Found out today I don't have ABS

SmokeyMcPot420 · #1 05-11-2010, 06:24 PM

So I was on my way home, about a mile away from my house going down this hill. It was raining. I was going about 30-35 and I seen two deer standing in the road ahead of me, I slammed on the brakes, both fronts locked up and just slid. I was about 15 feet away from slamming into a tree to the left of me with the wheel turned to the right just sliding. Luckily I had a quick reaction and let off the brake and gave it gas and just missed the tree. I drove the rest of the way home about 15 miles an hour. My heart was in my throat lol...So its safe to say I don't have ABS, and if I do...It don't work.

ObsoleteE · #2 05-11-2010, 06:33 PM

Skidding sucks, glad you made it out okay. I don't think I have ABS either, but I thought the 99 Mazdas came standard with it.

SmokeyMcPot420 · #3 05-11-2010, 06:36 PM

Yeah I thought I had it cause I think when I start the truck up, the ABS light comes on..maybe not I will have to see if I have an ABS light tomorrow morning

SmokeyMcPot420 · #4 05-11-2010, 07:38 PM

That's dumb, why wouldn't front be standard as they are the ones you have to worry about locking up because you cant steer..and I didn't notice what my back ones did.

Ranger Sport · #5 05-11-2010, 08:49 PM

I hate abs, worse invention ever. because of abs on my old car i had to use the handbrake to avoid an accident on ice, the wheels refused to lock...

rwenzing · #6 05-12-2010, 04:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ajmes942

So its safe to say I don't have ABS, and if I do...It don't work.

Your 98 came from the factory with either 4 wheel ABS or Rear ABS.

RABS is a good standard feature for a pickup because the front-to-rear weight distribution can vary much more than in a passenger car. It's more important to prevent rear wheel lock up because it can cause a spin that's hard to recover from. A properly designed 4WABS is better yet because it helps prevent the spin and allows better steering control.

These are the Ranger antilock systems available over the years:

1989~1994: RABS (1-channel, 2-wheel, rear-only ABS) was standard factory equipment on all U.S. production Rangers.
1995~2000: 4WABS (3-channel, 4-wheel ABS) became available depending on option content. RABS continued to be standard.
2001~2009: 4WABS (3-channel, 4-wheel ABS) + EBFD (Electronic Brake Force Distribution) has been standard factory equipment. RABS discontinued.
2010: 4WABS (4-channel, 4-wheel ABS) + EBFD. The ABS also provides inputs to the traction control, ESC (Electronic Stability Control) and RSC (Roll Stability Control) systems.

sgtsandman · #7 05-12-2010, 04:57 AM

it could be that your dash light is burnt out. Are you the original owner? If not, it is possible that they just let it go and the bulb eventually burnt out.

I know I have ABS on mine, I just don't know which one yet. I have to look at the fuses and compare them to what is in the owner's manual to see. One of the fuses is 30 amps if it's all four wheels and something like 10 amps if it's only rear wheel.

In any case, if you only have rear wheel, your fronts will still lock. The rear wheel ABS is supposed to make the truck more controlable in a slide, or so that's what the thinking was. I don't agree with it but there it is...

FireRanger · #8 05-12-2010, 05:14 AM

You probably have rear ABS only on your truck.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ranger Sport

I hate abs, worse invention ever. because of abs on my old car i had to use the handbrake to avoid an accident on ice, the wheels refused to lock...

Do you have ANY idea how little sense this entire statement makes? You have a grave misunderstanding of how friction and braking action works. Remind me to stay behind you so I don't get hit.

SmokeyMcPot420 · #9 05-12-2010, 05:48 AM

Yeah dumb Idea for Ford..."Make it more controlable in a slide"...I had no control whatsoever lol.

FireRanger · #10 05-12-2010, 06:10 AM

You had a lot more control than you would have without the RABS because the back end would have swung around and had you doing circles and probably flipping over. 4-Wheel ABS like we know it on modern vehicles was far from standard and far from perfect back in 1998. You have a 12 year old truck, its not exactly modern technology.

sgtsandman · #11 05-12-2010, 06:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ajmes942

Yeah dumb Idea for Ford..."Make it more controlable in a slide"...I had no control whatsoever lol.

They weren't the only ones, Chevy did it for a while too. I don't know about Dodge, they're pieces of crap and I don't pay attention to them.

FireRanger · #12 05-12-2010, 08:34 AM

My old '91 had RABS only as well and it was similar. Primitive but better than nothing. It was there to help prevent spins and that was about all it could do.

SmokeyMcPot420 · #13 05-12-2010, 08:53 AM

I too notice a click when I come to a rapid stop...now I know thats my rear ABS lol

SmokeyMcPot420 · #14 05-12-2010, 09:07 AM

yeah thats what i mean, i notice it on dry pavement, it sounds like a bunch of clicks coming from the dash lol.

FireRanger · #15 05-12-2010, 09:20 AM

Sliding tires on dry pavement are just as useless as sliding tires on wet pavement, snow, and ice. The ABS does it's job regardless of road conditions.