ABS on this truck is dangerous...

Had the ABS problem last night coming down a driveway. No damage or problems, and at this point it doesn't even surprise me when it happens. Given that it's not just my truck doing it, I can't believe this hasn't killed someone yet. I've coasted through a couple stop signs because of that POS system.

I've had the ABS in my Impreza kick on many times on slick, snow-covered roads and it never gives me the feeling that the Tacoma does. On the Impreza you feel the ABS kick on, but you can feel that you clearly still have good braking power. When the ABS kicks on in the Tacoma, it feels as though your brake lines have been cut.

 

Thanks for the Audi vs Tacoma test. That was pretty convincing.

I don't know about data recording. I mean, IDK if the Tacoma does it, and IDK if I want it to. Data like that could help you or hurt you. Obviously, it helped in your Camaro situation, where the issue was whether you braked or accelerated.

But suppose it happened in your Tacoma, and went like this: You claim you did everything in your power to avoid the accident. The data recorder reveals you took your foot off the brake. You argue you had to do that because the ABS doesn't work properly, and you can stop the vehicle more quickly without it. I think the opposition's attorney would turn you inside out, and have a good shot at convincing an ignorant jury that you screwed up. No matter what you said, there it is: The black box showed Mr Dragon took his foot off the brake at the critical moment. At the very least, I think you'd have a rough time proving that your actions helped more than they hurt the situation.

I'm not saying it's wrong to use the best braking technique you know for the situation at hand, just that sometimes you don't want a computer witness providing ammo to your adversaries.

 

^^ computer witness = terrible. its hard to argue with a "fact" when someone that is not you is the "expert" about that fact.

the more people chime in the more I think about instances where it has felt like the brakes quit working because of the ABS.. they have all been offroad or in the snow.. but I don't really consider it a problem because the system is working it just cannot make the truck stop because of other factors. So I do what I can to mitigate those factors..

It definitely does not work as well in the truck, as it did in some of my cars. I guess personally I have always figured its the difference between the truck, and cars. My dad has a Chevy Z71 and that thing is by no means better. The Dodge trucks I used to drive on patrol, my 4runner's. They all have limitations in the braking department and will never compare to a car.

My mother used to have an Audi. It is unfair to compare to that, the AWD and ABS on that are second to none. It drove amazing. But its not a truck.

 

Audi is not stupid enough to put Rugged Fail tires on their cars.

an A5 with KM2 would be pretty cool. If completely usesless

 

Whats your stake in this Ding? Your dad design the Taco ABS system?

 

He's a superior driver. And obviously can steer out of a slide when the ABS kicks in.

 

He's an ABS contrarian

 

I didn't say what it convinced me of.

 

I am convinced that my truck has ABS. And that, that ABS system works better in some situations than others. I am also convinced that there are many drivers out there that I would rather see with ABS than without. Although so far every person who has rear-ended me has had ABS.. I am pretty sure they did not bother with the brakes at all, 3 times now I have been rear-ended lightly by someone on the gas who always seems to say "I thought you were going to go"

Maybe the truck should read our mind. And know whether or not our expertise in the matter of al things says it needs to use ABS in the current situation, or decline and let the brakes lock up. The 2016 model should have the mind reading feature. Surely without power seats, or disk brakes in the rear the budget allows for mind reading.

 

You have anything to back this up?

 

I have a long list of excellent drivers awards from different states throughout the years..


^^win

 

I won a "best driver in a driveway" award once. I beat out my 89yo neighbor and my 9yo son for it. Totally threw it in their faces too!

 

awesome!

I vote that counts.

 

Gramps let me drive slow in the cornfield.. definitely counts!

to be fair, I didn't get his truck stuck until I was 8.. Even said the famous line "look at this" before I tore off into a nice big Iowa mudhole.. I thought for sure I was getting my ass beat but Gramps just swore a bit and laughed. 1986 Toyota lived on until 2007 when it was cut up with over 300k.

Then later on that year I was running a skid steer at a jobsite loading tear-out in a dump truck.. That was the first time the cops got mad that I was driving a tractor. The second time I was 12, and I was driving a case loader (5spd I mentioned earlier) pulling my Dad in the dump truck across town when the f500 ford broke down.

