In Reply to Am II nuts or do the rear only ABS brakes stink...(more) posted by Steve W (wolosche) on January 31, 2000 at 21:42:08
With ABS your rears should not have locked up. Perhaps a speed sensor is bad, frozen etc. You should have your dealer check it out.
Other comments
There is about 1 inch of snow on the ground and I
just went thru a stop sign with rear wheels locked up
and the ABS preventing any braking power on the fronts.
The rear ABS (when working properly) will NOT prevent braking power to the front. With rear ABS the front wheels will get "braking power" regardless of whether the rears are locked or not. On my first D I could lock up the fronts and keep the rears spinning (2W ABS).
With ABS you are not supposed to pump...
With rear (2W) ABS you ARE supposed to pump. Only with 4W ABS should you stomp and steer.
Next time I will not get ABS.. I can brake much faster in all conditions without it..
As far as "braking much faster in all conditions without it" I assume you mean your stopping distance is shorter without it. This is true in some conditions but not so in others. Unless you are a master at pumping brakes, the heat build up will actually cause you to lose braking power. ABS optimally pumps the brakes for you with less heat build up and,therfore, less braking power loss.
The point of ABS, though, is NOT to shorten your stopping distance. It is to give you control in an emergency braking situation so you can steer out of the way of or around something instead of sliding into it. You MUST be careful on snow/ice with ABS as it may increase some stopping distances. But I would rather learn to drive with ABS for the occasion I may need it (life threatening) than do without it when I need it.
Your comments make me think you may not realize what ABS does, how it works and why someone would want it. I would suggest research, there are many great sites on the web with testimonials from law enforcement officers etc. The "experts" do agree that ABS is a good thing, but that you also have to understand it and learn to use it.
But first, I would get to the dealer and have your s checked out.
Good Luck,
Matt "formerly the" D