ABS - what is it?

ABS is now a common feature in most of the vehicles around. But what is it and how is it helpful to the vehicle passengers?

If the brakes are applied too hard when driving on slippery road surfaces, they may lock up or stop the wheel. The wheel then loses frictional contact with the road and skids and the vehicle is no longer under control. Experienced drivers know that the way to prevent lock-up is to pump the brake pedal up and down rapidly. Present day cars are now equipped with an antilock brake system (ABS). The antilock brake system does the same thing as an experienced driver. It senses that a wheel is about to lock-up or skid and it rapidly interrupts the braking pressure to the brake system at that wheel.

The Benefits are:

1. Improved steer-ability

2. Improved vehicle stability

3  Optimum stopping distance

4. Reducing the uneven wear of tires and braking noise

The ABS is an additional safety feature that can be fitted to each conventional brake system.

The function of the conventional brake system is not affected even if the ABS is defective because the ABS is superimposed on the conventional brake system. Please note that the ABS cannot increase the brake fluid pressure above master cylinder level.

The ABS is equipped with an electronic control unit. It monitors the speed of each wheel to detect if a wheel approaches lock-up.The input signals for the ABS control unit are received from the wheel speed sensor.

 

If any wheel begins to approach lock-up and the brake switch is on the ABS control unit actuates the solenoid valves which control the brake fluid pressure applied to the wheels.The brake fluid pressure is reduced at the wheel that approaches lock-up by the corresponding solenoid valve. The wheel is released and regains traction.  

 

Finally to visualize what has been written above is to check out the video below: