This system relies on two additional sensors for operation: a gyroscopic sensor and a steering wheel angle sensor. The anti-lock braking system has recently evolved into an electronic stability control system. They do so with the help of their dedicated microcontroller and hub-mounted sensors. Modern versions of the anti-lock braking system apply individual brake pressure to each wheel. However, if the system detects any failure, it flashes a warning light and disables the anti-lock brakes until the fault is fixed. That is crucial as the two wheels near the curve turn slower than the other two wheels, which is why all roadgoing vehicles use differentials. When the vehicle turns, the electronic control unit detects the wheel’s speed below a certain threshold. This process is ongoing as the vehicle is in use, and the driver can rely on brake pedal pulsation to detect it. In this case, it will increase the hydraulic pressure and braking force, causing the wheel to slow down. On the other hand, the control unit may detect a wheel going faster than the vehicle. This results in a lower braking force and faster wheel speed. So, the control unit activates the hydraulic valves to reduce the brakes’ hydraulic pressure at the specific wheel. The electronic control unit oversees the wheels’ rotational speed and acts accordingly.įor example, if a wheel is slower than the vehicle, it can lead to an impending wheel lock. How Do Anti-Lock Brakes Work? Image Credit: Ake Apichai Chumsri, ShutterstockĪlso known as the anti-lock controller brake, the anti-lock braking system (ABS) has three components: speed sensors, an electronic control unit, and hydraulic valves. Keep reading to understand anti-lock brakes, their types, pros, and cons. If you’re here to learn more about this modern safety feature, you’re at the right place. We all know that our cars, buses, and trucks have anti-lock brakes, but only a few know how they really work. It allows the car to maintain tractive contact with the surface and the driver to retain control over the car. But, of course, all modern cars include this feature. The anti-lock braking system allows you to prevent your car from skidding without having to pump the brake pedals. Instead, they were simply a glimpse into what we have today: a nearly foolproof machine with endless safety features, one of them being the anti-lock braking system. If you get into a panic stop situation, and you feel the brakes lock up, be ready to pump the brakes like you would on an older car with standard brakes.There’s no doubt that the first-ever cars were no paragons of safety and reliance. So if your ABS light comes on, make sure the brake fluid is full, and that the vehicle still stops normally, and then drive it carefully until you can get it inspected. The important thing to remember is that a vehicle with an illuminated ABS light is usually safe to drive until you can get it into a shop for repairs, but you shouldn’t count on the ABS kicking in if you get into a panic stop situation. It could be a wheel speed sensor, or any number of other issues, and there’s no way to really diagnose the problem without pulling the codes and digging in. When your ABS light comes on, it usually indicates that there is an issue with one of the components in the ABS system. That's more or less true of the ABS light, but it's still extremely important to pay attention to it. Image courtesy of _sarchi, via Flickr (Creative Commons 2.0)ĭo you know what to do when your ABS light comes on? A surprisingly large percentage of drivers simply ignore warning lights in their vehicles, because a warning light doesn't always translate to an immediate, catastrophic failure of the associated system. The ABS light indicates some type of fault in the system, but you can't tell what until you pull the codes.
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