How to disconnect ABS

[zachzchw]

My ABS is locking up. I need to disconnect it, and just use the normal brakes.
How do I do this?

[Decipha]

on the master cylinder they have 2 electrical connectors that plug in to the valves that control the lock ups... disconnect them and tape them off.

btw i changed the trany in that grand prix i made a post in 98 achieva about the trany swap.

[MT-2500]

Originally Posted by zachzchw

My ABS is locking up. I need to disconnect it, and just use the normal brakes.
How do I do this?

ABS brakes is one of your safety feathers.
It is better and a lot safer to fix them than to disable.
Check for ABS codes and post back codes with year make and model and mileage and a discription of the locking up and someone will help you on it.
MT

[zachzchw]

Originally Posted by MT-2500

ABS brakes is one of your safety feathers.
It is better and a lot safer to fix them than to disable.
Check for ABS codes and post back codes with year make and model and mileage and a discription of the locking up and someone will help you on it.
MT

My light comes on and goes off.
When its on, the brakes are fine. When it goes off, the first time I use the brakes, they dont go down far at all. There is also sort of a grinding sound, and I have no brakes for a few seconds. Even after it stops, the grinding sound is still heard while I am driving for a few seconds (it is much quieter at this point.)

1997 Bravada, 113xxx.

I dont really want to spend any money to fix it, Im finally getting rid of this truck, hopefully within a couple months.
Its sucked up enough of my money already, so unless
1. its a VERY DANGEROUS thing to disconnect them
2. the fix is very cheap

I probably wont worry about it.

[muzzy1maniac]

Originally Posted by MT-2500

ABS brakes is one of your safety feathers.
It is better and a lot safer to fix them than to disable.
Check for ABS codes and post back codes with year make and model and mileage and a discription of the locking up and someone will help you on it.
MT

I hate these ABS system. I'm almost considering disabling them myself. Not because they don't work properly it's just that I prefer not to have them. I feel like I can do a better job stooping than the ABS.

[ericn1300]

Originally Posted by muzzy1maniac

I feel like I can do a better job stooping than the ABS.

yeah, and you don't need spell checking either? get real. I’d rather have a 90 year old lady stomping on the pedal in panic behind me than a young punk that thinks he can out do the ABS in "stooping"

ABS is a very real and significant safety improvement and purposely disabling them may even void your car insurance, or worse be cause for criminal and civil charges if you are found at fault in an accident.

[Blue Bowtie]

Here is the proverbial "90 year old lady stomping on the pedal in panic" :

http://www.citynews.ca/news/news_7440.aspx

And some more examples from just this month:

http://www.kstp.com/article/stories/S28393.shtml?cat=1

http://cbs2chicago.com/local/local_story_037150903.html

http://www.ketv.com/news/10972954/detail.html

And I could have bored you with about 30 others.

I'll wager that at LEAST 90% of these vehiles had ABS systems. It's become a crutch for unskilled drivers who somehow manage to still get and retain a license. There is nothing wrong with most ABS systems. There is nothing wrong with vehicles without ABS, either. The problem is most often with the vehicle central control unit.

As for the insurance agrument, there a a few holes in that. Most auto insurance companies would rather not have inflatable restraints in vehicles. Ever wonder about that one? They might not always have the insured's best interests in mind.

It's just like a pistol. The device itself is not inherently dangerous. It only becomes dangerous when used improperly.

As for the initial question, how is the ABS "locking up?" When the warning lamp is on, the system should be disabled, and brakes will act just as if there were no ABS installed. When the warning lamp is off, the system should be active, and the "grinding" noise you might hear is most likely the ABS modulator pulsing brake pressure to the locking wheel. That is how the system should work. You should also feel pulsation in the brake pedal.

Most likely, the intermittent action is a result of a wheel sensor signal problem, or possibly a start-up diagnostic check problem. As MT-2500 previously suggested, get the error codes scanned and address the problem. It will be far easier than trying to remove the ABS modulator, replacing the plumbing, adding a proportioning valve, and unwiring the control from the vehicle (which might include reflashing the PCM).

