ABS System.

I'm trying to get my car ready for winter early, because last winter I didn't and it seemed like every week I was out there in 15 degree weather working on something. Anyway, last winter one of my brake lines from the resevoir to the ABS module thingy rusted through spilling brake fluid everywhere. I replaced, (It was a bitch to fix) and bled the line, but now my ABS doesn't work. Stopping this heavy car on ice without it is asking for trouble. Any suggestions?

I'm trying to get my car ready for winter early, because last winter I didn't and it seemed like every week I was out there in 15 degree weather working on something. Anyway, last winter one of my brake lines from the resevoir to the ABS module thingy rusted through spilling brake fluid everywhere. I replaced, (It was a bitch to fix) and bled the line, but now my ABS doesn't work. Stopping this heavy car on ice without it is asking for trouble. Any suggestions?


you will need the ABS bled by a dealer or repair center device that will properly remove the air trapped in you system ..air is moisture and any moisture in the brake fliud will cause poor braking...


stopping any car/vehicle on ICE is usually not good....

Much heavier cars have been stopped in snow and on ice for decades before ABS existed. Quite frankly, heavier cars are easier to stop in marginal traction conditions. I know that you guys on the other side of the lake tend to get more lake effect snow, but snow is not nearly as much of a problem as ice, as j cAT advised.

I'm not a big fan of ABS, but I tolerate it. I'd rather modulate the brake pressure myself instead of at a rate determined by some second-year engineering graduate sitting in Florida. Does anyone else but me find it odd that the ABS/traction control has to be turned off for cars to run fast laps on test tracks? Or that it isn't used in "maximum performance" vehicles? Or that it isn't used on heavy trucks (even in snow/ice conditions)? I don't, but those vehicles are usually operated by skilled drivers, and not just by anyone who can meet the bare minimum exam requirements and has the $18 for a driver's license. That is not a commentary on your driving skills, but a general statement that many drivers are becoming less skilled and lazier as a result of these kind of systems.

Much heavier cars have been stopped in snow and on ice for decades before ABS existed. Quite frankly, heavier cars are easier to stop in marginal traction conditions. I know that you guys on the other side of the lake tend to get more lake effect snow, but snow is not nearly as much of a problem as ice, as j cAT advised.

I'm not a big fan of ABS, but I tolerate it. I'd rather modulate the brake pressure myself instead of at a rate determined by some second-year engineering graduate sitting in Florida. Does anyone else but me find it odd that the ABS/traction control has to be turned off for cars to run fast laps on test tracks? Or that it isn't used in "maximum performance" vehicles? Or that it isn't used on heavy trucks (even in snow/ice conditions)? I don't, but those vehicles are usually operated by skilled drivers, and not just by anyone who can meet the bare minimum exam requirements and has the $18 for a driver's license. That is not a commentary on your driving skills, but a general statement that many drivers are becoming less skilled and lazier as a result of these kind of systems.


what I have found in good weather ABS has caused accidents..where I live the exit ramps are not paved with a smooth surface due to neglect..as a result the rear tires tend to bounce, and because the ABS is so sensitive it will start pulsing causing a much longer stopping distance..when braking...

trucks tend to have this problem....especially if the rear tires have too much air and no load..in bed..

on the other hand in snow and rain,, ABS does help the PANIC stopping of vehicles with drivers less experienced , and obviously with the first snow event of the season...

Oh don't get me wrong, personally I don't have a problem stopping the car on ice or snow. I always give plenty of distance to stop, and I take it slow. It's the morons out there in their SUV's that think just because they have a 4x4 or All-wheel drive vehicles makes them invincible. They're always pulling out in front of you, you know driving like complete idiots. Like j-Cat said, it's the panic stop. The last thing I want to do is wreck my front end because I couldn't stop for some jackass pulling out in front of me. I've been driving in snow for years and do a damn fine job of it, but some people seem to get less and less adept to driving in any weather these days.
Oh, and I agree with the whole traction control thing. My minivan has it, and I am so glad there is a button to turn it off. I like knowing that I am in control of my cornering and acceleration.

All valid points. Either way, you're going to need a scanner to cycle the ABS solenoids and motor to bleed the system. The Delco ABS VI systems can get away without using the scanner to bleed, but not your Kelsey-Hayes unit.

All valid points. Either way, you're going to need a scanner to cycle the ABS solenoids and motor to bleed the system. The Delco ABS VI systems can get away without using the scanner to bleed, but not your Kelsey-Hayes unit.

do you know of a method to trick the ABS to activate and then create a possible bleed method without the ABS bleeding system...


or use vacuum to suck out the air when forcing open the solenoids etc...

The factory manual outlines a procedure to cycle the Delco ABS VI system without a bi-directional scanner, and there are two bleed screws on top of the unit to complete the bleeding. AFAIK, only the ABS VI systems are capable of that. The Kelsey-Hayes and Teves systems require solenoid and modulation motor activation via a scan tool or similar device.

It's the morons out there in their SUV's that think just because they have a 4x4 or All-wheel drive vehicles makes them invincible.

i agree with that completely just because you may have 4x4 doesn't mean you're invinceable it means you can get in to that much more of an unpleasent situation


i got curious and looked under the hood of my land yahct and didn't find an abs modulator

i've noticed a couple things about heavier cars, first off they are heavier (obvisously) and with the added weight even with a rear wheel drive platform, they tend to grip better and handle better than most cars and some trucks in sub-par traction conditions

seccond, as long as you have tires with some decent meat and as long as you don't get too over-zealous with it you can stop or acelerate just fine

sand bags and cinder blocks can help be putting more weight over the rear axel but that really is only to help with giving the drive wheels more bite but since 70% of the braking force is generated in the front of the car thats where good tires start to come in to their own

in short 4x4 and abs can help to an extent but , it all boils down to 1 thing
driving ability

know your car, know your limits, and know the weather

in my book those are 3 cardinal rules to live by regardless of what you drive

a car can only handle as good as the driver can make it handle