Anti Lock Braking System (ABS)
The ABS Structure
The ABS consists of certain interlinked components that help it achieve its intended purpose. They are as follows:
Speed sensors
Valves
Pump
ControllerABS will activate itself whenever it senses possible wheel lockup. It lets the wheels decelerate up to the point when they are just about to lock up and accelerate it again. It repeats this cycle until the vehicle stops. You only need to push the brake pedal hard and ABS will get activated and do the rest for you. If you need to turn and brake simultaneously to avoid hitting an obstacle ahead, you can use the steering wheel as well keeping the brake pedal depressed.
Here's a quick guide to using ABS
Depress the brake pedal hard all the way to the maximum position.
Keep it pressed, you will feel a pulsing effect at the brake pedal.
Steer if you want, keeping the brake pedal depressed.
ABS can be of immense help not only under emergency situations but also increases driver control and steering response under the same. On surfaces such as ice and snow, wheel traction can be lost easily even at low speeds. ABS is of great help in such cases. If ABS is properly equipped with wheel sensors on all four wheels, then it also aids vehicle control while one wheel or one set of wheels are on a different surface. For e.g. if one set of side wheels are on tarmac and the other set on surface like dirt or gravel, then ABS will detect different speeds of the two sets of wheels under braking and thus prevent the car from spinning out of control. It also keeps a vehicle along the path when bending a corner. However, when a vehicle is entirely on a loose surface such as sand or gravel, ABS will increase braking distances but still maintain steering control. Remember that ABS is not something that you cannot live without. It is not exactly required under normal driving conditions but in critical situations it can be a life saver.
An antilock braking system is a safety feature on most modern automobiles which prevents the car wheels from locking up in case of intense braking or on slippery paths. In other words, it prevents the vehicle from skidding along the surface by maintaining traction with ground. It gives a much improved vehicle control on twisted and tortuous roads and increased stability. Although it increases the braking distance very slightly on loose and slippery surfaces, it provides overall safety to the car and the passengers.
When a car having a normal braking system is braked suddenly, all four wheels lock up due to jamming of the brake pads against the discs/drums. As a result, the car starts to skid and this takes the control away from the driver. What ABS does is that it keeps the wheel rotating by pulsing the brake pads thus maintaining traction with the ground without taking away the steering control. The driver can brake and steer at the same time to avoid imminent collision without losing control.
The ABS consists of certain interlinked components that help it achieve its intended purpose. They are as follows:
Speed sensors
Valves
Pump
ControllerABS will activate itself whenever it senses possible wheel lockup. It lets the wheels decelerate up to the point when they are just about to lock up and accelerate it again. It repeats this cycle until the vehicle stops. You only need to push the brake pedal hard and ABS will get activated and do the rest for you. If you need to turn and brake simultaneously to avoid hitting an obstacle ahead, you can use the steering wheel as well keeping the brake pedal depressed.
Here's a quick guide to using ABS
Depress the brake pedal hard all the way to the maximum position.
Keep it pressed, you will feel a pulsing effect at the brake pedal.
Steer if you want, keeping the brake pedal depressed.
ABS can be of immense help not only under emergency situations but also increases driver control and steering response under the same. On surfaces such as ice and snow, wheel traction can be lost easily even at low speeds. ABS is of great help in such cases. If ABS is properly equipped with wheel sensors on all four wheels, then it also aids vehicle control while one wheel or one set of wheels are on a different surface. For e.g. if one set of side wheels are on tarmac and the other set on surface like dirt or gravel, then ABS will detect different speeds of the two sets of wheels under braking and thus prevent the car from spinning out of control. It also keeps a vehicle along the path when bending a corner. However, when a vehicle is entirely on a loose surface such as sand or gravel, ABS will increase braking distances but still maintain steering control. Remember that ABS is not something that you cannot live without. It is not exactly required under normal driving conditions but in critical situations it can be a life saver.
