Just got new honda Vtec plus- weak brakes

[Nik9912]

Hi guys ..

just got my latest black beauty last week from Arya honda ( all my previous wer black also )
NHC vtec plus (with ABS& airbags)
im currently at 900 km (did a pune trip .will do an ownership report after 1000 and 1st service

its a absolute rocker .looks a beauty in teh night with those alloys shining.
(posted some pics in Ice section )

It rides fab and i have no issues whatsoever with it .except the brakes ..
now im used to driving the city gxi model and santro xing xg ..and i find brakes of both much better (by twice as much .they stop instantly

this one just goes on and on before it stops ..and i have to press the brake
almost all teh way .getting quite paranoid .cause car just refuses to stop at around 80- 100 .
almost hitthe car ahead couple of times .and had to use engine stops.

now all this happened on mon/tue called the showroom guy.
he tested and said that there indeed is a problem .stops way too late .
sent it to workshop at lalbaug.sent my driver with car .
they said it was ok .driver said it was not .

some workshop head calls me up and says it like that only .ABS would cause it to stop later .
i told him to cut the crap and give it to me in writing .as i said ABS shd help cut dwon braking distance ..except in extreme cases like full gravel track
then he said ok he will sort it out .then i got a call saying brake oil was less ,,and some pads were not clean .and its been done .

My driver also said its ok now..then 2 days i was not able to drive .as was not well and teh driver was doing most of it .and he was ok .
last night i toook it for a spin ..while its much better than before .its still way too weak comapred to even the santro //

now i will be giving it for 1st service on monday/tuesday ..planning to go myslef
what advice would u guys give me..has anyone faced this prob before..

what should i ask them to do
sort out/change the brake setup ..and what comes within warranty and what does not?

if anyone in mumbai wanna test this ,they can pm me thier no ,

cheers and tks for any advice

NIk

[diabloo]

Congrats !!! Great that your are happy with the car. Brakes seem to be a problem with this particular car only. I am sure the Honda guys will fix it during 1st service. Keep us updated.

[sreenivass]

I do not know about this particular model or piece. To my knowledge ABS slows down braking for sure. It really depends on how weak/ slow your car stops. If it is marginal compared to non ABS counterparts, then I do not think it is an issue.

[itwasntme]

Originally Posted by sreenivass

I do not know about this particular model or piece. To my knowledge ABS slows down braking for sure. It really depends on how weak/ slow your car stops. If it is marginal compared to non ABS counterparts, then I do not think it is an issue.

AFAIK, ABS certainly does NOT slow down braking unless on dirt tracks! Depending on the pressure on the pedal and the road grip, ABS should radically shorten braking distances. This will be all the more evident during emergency stops.

Someone correct me if I am wrong.

If you feel that your VTEC+'s brakes are 'weak', please escalate immediately and check ASAP specially if driving long distances and/or on highways!!

[Nik9912]

[quote=itwasntme;616239]AFAIK, ABS certainly does NOT slow down braking unless on dirt tracks! Depending on the pressure on the pedal and the road grip, ABS should radically shorten braking distances. This will be all the more evident during emergency stops.

QUOTE]


yep thats what i know about .its supposed to shorten (even saw some comment From GTO on that today)..and the workshop guy what gieving me some bull.

anyway ,guys any ideas on what i can tell the workshop to do..repair or replace?

tks
Nik

[androdev]

without getting into technicalities.. ABS brakes perform much better than the regular ones and more confidence inspiring than the regular ones as far as regular driving goes. IMHO, ABS kicks only when the wheels are about to be locked.. i can clearly feel it when the ABS kicks in because it makes all kinda of pulsating noises. for all the anticipated stops at 30-40kmph (not sudden/emergency) it is just regular braking stuff and that too works great. (this is the case with my Skoda Laura.. but ABS is ABS!)

if vtec+ brakes are not confidence inspiring (esp compared to the cars you mentioned) you definitely have to get it fixed by the dealer. the dealers are very thick sometimes.. they think you are too excited with a new car and find all non-existent problems. good luck.

[sreenivass]

Hope this helps

Anti-lock braking system - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Looks like it can be slower.

[vnabhi]

Congrats on your new vtec!
As regards braking, it might be an error in judgement---since you now have a vtec, it has far better pick up than the GXi and the Santro. So you could be braking at speeds higher than you know. Hence the longer time for braking. I may be wrong, but do keep this in mind.

[RajaTaurus]

"The purpose of this is to allow the driver to maintain steering control under heavy braking and, in some situations, to shorten braking distances (by allowing the driver to hit the brake fully without the fear of skidding or loss of control)." - Wikipedia..
Exactly. The ABS itself doesn't cut short the braking distance mechanically. Its the psychological liberty it gives to the driver to stamp on the brakes, without having to worry about burnt/locked brake-shoes or loss of control..

Also note that Disadvantages of the system include increased braking distances under certain conditions and the creation of a "false sense of security" among drivers who do not understand the operation and limitations of ABS.
Also clearly put in by, androdev, if the braking is weak, the braking IS WEAK. Get it fixed to YOUR satisfaction rather than anybody eles's judgement, coz it is a precarious condition and could result in untoward incidents.

[Nik9912]

yep .tks guys

am going myself tomorrow ..lets see ..
and no Vnabhi ..it aint about error in judgement ..i drive a m8's Civic also sometimes and it dead stops each time even at speeds at excess of 120 k
cheers
Nik

[itwasntme]

I stand by my post below: ABS is definitely a required 'option' on our Indian roads for 99% of drivers. The rest 1% are hopefully experts in threshold braking {and/or drive on pure dirt tracks} and will outperform a modern ABS!

IMHO, if you feel the braking is not upto scratch on your brand new car, get them checked now. Take your car to Honda and TD their demo VTEC back-to-back with yours; get their workshop guys to do the same exercise immediately after that. This should solve the doubt once and for all.

Thanks,

Originally Posted by itwasntme

AFAIK, ABS certainly does NOT slow down braking unless on dirt tracks! Depending on the pressure on the pedal and the road grip, ABS should radically shorten braking distances. This will be all the more evident during emergency stops.

Someone correct me if I am wrong.

If you feel that your VTEC+'s brakes are 'weak', please escalate immediately and check ASAP specially if driving long distances and/or on highways!!

[Nik9912]

Update :


went myself ..wasnt in a mood to listen to any story about "ABs works like that only"

they then opened all 4 wheels up ,did whatever cleaning etc they had to .

and it became ok ..

tested it last night to the limit while coming back form poison ...and its perfect now...

[Firebird]

There you go dude...with perfect car now


Good that your mood helped you get the issue fixed