had so I would get an 06

Boltzman

how much is your deductible?

MontrealStang

My deductible is $500 and I pay $1000/year for insurance. I don't want to see my renewal next year :bang:

Sonic05

Wow, insurance quotes are such a joke. Oh, wait, is that Canadian? Nevermind.

WERKED 66

of the amount i would say atmost 3000 alone for the air bags...good luck ..hope your on the road again soon...