The warning lamp should turn on when the ignition is turned on. The EBCM will run a diagnistic check of I/O and an internal check. If everything is normal, the lamp should turn off within a few seconds. If the warning lamp turns on and remains on as soon as the vehicle is started, there may be a problem with the fluid level circuit, the modulator motor circuit, solenoids, or a shorted wheel sensor circuit. If the lamp turns on and off normally, then turns back on as soon as the vehicle is driven at about 5-7 MPH, it is more likely a wheel speed sensor or VSS signal problem. Either way, scanning the EBCM will be the fastest way to isolate th problem.

You cannot simply unplug the ABS modulator and expect the brakes to operate normally. The only proper method is to remove the modulator and plumb around it (plus all the associated work). If the modulator is left abandoned in place, it can become an impediment to brake hydraulics, especially with the Delco VI and older Kelsey-Hayes systems.

[Blue Bowtie]

And we don't need to discuss the "benefits" of ABS. This is another lovely morning in Bowtie-Land:



I drive in and on this for 3-4 months every year (the first snow was mid-October). Personally, I'd be happy without ABS. I'm satisfied that the '96 Lumina doesn't have them. The four vehicles that DO have ABS do just fine as well, but I can take or leave them. As long as they are there, it's easier to maintain than eliminate them. I intentionally exercise the ones I have at least a couple times a year to make sure the motors and solenoids get to run and not seize. Other than that, they usually never make a whisper, even on plain ice.

[Decipha]

the abs system works off of sensors... your have wheel speed sensors that tell the abs control which wheel is locked up, when it senses a wheel has locked up it sends a pulse of voltage to the corresponding valve in the master cylinder reducing braking power to that wheel for a split second in an effort to regain traction. If you ever mash your brakes and a tire does indeed lock up you can feel this pulse within the pedal. The downfall of abs is most systems will not allow for a complete lock up even with pedal completely depressed. This actually in turn reduces overall stopping power. A good driver in a vehicle not equipped with abs may be more likely to stop faster than a bad driver behind an abs equipped vehicle. Hope this helps some.

[muzzy1maniac]

Originally Posted by ericn1300

yeah, and you don't need spell checking either? get real. I’d rather have a 90 year old lady stomping on the pedal in panic behind me than a young punk that thinks he can out do the ABS in "stooping"

ABS is a very real and significant safety improvement and purposely disabling them may even void your car insurance, or worse be cause for criminal and civil charges if you are found at fault in an accident.

So somewhere along the line I became a young punk huh? You plain out sound like a dick and the fact that you need to flame on my opinion is proof.

[Decipha]

muzzy no need to take it offensiveley he was just expressing his opinion... you know what they say about opinions right??

[muzzy1maniac]

Originally Posted by Decipha

muzzy no need to take it offensiveley he was just expressing his opinion... you know what they say about opinions right??

Hello? Who are you and why do you care? Maybe you should go back and read the posts. You'll see that my OPINION was singled out and a simple miskey was flamed. I should take offense. Now go back to checking his bowels with the tip of your nose.

[ZL1power69]

ericn1300, no need to flame muzzy's post. he was meirly expressing his opinion about abs brakes. any more flaming from anyone and i will close this thread.

[old_master]

The reason behind ABS, (Anti Lock Brakes) is as the name implies, to prevent lock up. When a wheel locks up, it has lost traction. On vehicles that are not equipped with ABS, the driver has control of two hydraulic circuits simultaneously, front and rear. ABS equipped vehicles have control over three or four hydraulic circuits independently, depending on the ABS system. There is no comparison in braking ability. It doesn't matter how experienced the driver is.

[blazes9395]

Originally Posted by old_master

The reason behind ABS, (Anti Lock Brakes) is as the name implies, to prevent lock up. When a wheel locks up, it has lost traction. On vehicles that are not equipped with ABS, the driver has control of two hydraulic circuits simultaneously, front and rear. ABS equipped vehicles have control over three or four hydraulic circuits independently, depending on the ABS system. There is no comparison in braking ability. It doesn't matter how experienced the driver is.

I couldn't agree more. I have ABS vehicles, and one non ABS vehicle. I feel comfortable with both vehicles as long as they are working as they were designed for.