ABS on octavia Rider classic

arunjohnpaul · 21st August 2008, 12:56

i've got a year old almost stock skud octy 1.9tdi... This is my first car with ABS and shez got it only on the front two wheels.. I like precision driving, high speed cornering, drifting/rally style of driving. I always back up the brakes by reducing the gear.. but still find that at times im losing control of the car.. say, i've got my brakes at 50%, in case of mild lose gravel on the road suddenly, i feel my brakes getting released for a second and then the ABS takes over, that way i'm actually being dragged into the pot hole or whatever. on plain roads on heavy braking the car tends to throw the back over the front.. is this due to no ABS on rear wheels...... I was tolerating all this, till last week, crashed into a road diversion barricade reason partly being understeer.... but also some lose gravel on the road tricked my braking.

In the future I'm thinking of modifying the brakes n suspension to 4wheels disc.. Currently, what do i do??
- change my driving style
- unplug the ABS
- complain of any fault in the ABS system

dadu · 21st August 2008, 15:32

Change your driving styles, it seems you are driving fast.

City Roads are not meant for rallying.

dinu2506 · 21st August 2008, 16:17

Change driving style in the city

gopinathann · 21st August 2008, 21:43

I think ABS should be on four wheels. I have a SX4 which has 4 wheel ABS but has disc brakes at front and drum brakes at rear. If ABS comes into action you don't feel the forward movement/ sudden braking, it looks like a normal braking. This condition occurs only at higher speed like 35+, in slow braking you could feel the forward movement.

kuttapan · 21st August 2008, 22:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by arunjohnpaul

In the future I'm thinking of modifying the brakes n suspension to 4wheels disc.. Currently, what do i do??
- change my driving style
- unplug the ABS
- complain of any fault in the ABS system

So you hit a divider and you think ABS is the culprit. Apart from footbrake and handbrake, there is another brake. It is between your ears. Use it more often and hopefully, you will not end up in such situations.

cyneverdie · 22nd August 2008, 00:28

You either hit your talent limit or your car's limit but you definitely were on the limit and of course not being a circuit the road's condition is ever changing [ loose gravel ! ] and yes man drums in the rear suck.

So modify your car or get a better one AND drive safe man.
You got a race track near you? I dont. Use it if you got it.
cheers

arunjohnpaul · 24th August 2008, 10:28

yea..thanks guys... Nice to know that people are really concerned on safety... The situation was not in the city n was in the freeway and I wasn't pushing limits at all.... i understand the fact of overspeeding n all, but then i also know that this time there was an additional technical odd working against me. I am used to a Mitsubishi Lancer on Michelin PPs. Now I'm running a skoda with Goodyear Eagle F1s 225/55R16...

So I just want to know where the problem lies: cars handling is different(but is it so different) or tires or ABS??

Samir Taheer · 7th November 2008, 13:56

Sorry if i am a bit harsh here - But how did you get understeer on the motorway? And like everyone else here seems to think - its the limititation of your talent. We all like to think we are better drivers than we are. Please dont blame the car your drive or the tyres the Goodyear Eagles are very capable tyres. Also if you understood so much about driving, you would have understood why the back end is coming out. Its all got to do with weight distribution and velocity differences between the front and rear of the car.

As for the ABS, it should only kick in if the sensor pick's up on a wheel locking up. So maybe you should get your sensors checked. Are you sure you only have ABS sensors in the front? I would have thought all four wheels should have sensors. Does you brake pedal - push back or judder when you brake?

You cant unplug the ABS sensor!!! You will have a bright Red light on your dashboard telling you about a fault with the ABS. PLus the ABS is there to save your life!!!

I think - you should change your driving style!!!

arunjohnpaul · 7th November 2008, 14:24

thanks samir. nothing about being harsh, its all about safety and concern. so thanks again.

however, i have changed my tires to Michelin PPs 225/50R16 and am extremely happy now. I feel like the car behaves much more sensibly.

I do understand the concept of ABS and yes, the pedal shudders when the ABS kicks in. The problem i had was that the ABS kicks in(or the wheel tends to lock) a little prematurely(that is even in mild sand on the road) and in a little uncontrolled manner.

Now after changing to the PPs, it is excellent. The ABS does not kick in unless its quite necessary and it gives me more control. I know when the ABS is gonna kick in and don't know how to say it, but the fact is, now I am able to feel the car, the road and my driving and I enjoy it. My car speaks to me again.

