Ice road Car Trekkers.

The main point I was trying to get across was, don't think because you have ABS you are ok. Yes it will come into operation but it will not be as effective as it should be. As Trazor pointed out, you could still ride over the snow and have an accident.
You could liken it to the legend/urban myth of the guy with 'cruise control' on his camper van. Switched it on and thought he could go into the back of the van and make a sandwhich.
Its an aid, not a replacement for good driving.

Take care out there.
 
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I discovered that ABS and ice isnt' very good the other day. I was going incredibly slow but down a bloomin steep hill to my house. Started gently braking miles away from the house. Next thing it sounded like the bottom of the car was about to fall out and the brake pedal was just bouncing up and down under my foot. I nearly had a heart attack, went sliding past the house then eventually managed to stop before I shot across the junction at the bottom. And I wasn't being a stupid driver - I am incredibly careful in the snow - seen too many idiots thinking they could handle it and couldn't.

The street next to ours is slightly steeper and the police have closed it off because it's just sheet ice. Nothing daunted, all the church-goers on Sunday were trying to go down it to park - totally ignoring the police road closed sign (it had tape across it too but somebody drove through that). One car has been abandoned since then - half on the pavement, half on the road, embedded into a lamp post!
 
The points being made about snow building up in front of the wheels is a bit hypothetical, init. You'd have to be going a silly speed, given the conditions, to generate a skid on snow that is deep enough to bunch up in front of the wheel. Normally the traction on slightly deep snow is not that bad.
It's ice that causes the problem, not snow. And there's no way you're going to get ice bunching up in front of your wheels. If you're skidding with locked wheels you have no control over your direction.

My point about ABS is exactly as someone else said ABS does not allow for normal driving in these conditions, but it does allow a degree of control, as far as direction is concerned, under braking. Until the conditions, (ice), are so bad as to not provide any traction at all. Then, I agree the ABS is useless. But it's a continuum, not a yes or no, black or white situation.
In no way is ABS a substitute for more sensible driving.
My apologies if I gave the impression that I thought otherwise.
I still stand by what I said before. Use your gears to slow down more, unless you have ABS, because what you are attempting to do is to control the direction as well as slowing down, without losing traction.
You could still use your gears even if you have ABS.
It appears to me that once people have lost traction becasue their wheels are locked they lose perception of which way their wheels are pointing. If they do suddenly regain traction they'll most likely shoot off in an unexpected direction. But more likely they'll continue to slide but by now their wheels are not even pointing in the direction of travel so ABS has no chance.
 
I discovered that ABS and ice isnt' very good the other day. I was going incredibly slow but down a bloomin steep hill to my house. Started gently braking miles away from the house. Next thing it sounded like the bottom of the car was about to fall out and the brake pedal was just bouncing up and down under my foot. I nearly had a heart attack, went sliding past the house then eventually managed to stop before I shot across the junction at the bottom. And I wasn't being a stupid driver - I am incredibly careful in the snow - seen too many idiots thinking they could handle it and couldn't.

Without the ABS you might have gone sliding accross the junction :!:
 
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I don't normally get angry in the car but I did this morning.
Going down hill towards the island at the bottom, doing about 25 mph in a 30 zone. Main'ish road, traction wasn't bad, Dopey idiot behind followed at about 5 meters back. As we approached the island at the bottom I did my usual for these conditions, used my gears to slow down well before island but on this occasion, 'cos of the idiot behind, I rested my foot on brake pedal to illuminate brake lights. I heard the car behind lock at least one wheel :evil:
After the island it was still downhill to the next island and traffic was queing for island, just bumbling forward at about 5mph up to island. This time the idiot behind, first of all kept a 20 meter gap (at 5mph :!: ). Then stopped entirely, left about a 30 meter gap, then came down the hill faster than us in order to catch up. :evil: :evil: :evil:
And we wonder why there's so many accidents :!:
 
In this type of weather ABS is none existent! It basically works by sensing the pressure of the tarmac against the turning wheel and automatically "cuts in and out" numerous times per second, rather like you releasing your foot when you feel your brakes locking and then re-applying them only ABS does it so much quicker. In this weather when your brakes lock there is insufficient pressure on the sensor to activate so you will just slide.

Rubbish.

http://www.mucda.mb.ca/aboutabs.htm said:
ABS uses wheel speed sensors to determine if one or more wheels are trying to lock up during braking. If a wheel tries to lock up, a series of hydraulic valves limit or reduce the braking on that wheel. This prevents skidding and allows you to maintain steering control
This is the way ABS works, none of this pressure sensor stuff. I read this years ago. The tyres inflict the same pressure on the road, whether they have grip or not.

EBD, an improvement on ABS, has a speed sensor on each wheel and transfers (or removes) the appropriate braking force on each wheel.

Both types of braking systems do work in ice and snow. As I found out myself the other day (my C4 has both). The ABS and EBD kicked in as I braked for a road end. I was glad of it, or I would have skidded into the road at the end. :eek:
 
Not being a mechanic I have only related what was on TV a short while ago in an unrelated subject regarding how ABS works.
However, I stand by my point that ABS is no substitute for good driving standards in any weather, not just what we are experiencing at the present time.

And by your last statement it re-enforces my argument. If you had been driving in such a manner as to be in full control of your car you should not have got into a slide.
 
I must need the abs on my van checked cos it's 5hit in this weather and no match for using the gears and engine to slow or come to a stop.
 
bought some snow chains for my truck today. couldnt believe how cheap they were (when they turn up is another factor though!)

Deliveries will get through when the snow has melted.................. :LOL:

ha they turned up this morning. well worth the money paid, now im mobile again. so yaa boo and sucks to you trazor :LOL:
 
funny thing i saw yesterday was a 4x4 with snow chains fitted on a flat road albeit the road was full of ice but no 1 else had any problems.
makes you wonder how good 4x4 really are?
 
And by your last statement it re-enforces my argument. If you had been driving in such a manner as to be in full control of your car you should not have got into a slide.

I hadnt realised there was ice on the road, or I would have been going much slower than I was. I was going very slowly as it was, but evidently not enough. Observing other drivers in this weather, I'm certainly one of the better ones.
 
I'm happy to admit I'm below average.
Drove out yesterday morning with an iced up windscreen and wiped two wing mirrors. :(
Was hogging the center of the road. Guess the other driver was too.
Well at least the side of the van is still in one piece. :D
 
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