Ever since the first couple of times I have driven my fit, I have noticed the abs motor coming on under very unneccesary situations. For instance, when pulling into my driveway, I turn right, brake lightly and drive up the slope to get into my driveway. As soon as I hit the incline with my brakes lightly applied, the abs motor kicks on, I dont feel the abs jolts in the pedal, but I do feel it sink a little. Also, when coming to a stop or slowing down on a bumpy road, it does it as well.

Has this happened to anyone else? I really don't want to bring my car to the dealer for anything, especially something that will require them to drive it around aimlessly trying to recreate this problem.

 

I noticed it too...


i was basically laughed at by the dealer for bringing it in to them to look at...

 

Eh, that sucks. I hate driving aids like abs, especially when they intrude in situations like this.

 

On bumpy roads it is normal. The lighter the vehicle the more it will happen, plus the shorter wheelbase, all help to "unload" one or more wheels in bumpy conditions. My BMW motorcycle has ABS and you can hear it cycle often when stopping on bumpy pavement.

No worrys and ABS can save your life.

 

its alot scarier feeling the brake pedal sink halfway when hitting the brakes lightly doing 25 than it is having nothing happen.

 

I guess I don't understand. Please explain to me what happens to indicate the ABS is kicking in, short of feeling the pedal-pulsing vibration. I didn't know there was any ABS activity besides full-blown vibration / pulsation action.

 

There is a post in the archives on this, but I cannot find it. Common problem.

For Steeldog (hello in AL, I am in Tennessee) asking how to tell: you will hear a ticking from the nearside (passenger) footwell, the ABS unit is located there on LHD cars. Little bumps and steering while braking will set it into a chatter. If it is quiet and the radio is off or quiet, you can hear it.

A bit irritating, but years ago having experienced a car with a partial brake failure due to air (nitrogen) in the car's braking system (you cannot imagine the panic), I will take this anyday!

 

My first ABS car was a 94 Civic Si coupe. I hated it. The Honda system was/is cheezy compared to some other vehicles on the market. I haven't driven my Fit except to the tint shop and I'm picking it up tomorrow to then lay it up for a few weeks to do some heavy work on it. If it is like you say, I will be PULLING the fuse for the ABS.

That worked on the 94 Civic. Once a year, I would put the fuse back in, drive it for a day or so to purge the system. Never had a problem. What caused me to do that in the first place is:

The sales brochure illustrated "how great ABS is" showing you can keep control of your car in this and that condition. I was driving very very slow in my neighborhood. There was packed snow on the ground. I had snow tires on. The ABS kicked in and all I could do was go straight. Straight into a soft snow bank. If the ABS didn't kick in, I could have stopped the car better and sooner. It's pathetic. Thank goodness I didn't have any damage.

I took the car to the dealer (it was weeks old I think). I asked them to remove the ABS. They said they couldn't. ABS was fairly new for Honda I think at the time. I went to talk to someone else in service and he gave me a hint about pulling the fuse.

 

Yes....pull that goddamn fuse.... And just maybe put it back in during the winters snowy months if you choose to depending on your climate.

 

I dont know why this was moved to this forum. I am not planning to modify my brakes, just asking a ?.

 

I noticed the same thing. I was braking lightly in a parking lot going not over 15 mph, and i went over a crack/seam in the pavement and i heard the ABS whirring. A little worrying, but not bothersome. Didn't affect the braking performance. Im just worried about the system wearing itself out pulsing the brakes all the time. I wonder if the computer can be adjusted to reduce the sensitivity?

 

Sorry to pull this thread back to the top but I thought I would add my experience. I have had the Fit for a while now and also used it for AutoX. I have found ABS to kick in at appropriate times and has helped stopping distance (relative to locking the brakes) with hard braking and has yet to kick in at an in-appropriate time.

 

I noticed it kick in going over cracks on the highway. It also kicked in on the highway when going over a big puddle. Kind of scary when it kicks in, it's almost like my car was alive and braking on it's own. I guess it's just making sure i stay alive.

 

My abs turned on when i was on a slight down grade at the end of my street and the road was dry. Weeeird. Wasn't even going fast.

 

Removing the ABS fuse from the Fit since it has EBD is probably not the best of ideas, try it on a track and do a full hard stop it will most likely lock the rears first and send you for a nasty spin. Locked rears are noooo fun.

 

First off, I'm still a lurking yet to be fit owner. I currently own a'05 Honda Element that I really like so far. I am envious of the fuel mileage of the Fit. But they are different animals.'nough said on that. The ABS disease as I call it is very common in GMC products. I have 2000 GMC Sierra Z71, with only 26000 miles on it because I'm scared to drive it much. I have nearly rear ended other cars on several occasions because the ABS does the very same thing as described here. Slow speeds over any non smooth surface and apply the brakes, the ABS kicks in, the pedal goes to the floor. The dealer has cleaned the mounting surface for the sensors that may or may not work. I got tired of taking it back to the dealer and hearing "well you just have to pump the brakes when it does that". That is unacceptable. At last look there were 228 crashes and 10 injuries attributed to the ABS failure. It exists in at least 1999 -2002 Sierra, Tahoe, Yukon, Avalanche, and Silverado. Seems that despite the repots to NHTSA, BBB etc, no one gives a damn. So I hope Honda does better than GMC at correcting the anomally. Maybe a common disease, don't park near a GMC.

 

just to update everyone since I started this thread. I rarely have this problem anymore. I don't know if it was because the car was new and the pads werent fully bedded or something to do with the abs computer, or maybe I was just used to driving my civic track car around on the road that stops like a porsche. Anyway, the only time this happens anymore is when I am pulling up my driveway with the brakes on going kinda quick.