Sensitive ABS

[jojo]

Anyone else experiencing really sensitive ABS in your S3's? I had a 'moment' today braking early towards the exit of a junction, and the ABS just buzzed away, and I nearly backended someone @5mph, but I drove round him instead and stopped next to him lol. - Phew!

It could well be my tyres, they are newish Avon ZZ3's, good in the wet and dry, not tested in snow/ice until recently. Possible black ice, but this was in the afternoon, and the car in front had no problem stopping.

I was mega cautious for the rest of the journey I tell you.

 

[finesse]

same issue I have had jojo, happened few hundred miles after a new set of PS3's

coincidentally, my longitudinal sensor has an intermittent implausible signal...

 

[jojo]

same issue I have had jojo, happened few hundred miles after a new set of PS3's

coincidentally, my longitudinal sensor has an intermittent implausible signal...

Clear on the vagcom front.

 

[finesse]

lol every junction is approached gingerly

 

[jojo]

lol every junction is approached gingerly

Ha! To be fair, I've been killing the roads in my Toyota Rav4, and that doesn't have ESP or ABS, the S3 in comparison is rubbish in this weather, despite the traction and power, I mean it does the job of A to B safely enough, but with a soft roader, the road clearance you have is a huge advantage. Lowered S3's are not made for snow driving. lol

 

[Mpathe]

abs in the snow is useless, thee end

 

[s3_stig]

I've got an abs problem when I brake it's fine but when I get down to say the last 5 mph the abs starts pumping like made and that's on soft braking

 

[jojo]

I've got an abs problem when I brake it's fine but when I get down to say the last 5 mph the abs starts pumping like made and that's on soft braking

Same thing mate, I didn't stomp on them, just feathering it, then buuuuuuuuuuuuuuzzzzzz, and no way to stop. I think having wide low profile tyres are a contributing factor in making the car skid accross the snowy surface. Despite owning S3's for the last 10 years, this is the first time I've actually used it properly in snow.

 

[bogard]

I have the same in a qts. Its frightening

 

[s3_stig]

Mine does it in all conditions I gad the abs rings checked they were fine.
The garage said I might have a faulty abs pump working over time, but when breaking hard it docent happen

 

[sportstractor]

Yea must admit that abs isn't an aid in this weather. I have a vivaro which is even worse than the s3, found myself sliding backwards down a hill the otherday, the black ice is horrific. Dad has a rav4 with semi off road tyres and it's great.

 

[hilly]

yeah abs is rubbish when it comes to snow and ice.the first audi quattro (UR) had a button where you could turn the abs off!may be they should still do this!

 

[aragorn]

If its doing it all the time, rather than just in the snow/ice, then you have a dodgy/intermittant sensor fault or broken/dirty reluctor.

What happens is as you slow down, one sensor drops out. The ABS ECU simply assumes that indicates the wheel has locked, and engages the ABS. ABS's purpose isnt to enable you to stop quicker, its there to stop the wheels locking, so you retain steering control. Obviously as a result in very low grip conditions it can give you next to no braking.

You can connect to the ABS ECU and monitor wheel speeds from each sensor with vagcom, but you need to drive VERY slowly, as the ABS will lock vagcom out once you get to 10mph, and obviously if its intermittant, its probably not going to show up when you test it

 

[jojo]

If its doing it all the time, rather than just in the snow/ice, then you have a dodgy/intermittant sensor fault or broken/dirty reluctor.

Happened a couple of times, so maybe I just hit two patches of black ice, drove fine @5am this morning with -3 temps outside.

 

[s3_stig]

I will get mine back down the garage because it's starting to drive me mad now!
And it's dangerious

 

[finesse]

aragon, how do you suggest this issue is sorted?

 

[dany2k]

Finesse the longitudinal sensor fault doesn't log on vagcom sometimes: it only picks it up once the abs light has flashed on the dash: it did in my case anyways!

 

[Breezey]

The abs is damn right dangerous in this weather almost crashed as I had no brakes doing 10mph

 

[Jonay]

does the ABS light flash or supposed to flash when its working away?

On my 8P it doesn't.

 

[S3 Rav]

Yea my abs is rubbish in this weather! I've had a few moments. Find the braking alot better in my mums polo so have been using that in the cold weather (plus it's cheaper on petrol!!)

 

[Mpathe]

And no abs light is not supposed to flash when it kicks in