ABS on this truck is dangerous...

Wut.

Crumple zones dissipate most of the energy in a collision. Not airbags. Your car can dissipated energy by crushing feet of steel. Your airbag has to slow your body down in inches.

 

Okay, I've had my Tacoma ABS moment.

Last night I was attempting to get home in extremely slippery conditions; a hard coat of ice with ~2" of snow beneath. The ice was hard as in, my truck would break through it sometimes and not others. There is a very steep hill on my route. The truck was unable to make it up the hill; it lost traction and nearly came to a halt, just sitting there crunching and spinning and barely moving. Fortunately there was a side road I was able to turn into and (eventually) turn the vehicle around so that I could attempt to find my way back down the steep hill, and get home via a less steep alternate route.

As I started down the hill the ABS kicked in immediately. The braking action of the ABS resulted in the truck gaining speed down the hill without giving me anything in the way of control in return. So I took my foot off the brake and then immediately hit the brake again, sharply; then off the brake and on sharply again. Each time the front tires broke the ice and gripped briefly before starting to slide again. I let off the brakes before ABS kicked in. I effectively bypassed the ABS altogether and gave myself a tiny bit of control and grip, and I was was able to crab-crawl down the hill at a literal snail's pace.

I can't sit here and say it was a Tacoma issue and not an ABS issue. But there is no question that, had I relied on the ABS alone, I would have wound up in a ditch or against a tree or upside down. The only thing that gave me control was finding a way to defeat the ABS.

And I sure was happy to make it home in one piece, with straight bodywork.

 

I'm a late -50's CDL/EMS driver, have driven pretty much anything on wheels in about every weather including tornados.
I have a '08 DCSB 6cyl 4x4 stock new inspection, good brakes, yada, yada.
I do have Firestone studded Winterforces and up until yesterday have had no issues despite often going to work ahead of the plowtrucks.
Right now I have about 300lbs of tools,etc. plus the cap so the truck is neither 'light' nor 'heavy'.

We had a pretty good sleet/icestorm here in Berks/Lehigh PA yesterday.
Workplace parking lot was unsalted and polished like an NHL rink.
Yak-Trax are the way to go; I'm too old to assplant.

Because of the way the parking lot is shaped, you can't go fast even on a dry day. Really short runs, lots of speed bumps, lots of stop signs.
I'm in 4WD HI and pull out slowly.
First 3 sections are uneventful stops.
4th section and truly moving about 2mph.
Hit the brake.
Chatter, chatter, chatter, but no stoppy, stoppy, stoppy.
Get off the brake, hit again, normal stop.

Going down back roads, I tried repeatedly to make it happen and couldn't.
I've also tried before because of reading this thread and had not made it happen.

I will say I was less excited than I might have been because reading this thread and driving in bad weather has had me primed.
I didn't have to dodge tractor trailers, spacecraft, or infant toting grannies on walkers.
Still, not pleasant to not stop when one wants to.

To recount,
Cautious experienced driver.
Excellent mechanical shape.
Excellent winter tires.
Moving very slowly.
Could not reproduce purposefully.

I must add I'm glad I didn't call bullshit on anyone here.
Filing report today.

 

Yup, exactly what happens...

 

Sounds about exactly like my two on road experiences. Except my chatter and no stoppy re-occurred when I got back on the brakes until I left off and re-applied a couple different times. Some people here will tell you it's your tires though, because they can walk faster than 2 or 3mph

 

Snow tires can help bring the amount of friction generated by the tires closer to what the truck would have on a dry surface, especially on ice. IF I had a malfunctioning ABS and I choose to keep the truck (which I wouldn't) I would be putting on good snow tires. Just my opinion of course. If you think better traction is silly then I'm not here to fight you .

 

Had this happen to me once as well in slightly muddy off road conditions, where I was slowly crawling down a steep dirt road using 4HI in the rain after hunting. Truck slid down it like a slip and slide gaining speed the entire way with the ABS going off the entire time. Ended up just narrowly missing the barn at the bottom and came to a stop in a cut corn field. The fact I was gaining speed the entire way while braking really scarred me.

 

I trust the swedes... Cuz they make this piece of art

 

Did you read the post from Nealkas that I was replying to?

It happened to him while he had Firestone studded Winterforce tires on and 300lbs of tools in the back. Not to mention the guy is a professional driver.

 

Happened to me again today - I haven't been keeping score but it happens frequently. Minding my own business coming up to a snow covered intersection, slowing down as normal and then ABS kicks in and it's as if my brakes just lost it and gave up. I didn't get stopped until I was most of the way into the intersection. I've lived in Canada my whole life and have been driving winter roads since 1983, so I know DAMNED well how to slow down and come to a stop on snow covered roads. There's something not right with these brakes.

 

Easy buddy lol. I was making a general comment about snow tires. No need to get your internet panties in a bunch. When he let go of the brakes and then reapplied them the system responded correctly. Do you think better tires might have found some grip and allowed the system to respond normally.... Who knows.... All I'm saying is that this issue is most likely a software issue and so by doing everything a driver can to bring the system closer to normal dry surface conditions you stand the best chance to not have issues.

If I had a truck with bad ABS I would trade it off pronto and move to another vehicle. The Colorado doesn't seem to have this issue. Again, that's just my opinion.

Also, the guy is a commercial driver not a professional driver. I drive a truck for my living everyday though all sorts of shitty weather and on the worst sort of goat trails. Does that make me a pro too? Nope. Kudo's for him being a EMS driver though .

 

I would call anyone who drives a vehicle for their job/profession and main source of income, and who also requires special training or a special license, a professional driver. A professional driver could also be a commerical driver, or a race car driver, or any other type of driver you want to categorize them by.

 

So with a Class 3A (multi-axle with airbrakes) license and a dangerous goods license I'm a professional driver! I get paid to deliver stuff all the time and I use my vehicle to scout crops as well! Awesome, I never knew I was a pro .

Respect my authoritah... jks....

 

Well if you drive for work and use those licenses as your main source of income, then yes I'd say you are a professional driver. Why wouldn't you think so?

If you have the licenses but don't use them for work or as part of your profession, then no.

Either way, weather you're a professional driver or not. I'd say your also a jack ass for coming into a thread where many people have had this issue cause real life accidents and nearly escape death, and stirring the pot, being sarcastic, and acting like the issue doesn't really exist. You seem like the definition of an internet troll to me.

 

WTF?

I'll just leave this here.

http://youtu.be/joMK1WZjP7g

​

 

Ha ha Cargo van drivers ...

 

Yes, my cargo van...



And my other "vans"



... as usual you know nothing about trucks, you can't even tell them apart from vans . Now back to more circle jerking around Tacoma ABS software glitches.