Don't know what the problem was, the tires or may be the profile was too high!

Just for information,
- I am still not sure about 4wheel ABS on my car can you please advice on this?
- If at all, we want to disengage ABS, how does one do it? (like disengage it for a day of thrashing around in an open ground and then put it back)

JayD · 7th November 2008, 14:34

Are u sure that u can have abs for the front wheels only? Btw, does the diesel rider have abs in the first place?

arunjohnpaul · 7th November 2008, 14:37

the diesel rider classic has ABS, a spoiler, black colour, etc. about the 2wheel or 4wheel ABS is my query too

Samir Taheer · 7th November 2008, 19:12

Disengaging the ABS is not a problem. Provided you dont mind having a big red warning sign on your dashboard. But its something i wont encourage.

Did your Goodyear Eagles have a flat spot? They are known to form little 50p size flat spots around the tyre.

You still didnt answer my question - How did you get understeer on a motorway?

arunjohnpaul · 11th November 2008, 23:29

well, the road was dark, it was on a by-pass road of a town, this 4lane work going on. only the left side lanes were completed, unpainted and no markings. i was doing about 100kmph normal cruising and there was a mild curve to the right. all of a sudden i noticed that i was rapidly running out of road. the left lanes had ended and there was a diversion to the right side lanes, no diversion reflectors though and the barricade had already been tipped over by someone. there was some loose gravel on the road prior to the diversion. so, thats how it happened. 100kmph, mild right curve, blind diversion, loose gravel, so i ended up applying a mild brake and took a sharp right, i lost front wheel traction, the pedal started of with the ABS shudder, but it din help a bit. she just seemed to ski on top of the gravel.

there was no flat spot on my eagles.

21st August 2008, 12:56	#1
arunjohnpaul BHPian Join Date: May 2008 Location: Tuticorin Posts: 36 Thanked: 0 Times	ABS on octavia Rider classic i've got a year old almost stock skud octy 1.9tdi... This is my first car with ABS and shez got it only on the front two wheels.. I like precision driving, high speed cornering, drifting/rally style of driving. I always back up the brakes by reducing the gear.. but still find that at times im losing control of the car.. say, i've got my brakes at 50%, in case of mild lose gravel on the road suddenly, i feel my brakes getting released for a second and then the ABS takes over, that way i'm actually being dragged into the pot hole or whatever. on plain roads on heavy braking the car tends to throw the back over the front.. is this due to no ABS on rear wheels...... I was tolerating all this, till last week, crashed into a road diversion barricade reason partly being understeer.... but also some lose gravel on the road tricked my braking. In the future I'm thinking of modifying the brakes n suspension to 4wheels disc.. Currently, what do i do?? - change my driving style - unplug the ABS - complain of any fault in the ABS system
	() Thanks

21st August 2008, 15:32	#2
dadu Senior - BHPian Join Date: May 2007 Location: Bangalore Posts: 3,803 Thanked: 462 Times View My Garage	Change your driving styles, it seems you are driving fast. City Roads are not meant for rallying.
	() Thanks

21st August 2008, 16:17	#3
dinu2506 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Bangalore Posts: 1,077 Thanked: 958 Times View My Garage	Change driving style in the city
	() Thanks

21st August 2008, 21:43	#4
gopinathann BHPian Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Chennai Posts: 765 Thanked: 20 Times View My Garage	I think ABS should be on four wheels. I have a SX4 which has 4 wheel ABS but has disc brakes at front and drum brakes at rear. If ABS comes into action you don't feel the forward movement/ sudden braking, it looks like a normal braking. This condition occurs only at higher speed like 35+, in slow braking you could feel the forward movement.
	() Thanks

22nd August 2008, 00:28	#6
cyneverdie BHPian Join Date: May 2006 Location: bombay Posts: 440 Thanked: 6 Times	You either hit your talent limit or your car's limit but you definitely were on the limit and of course not being a circuit the road's condition is ever changing [ loose gravel ! ] and yes man drums in the rear suck. So modify your car or get a better one AND drive safe man. You got a race track near you? I dont. Use it if you got it. cheers
	() Thanks

