Finally Drove the New Celica in Snow! ABS Question.. Options

[FrankB2]

I bought this thing in October, and it's finally snowed in southeast Pennsylvania. I've been wanting to test the ABS brakes, and I found a 1/2" of snow on the roads. Anyway, the ABS makes a rapid grinding*/pulse in the brake pedal, instead of slower on/off pulse I'm used to with my Jeep's ABS. Is this normal for Celicas?

*Grinding might not be the best word. It's more of a 300 rounds per minute sensation.

This post has been edited by FrankB2: Jan 21, 2013 - 9:33 PM

[Box]

You can test the ABS on dry pavement, just slam on the brakes and see how it feels in regards to the pulsing. Besides snow and ice throws ABS off, as does gravel or any other loose surface. In those instances it'd actually be better to not have ABS. Odds are the ABS was rapidly pulsing due to being on a loose surface. I'm sure newer ABS systems probably recognize they're on a loose surface and won't pulse, the Celica comparably has a simple ABS system.

This post has been edited by Box: Jan 21, 2013 - 9:39 PM

[FrankB2]

I'm too cheap to risk melting rubber on dry asphalt...LOL! My Jeep Grand Cherokee is the only other vehicle I've owned with ABS (I tend to buy older cars). The Jeep has a slow steady pulse in the snow, just in case you don't know how to pump brakes. The Celica's ABS did activate, so I guess it's working...one way or another.

[richee3]

My IS 300 had a quick pulse as well. Especially when it did an occasional test when I first started moving the car. It's almost like a buzzing instead of a pulse, right?

[Box]

I'm too cheap to risk melting rubber on dry asphalt...LOL!

That's why you have ABS, it'll pulse for you.

[FrankB2]

BUZZING!!!! That's the right word. Just wanted to make sure that is was functioning normally.

[RabidTRD]

Yeah it makes an odd noise, but it's a far better abs system than I've ever used. It seems not to be over active and only activate when completely nessisary. My dads Buick would activate if someone farted.

[FrankB2]

Yeah, I had to hit the brakes pretty hard and at a higher speed for the ABS to activate. All of this was done in an empty parking lot, and I had to turn around a couple times to make faster runs. The braking performance on snow without the ABS activating (less than 15mph) was excellent, so just one more reason to love my car. I should note that I have a 1996 Caprice, and that car is awful in snow and rain. My son uses it 99.9999999% of the time, but lately he's been driving my Jeep. Why would I drive a Jeep when I have a zippy little black convertible???

[delusionz]

yeah its normal, gt4 abs is even more ruthless with the "grinding", feels like a piece of metal breaking off the car. its really good at preventing a slide/hydraplane in an emergency braking situation, depending on tire traction.

if you really find your better off without abs, then you are one of a very small percentage of drivers

[BonzaiCelica]

i honestly thought it was my master brake cylinder and brake lines. but i see this is common for 6gc

although with my car at 145,000 miles it wouldn't be bad to go with new lines and new master cylinder

i would get this pulsating/buzzing noise when going down driveways that are real steep where I would go in sideways. the different in road contact allows the abs to act funny. lets say i were braking hard from 80-0mph and i went over uneven road surface on my right tire only, it would make that slight grind noise.

oem master cylinder is expensive. i was thinking about going with raybestos abs. that'd be a good deal right??

This post has been edited by BonzaiCelica: Jan 24, 2013 - 3:55 PM