 

I've owned 24 different cars since I started driving and only ever had to do a panic stop in 3 of my vehicles and the 3 that I did all had ABS and I never felt like I wasn't going to stop. the First time was in a new 2003 VW Jetta that only had 500 miles on it. I was behind a dump truck that decided it wanted to dump all the engine oil out in front of me in a turn. I panicked and hit the brakes hard and that was the first time I ever felt the pulsing from an ABS system but the car never lost control and I was able to change lanes and stop the car despite the fact that I was driving on hot engine oil. the next time was in a 2008 wrangler sahara unlimited and I had to do a panic stop because an accident happened in front of me in the snow on the highway. I also felt the pulsing from the brake peddle but never let off the brakes and the jeep stopped faster than I was expecting it to. The last time was in the 2013 Camaro when some guy decided to take left turn out of a hooters parking lot towards me in the rain and hit me head on. I also felt the brakes pulsing and the car stopped pretty damn fast but the guy was looking the other way to see if traffic was coming and didn't look back till it was too late. I took my 2014 Tacoma out and my wife 2009 Audi A6 out and did a bunch of panic stops to compare the two and I never felt like I didn't have control in the Audi just like my other cars BUT the Tacoma felt like it didn't want to stop once the ABS kicked in and even though the road was clear with no other cars in sight I actually felt unsafe like I didn't have control of the truck. Hopefully Toyota figures out what the issue is with the ABS and fixes the issues with a recall because I love my truck and to me that is the only thing that I find wrong with my truck so far unless I find out that my frame is also built like the older ones and is prone to rust and if that is the case then I have two issues with my truck. keeping my fingers crossed because I do love my truck and want to keep it.

 

Well I clearly drive like much more of an asshole than you!

Thanks for your input!

I have driven many many vehicles.. I have owned at least 50 toyota trucks without ABS alone, and tons of others.

I will agree with you and say that out of many vehicles I have driven the ABS in the tacoma is not as good as in many others. . That's talking about all vehicles. But head to head with most trucks I have driven the ABS is as good or better. I even drove thousands of miles in a truck that the abs will literally without exaggeration rip the axels off the 73,000 lbs vehicles if you mash on the brakes at high speed. Absolutely serious and I can explain how if your interested.

Yes in snow or on mud the ABS in the tacoma does in fact feel like you are loosing your brakes, it is scary and I have had my scares. . Its not really the trucks fault the system is working like it should its just that in the situation its making the problem worse.. my 2008 4runner was the same.

The best solution is don't drive in those situations if you are not comfortable, if you really feel like something is working incorrect take it in to the shop ASAP. You can always do the mod to disable ABS and in situations like snkw covered roads or mud disable it, but for every day driving in normal conditions it is good to have on.

I am not saying that your a bad driver or doing anything wrong or even that you're truck is not 100 percent fucked up. But I am saying it is normal for the truck to behave that way with ABS to a point. The Audi has a much more advanced system than the truck, lower center of gravity and I would almost bet better tires too. It all plays a part. When I get home if anyone is near me I would be glad to take anyone out for comparisons in my truck and theirs, next to my car etc.

Go to a dealer and test drive others, give the brakes a good stomp and see. The time to test the variable and know what to expect is before you need to count on it and it doesn't work that way.

Again I am sure you are a cautious driver if you have only ever had to truly slam on the brakes one time you are doing something right.

One thing that might explain part of it is that say on hard pack snow or ice etc when you hit the brakes and abs detects you have slippage it will release some pressure to get that wheel to match the others.. with big truck wheels once that thing is sliding it takes longer and it is harder for that heavy wheel to catch enough traction to spin again..

so if your right front is rolling and your left front slows down faster or stops ABS is cutting power to the left front so that the right front will slow down to match it.. if the left front speeds back up it applies more force to it and so on.. it dies this fast as hell which is why it makes that sound and you feel it in the pedal.. if say your right front locks up and the left front is still spinning it will try to match them but it won't just mash all the force into your left front because that could spin you.. so you lose out straight line stopping distance. . Its always better to hit something straight on then smash into it with your door ir your passengers door etc..

It is all very simple yet very complicated and im not the best at descriptions.. I hope it helps

The proper way to do it with ABS is continuous pressure according to the book.. let the abs do the work of pumping the brkaes for you.. how true this is I don't know but I can say if at all possible any time in the snow or ice be as gentle on the brakes and gas as you can..

 

Take your truck in the snow on a lonely road and try stopping with your ABS. Then pull the fuse and try again. You won't ever want to put that fuse back.

 

Haha.. he speaks the truth..

But on a rainy day when the road is wet you will wish you had that ABS back..

There is no perfect answer.. or fix all solution. Unfortunately

 

Yeah, I'm pretty sure VSC saved me from a roll over during an abrupt maneuver a few years ago. Pulling the fuse is not a great plan. Just do the ABS switch mod where you trick the ECU into disabling ABS but not everything else.

 

Well that sucks for People with VSC.
Still bunch of you sounds like terrified girls. Not long ago most of you drove trucks with NO ABS and no VSC. Suddenly blinking light scares the crap of you.