24th August 2008, 10:28	#7
arunjohnpaul BHPian Join Date: May 2008 Location: Tuticorin Posts: 36 Thanked: 0 Times	yea..thanks guys... Nice to know that people are really concerned on safety... The situation was not in the city n was in the freeway and I wasn't pushing limits at all.... i understand the fact of overspeeding n all, but then i also know that this time there was an additional technical odd working against me. I am used to a Mitsubishi Lancer on Michelin PPs. Now I'm running a skoda with Goodyear Eagle F1s 225/55R16... So I just want to know where the problem lies: cars handling is different(but is it so different) or tires or ABS??
	() Thanks

7th November 2008, 13:56	#8
Samir Taheer BHPian Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: London & Pune Posts: 459 Thanked: 278 Times	Sorry if i am a bit harsh here - But how did you get understeer on the motorway? And like everyone else here seems to think - its the limititation of your talent. We all like to think we are better drivers than we are. Please dont blame the car your drive or the tyres the Goodyear Eagles are very capable tyres. Also if you understood so much about driving, you would have understood why the back end is coming out. Its all got to do with weight distribution and velocity differences between the front and rear of the car. As for the ABS, it should only kick in if the sensor pick's up on a wheel locking up. So maybe you should get your sensors checked. Are you sure you only have ABS sensors in the front? I would have thought all four wheels should have sensors. Does you brake pedal - push back or judder when you brake? You cant unplug the ABS sensor!!! You will have a bright Red light on your dashboard telling you about a fault with the ABS. PLus the ABS is there to save your life!!! I think - you should change your driving style!!!
	() Thanks

7th November 2008, 14:24	#9
arunjohnpaul BHPian Join Date: May 2008 Location: Tuticorin Posts: 36 Thanked: 0 Times	thanks samir. nothing about being harsh, its all about safety and concern. so thanks again. however, i have changed my tires to Michelin PPs 225/50R16 and am extremely happy now. I feel like the car behaves much more sensibly. I do understand the concept of ABS and yes, the pedal shudders when the ABS kicks in. The problem i had was that the ABS kicks in(or the wheel tends to lock) a little prematurely(that is even in mild sand on the road) and in a little uncontrolled manner. Now after changing to the PPs, it is excellent. The ABS does not kick in unless its quite necessary and it gives me more control. I know when the ABS is gonna kick in and don't know how to say it, but the fact is, now I am able to feel the car, the road and my driving and I enjoy it. My car speaks to me again. Don't know what the problem was, the tires or may be the profile was too high! Just for information, - I am still not sure about 4wheel ABS on my car can you please advice on this? - If at all, we want to disengage ABS, how does one do it? (like disengage it for a day of thrashing around in an open ground and then put it back)
	() Thanks

7th November 2008, 14:34	#10
JayD Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Cochin! At last Posts: 3,236 Thanked: 2,568 Times View My Garage	Are u sure that u can have abs for the front wheels only? Btw, does the diesel rider have abs in the first place?
	() Thanks

7th November 2008, 14:37	#11
arunjohnpaul BHPian Join Date: May 2008 Location: Tuticorin Posts: 36 Thanked: 0 Times	the diesel rider classic has ABS, a spoiler, black colour, etc. about the 2wheel or 4wheel ABS is my query too
	() Thanks

7th November 2008, 19:12	#12
Samir Taheer BHPian Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: London & Pune Posts: 459 Thanked: 278 Times	Disengaging the ABS is not a problem. Provided you dont mind having a big red warning sign on your dashboard. But its something i wont encourage. Did your Goodyear Eagles have a flat spot? They are known to form little 50p size flat spots around the tyre. You still didnt answer my question - How did you get understeer on a motorway?
	() Thanks

11th November 2008, 23:29	#13
arunjohnpaul BHPian Join Date: May 2008 Location: Tuticorin Posts: 36 Thanked: 0 Times	well, the road was dark, it was on a by-pass road of a town, this 4lane work going on. only the left side lanes were completed, unpainted and no markings. i was doing about 100kmph normal cruising and there was a mild curve to the right. all of a sudden i noticed that i was rapidly running out of road. the left lanes had ended and there was a diversion to the right side lanes, no diversion reflectors though and the barricade had already been tipped over by someone. there was some loose gravel on the road prior to the diversion. so, thats how it happened. 100kmph, mild right curve, blind diversion, loose gravel, so i ended up applying a mild brake and took a sharp right, i lost front wheel traction, the pedal started of with the ABS shudder, but it din help a bit. she just seemed to ski on top of the gravel. there was no flat spot on my eagles.
	() Thanks