Abs brake failure caused my wreck need help!

[SHOstopper1992]

Last night (July 10th) about 11:30pm I got into a wreck with 2 cars. 1 was a Ford Contour and the other was an Ford E-series Van. Construction zone, 3 lane highway, I was in the left most lane, merging to the middle lane to avoid hitting cars that were stopping and ended up bumping the Van, he bumping the Contour. I was alert and aware of my surroundings, going slower than the speed limit, and driving appropriately. As I was braking hard my Brakes locked up and I slid into the van. My 92 MTX IS equipped with Anti-lock Brakes.

Everyone is fine, my SHO had the front bumper ripped off and crack a little and the support system is cracked a little. I repaired it and it looks like it never happened except for the cracks and tilted head light.
The van's rear bumper is bowed a little and the Contour has some paint scratches.

Here is the kicker... the police were called, never showed up, waited an hour. In that hour, a fire truck, 2 state troopers, and 3 Police Car's passed by and didn't stop...wtf


So aside from all this crap... My ABS failed...My brakes locked up and I slid into the car in front of me.

On my test drive tonight around the block after repairing my bumper, the ABS light flickered, glowed, went out for about a minute, and repeated the process the whole time I was on the test drive.

What in the world could it be? No dirt, cut wires, missing components or anything obvious that I can see. My biggest concern is fixing it and making it not happen again!

Please help! Any advice would be nice! :thankyou:

 

[hawkeye18]

Well the first step is to pull the codes using the plug next to the EEC test port. The procedure is the same - you short the same two pins. If you have a code reader, it works on the ABS port just fine with the same procedure.

And practice threshold braking!

 

[SHOstopper1992]

Well the first step is to pull the codes using the plug next to the EEC test port. The procedure is the same - you short the same two pins. If you have a code reader, it works on the ABS port just fine with the same procedure.

And practice threshold braking!

EEC Test port? Elaborate please...

 

[sperold]

In this accident, was there anywhere for you to steer-to that would have avoided the "sliding into the van" part.
ABS allows you to steer while you are braking, but, although there will be howls of denial, you do not stop in a shorter distance over properly applied conventional brakes.

 

[SHOstopper1992]

In this accident, was there anywhere for you to steer-to that would have avoided the "sliding into the van" part.
ABS allows you to steer while you are braking, but, although there will be howls of denial, you do not stop in a shorter distance over properly applied conventional brakes.

I could of probably swerved back into the left lane barely missing the other driver and then into the median wall and gotten a solo accident, but to the right I would of slammed into another car or a piece of construction equipment.

 

[sperold]

I would say you had no place to go.
The reason they call them accidents is because they happen and it is no ones fault usually, just a combination of events and timing that can't be forseen.
Don't be too ******* your car or your ABS, they didn't really fail you.

 

[SHOstopper1992]

I would say you had no place to go.
The reason they call them accidents is because they happen and it is no ones fault usually, just a combination of events and timing that can't be forseen.
Don't be too ******* your car or your ABS, they didn't really fail you.

I hear ya... its just frustrating cause now my financial state just dropped, and I was looking forward to making some improvements/mods to the car and now I gotta deal with fixing stuff... Its frustration I just have to get over...

 

[hawkeye18]

In this accident, was there anywhere for you to steer-to that would have avoided the "sliding into the van" part.
ABS allows you to steer while you are braking, but, although there will be howls of denial, you do not stop in a shorter distance over properly applied conventional brakes.

QFMFT. ABS, in a straight line, will actually make you stop in a longer distance than properly applied brakes (the aforementioned threshold braking). Of course, if you lock them up then it'll take longer, and you can't steer, but that's the whole part about knowing how to drive a car that everybody has forgotten since 1990. So don't feel bad, it's everybody in this damn country.

I swear, sometimes I think I'm the only person in whatever ZIP code I'm in that knows how to threshold brake. And make no mistake, it requires lots of practice in parking lots and deserted roads to get it right; you have to be able to know instinctively how hard you can use the brakes on whatever surface you're on to not lock them up. And practice it enough that you do it by muscle memory when the rest of you is puckered up!

I hate ABS.

 

[SHOstopper1992]

QFMFT. ABS, in a straight line, will actually make you stop in a longer distance than properly applied brakes (the aforementioned threshold braking). Of course, if you lock them up then it'll take longer, and you can't steer, but that's the whole part about knowing how to drive a car that everybody has forgotten since 1990. So don't feel bad, it's everybody in this damn country.

I swear, sometimes I think I'm the only person in whatever ZIP code I'm in that knows how to threshold brake. And make no mistake, it requires lots of practice in parking lots and deserted roads to get it right; you have to be able to know instinctively how hard you can use the brakes on whatever surface you're on to not lock them up. And practice it enough that you do it by muscle memory when the rest of you is puckered up!

I hate ABS.

Before I get new tires next month I will go practice some where...

 

[zach44102]

check the abs ring gear around the hub on all four corners to see if any are split. also check the abs sensor... do you have a torn cv boot?

 

[hawkeye18]

Before I get new tires next month I will go practice some where...

That is a good idea, but keep in mind that if you get new, stickier tires, the threshold point will change. After all, the ability of the tire to stick to the road is what defines that point in the first place. The first thing I do after every new set of tires is reset my threshold point.

And if you do lock them up, which will be pretty obvious as you've found out, don't be afraid to let off a little bit - 80% available braking force will still stop your car faster than locked tires will, you won't flat-spot your tires, and you can still steer.

 

[HotRodKid]

If you needed the ABS in order to stop in time, you were to close.

end of story

 

[LOUDSHO92]

ABS pump could of failed.

 

[hawkeye18]

EEC Test port? Elaborate please...

There are two ports next to each other; the one on the left side (from the front of the car) is the EEC test port and has the little one-wire connector for shorting the fuel pump. The plug next to that, on the driver's side, is the ABS test connector. It tests the same way the EEC connector does.

 

[deercrusher]

http://www.gypsumexpress.com/hotnews.php?page=article&id=4

This is truck related but you can apply it to cars or any other vehicle. Not trying to preach but it takes some balls to admit when you were actually at fault. I'd practice safe following distance and defensive driving any day over threshold braking.

 

[SHOtime2511]

IMO the best "ABS" is your foot and brain knowing your cars tendencies.

 

[SuperHO]

not to make light of the situation, but does anyone else see the irony in this fella's user name?

 

[HotRodKid]

not to make light of the situation, but does anyone else see the irony in this fella's user name?

yea, spotted the irony before i even clicked this thread the first time.

 

[93rev2sev]

Glad you're OK, sounds like it could have been a lot worse...like if the guy behind you was as overconfident as you were...

 

[SHOstopper1992]

Everything mechanically is sound, no torn CV boots.
I will check out the EEC port.
I will check the ABS ring gears and the ABS Pump out.

I wasn't following too close, the problem was the I changed lanes into a lane that all of a sudden started braking.

I admit my mistake was stupid and I probably need to practice some other driving techniques, but all I can say is that mistakes will happen and all I can do is learn from them.