How do I disable ABS?
1 - 20 of 24 Posts
take the fuse out or...
* pull the hand brake just until the "Brake" light comes on (or you can do it to the first click so you don't have to hold it).
* Then just drive with the brake on for about a quarter of a mile or so.
* When the ABS light comes on, the system is no longer activated and you can lock up the brakes all you want!
* To re-enable the ABS, turn off the key and restart the engine."
* pull the hand brake just until the "Brake" light comes on (or you can do it to the first click so you don't have to hold it).
* Then just drive with the brake on for about a quarter of a mile or so.
* When the ABS light comes on, the system is no longer activated and you can lock up the brakes all you want!
* To re-enable the ABS, turn off the key and restart the engine."
Joined
·
2,975 Posts
if something is broken on your abs, its already disabled
Joined
·
1,706 Posts
rather than making a new thread, is it ok to run the car with the abs computer out?mikex1021 on Oct/13/07 said:
Joined
·
153 Posts
my ABS light is on does that mean my ABS does not work.and is it good to have it off i know alot of people tell me to take it out.what would it do if i took my whole ABS thingy out.
Joined
·
454 Posts
Just take the fuse out. I remember when my ABS pump started failing, it would make this annoying loud hum everytime the car would start and stop and throw the light. Took out the fuse and it completely disables the system from even trying to start
Joined
·
452 Posts
Yes, if your ABS light is on, it means the ABS system is disbled because there is something wrong with it. And you cant just take out the whole ABS "thingy", all of your brake lines tie into it and it serves as sort of a junction point between your master cylinder and brakes. It would not be worth all the headaches to remove the whole ABS system and re-route your brake lines just to save a little weight (which I imagine is the reason why some people have told you to take it out).sicknastygsr on Jan/17/08 said:
Joined
·
10,778 Posts
removing the ABS is a HUGE pain in the ass and unless you are uber OCD about your engine bay or have a show car and want the cleanest looking bay dont bother with removing it. Mine hasnt worked in over 2 years....i just pulled the bulb out of the gauge cluster to get rid of that annoyingly bright orange light.
Joined
·
153 Posts
ok thanks. but is ABS good or is it better to not have it at all. i live in upstate new york we get some snow...i buddy have a 90 integra he says its better without it.
Joined
·
487 Posts
it helps to know the theory behind ABS. when you're standing on the brake pedal, the brakes try to turn as much rotational energy into heat energy as it can to stop you. when the friction force of the brake pads to rotors over come the friction force between the wheels and pavement, the wheel stops turning. but if you're still moving, this causes the squeeling of rubber on the road. this is very bad, as you have lost all traction available to the wheels and are no longer in control of your car. if your front wheels are locked, you can no longer steer and have lost 60-70% of your braking power.
ABS monitors the wheel speed of each wheel. not necessarly the absolute speed, but the speed in relation to each other. if the ABS computer senses no movement of the back wheels, it assumes a lock up has occured and thus modulates the brake pressure to let the rear wheels turn again. this should allow the brakes to work again, because if the wheel is turning, it has some power to slow down the car. and the same for the front wheels. and the same for right side versus left side.
anecdotal evidence goes either way on if it's safer. for slower speeds (such as gridlock traffic), some people mention that they're used to following uber-close and stopping quickly. they claim that a quick screetching halt at those slower speeds takes less distance than if the ABS computer relieves pressure to keep the wheels rolling. i haven't been in that situation so i can't vouch for it's validity.
but even if it lengthens your stopping distance, you still have control. so, a longer distance where you can still turn and avoid objects may be much safer than plowing into an object closer to you because you can't avoid it.
racers like the ultimate feel of the brakes just as they are about to lock up, thus most will remove it (for weight issues also) for total control of the car. purists, mostly. high end (F1) have ABS, and traction control, but those are uber-performance and thus have the computing power to be very adjustable and very, very responsive.
it is another thing on the car to go wrong, so people hate the ABS system then. but when it keeps them from losing control, they praise it. if you don't have the experience or connections to dink around with the braking system, you're better off leaving it alone. besides, like SRS, the insurance provider may have a thing or two to say if you're in an accident and have disabled one of the car's factory safety systems.
the acura service manual has a section on the ABS, so you may want to look in it for troubleshooting.
ABS monitors the wheel speed of each wheel. not necessarly the absolute speed, but the speed in relation to each other. if the ABS computer senses no movement of the back wheels, it assumes a lock up has occured and thus modulates the brake pressure to let the rear wheels turn again. this should allow the brakes to work again, because if the wheel is turning, it has some power to slow down the car. and the same for the front wheels. and the same for right side versus left side.
anecdotal evidence goes either way on if it's safer. for slower speeds (such as gridlock traffic), some people mention that they're used to following uber-close and stopping quickly. they claim that a quick screetching halt at those slower speeds takes less distance than if the ABS computer relieves pressure to keep the wheels rolling. i haven't been in that situation so i can't vouch for it's validity.
but even if it lengthens your stopping distance, you still have control. so, a longer distance where you can still turn and avoid objects may be much safer than plowing into an object closer to you because you can't avoid it.
racers like the ultimate feel of the brakes just as they are about to lock up, thus most will remove it (for weight issues also) for total control of the car. purists, mostly. high end (F1) have ABS, and traction control, but those are uber-performance and thus have the computing power to be very adjustable and very, very responsive.
it is another thing on the car to go wrong, so people hate the ABS system then. but when it keeps them from losing control, they praise it. if you don't have the experience or connections to dink around with the braking system, you're better off leaving it alone. besides, like SRS, the insurance provider may have a thing or two to say if you're in an accident and have disabled one of the car's factory safety systems.
the acura service manual has a section on the ABS, so you may want to look in it for troubleshooting.
Joined
·
2,268 Posts
Fantastic explanation silver.
Here's some more info though, should the OP decide to proceed.
ABS Removal thread
Here's some more info though, should the OP decide to proceed.
ABS Removal thread
Joined
·
487 Posts
thanks. i get it right once in a while.
and now for a few opinions:
i don't think it's a good idea for a daily driver car to have its ABS taken out. insurance reasons and car engineering (how it interconnects with the brakes in an emergency stop) are my reasons. for an off-street car, do what you want to do.
i think it's worth it, chris (sicknastygsr), to at least see if you can troubleshoot the ABS system with the service manual. it doesn't mess with the engine performance, and you can take your time. taking your time may mean cheap-to-free troubleshooting.
what ever you do, remember you'll be driving that car around other people. lol.
and now for a few opinions:
i don't think it's a good idea for a daily driver car to have its ABS taken out. insurance reasons and car engineering (how it interconnects with the brakes in an emergency stop) are my reasons. for an off-street car, do what you want to do.
i think it's worth it, chris (sicknastygsr), to at least see if you can troubleshoot the ABS system with the service manual. it doesn't mess with the engine performance, and you can take your time. taking your time may mean cheap-to-free troubleshooting.
what ever you do, remember you'll be driving that car around other people. lol.
Joined
·
131 Posts
I'm thinking of wiring a switch to an ABS wire so i can enable or disable it as I please. Does this sound doable?
1 - 20 of 24 Posts
Join the discussion
