ABS brakes

Anyone have input about how important ABS brakes are on a 2004 Civic?
(forcing me to buy an EX instead of an LX).

 

Oh oh this has the makings of a long string.

Let me punch in my two cents right now
..
ABS will NOT stop you any sooner. It will stop you straighter
..
And now be prepared for a barrage of replies many of which will involve
rants against auto makers in general, the value of such an option and how
many angels can fit on the head of a pin and at least one reply saying itss
all the fault of George Bush.

Good luck on your selection.

Mike

 

Agree with all the above. I'd go for it.

 

Let me put it this way -- that part of the EX package is worth the
money!

J.

 

on wet or icy pavement it will stop you faster, It applies a much harder
gripping force then you can do manually without locking the tires. So the
brakes are applied much more strongly then you can do by adjusting the pedal
yourself. On dry pavement the difference will be neglicable. As for icy or
wet roads, the coefficent of fiction is greater reduced between rubber and
pavement. Thus making your stop longer, but where abs comes into play is
that when you are trying to stop and it is slippery, by keeping the tires
spinning it allows you to use static friction, but if your tires lock, and
your sliding, you are using kinetic friction. Its a fact of physics that
static friction is much powerful then kinetic, thus stopping the car in a
shorter distance.

If you'd like to argue this fact, pick up a physics book and prove me wrong,
any first year university physics book will explain it.

 

=============

Ernest,

There's little reason for us to speculate whether it will be good for
you. If you're a skier in Tazmania, or Calgary, yes, ABS is a great
idea. If you live in Texas, it's doubtful you would benefit from it.

What I'm hinting at, is, you gave us nothing to go on.

'Curly'

============

 

I personally like ABS during rainy or winter conditions. ABS makes all the
difference then between a recked car and stop right before you hit someone.
In dry conditions you might not see much difference. There are some
disadvantages but it's mostly a preference. Some oldschool drivers are used
to driving non-ABS cars so they prefer those. Whatever makes your driving
safer is what I'd go for. ABS are definitely an innovative technology and it
does work.

I'd say, test drive a car with ABS and one without it and see what you like
better. Make sure you test it on snow if you get a chance.

--Viktor

 

I will vouch for the physics angle but under controlled testing situations,
professional drivers were able to get a car to stop a little faster
(shorter) than the ABS was able to on slippery surfaces. Obviously the big
thing here is normally when an accident is about to occur you aren't ready
for it, you are not a professional driver under controlled situations and
you will forget to pump your brakes so ABS really is your best bet with
water, snow, ice, etc.

CaptainKrunch

 

I suggest that you get the vehicle that has ABS. On a rainy day or a day
when the roads are covered with ice or snow--they could save your life and
the lives of other people in the vehicle.

With regular brakes--the car can go into a spin if you have to slam on the
brakes. With ABS brakes--in almost every case--the car won't go into a
spin. I realize the there are exceptions to every rule.

 

Yeah, it all depends on the driver. For ABS brakes, the correct procedure is
to press the brake and keep it pressed. For non-ABS, you have to tap it on
slipper surface, otherwise the wheels will lock and you might end up in the
opposing ditch.

I doubt any brake will save you from ice but for snowy and rainy surfaces, I
give ABS a thumbs up!

--Viktor

 

Thanks for reply. I'll keep your advice in mind when I make my decision.

 

Are ABS breaks supposed to make a Spring type sound when you go from
slippery surfaces to none slippery surfaces ie: ice to bare pavement?

mine sounds like a spring letting go when this happens.

 

exactly, most drivers aren't professional, even though they think they are,
and the fact your not expecting it will have a large effect on the amount of
time (ms) it takes you to realize you have to pump, not slam the brakes