Brake Shudder on Ice or Leaves when braking at any speed?

Okay so I've got on 06 4X Tacoma Access Cab with stick. I've searched a lot but haven't found anything similar. Been a member reading threads for 5 years but haven't posted until now. Here's the problem.

If I am on any sort of slipper surface where even just one wheel is involved, and brake even gently, my steering wheel and front wheels will just shake out of control. I can be crawling in first low, but if I hit a small amount of ice, that's it, my truck can shudder off the road. It does the same if I am on the highway with snow, ice, leaves, or if I hit a rough spot and brake. I have cleaned my ABS sensors and even replaced them, but it made no difference. This started a few years ago and I've simply lived with it. It can be very unnerving when up in some remote steep country covered in snow.

Here's the simple solution and how I live with it. If I pull my two ABS Fuses and go manual brakes during winter, there are absolutely zero similar problems occurring. I have no problem using manual brakes and in fact prefer it in many ways, as my past small trucks were manual brakes. The dealer said there are no other issues created by pulling the fuses besides having the constant annoying ABS light on in the dash. I'd still like to try to figure this out, before ending up with a big process of elimination bill at a shop or dealer. One thing that was suggested by the dealer was that it may be a bad R8 Fuse, but I apparently don't have one in my year/model.

So being Winter is coming on, its about time to pull the fuses again. I've got a hunting trip coming up too and can't have the problem when towing a camp trailer on the highway. It is just so bizarre (and dangerous) that the truck & steering wheel shudders/shakes when braking if even crawling down a hill, but no such problem it if ABS is cut out. This would also seem to rule out the rotors being bent or many expected causes. It also doesn't matter if towing or not. Shutting off the ABS would seem to point to there being something wrong with the ABS System or related, but it would be nice to pinpoint further. Imagine crawling down a hill in first low and you touch the brake when on slippery surface, its as if the vehicle is possessed with uncontrollable shaking that will literally move the truck sideways.

All ideas are greatly appreciated. Not sure I can get into any deep repairs right now before my trip, as my temp solution is my plan, but will consider depending, and save deeper solutions for after I return. Thanks!

 

My 08 was the same way from day one. I just pulled one of the ABS fuses and lived with the light.

 

Pulled 'one' of the ABS fuses as opposed to both? Why only one, and which one?

 

Pulling just one disabled ABS. It was the fuse under the hood.

 

There are actually TWO ABS fuses in the fuse box. At least in my year. I was surprised to learn that. Thinking back, and I could be wrong, but I seem to recall one was for the front and one for rear, and that it was best to pull both of them as ABS is supposed to be all four wheels. I guess it would mean that the rears would still have ABS capability if only pulling the fuse for the front.

 

Yu might look at diagram in fusebox closer, you might have two also. One is easy to miss.

 

It’s definitely something abs related. The abs in my 05 can be a little touchy but nothing that bad. I installed a switch in the cab so I can kill abs whenever I’m offroad, or during winter.

 

Looking at an online manual, it was Fuse 42 under the hood. My Tacoma only had ABS, no VSC, a-trac etc... There was a few times I thought I was getting into an accident because ABS kicked in and wouldn't quit. Pulling one fuse seemed to completely disable it.

On my Tacoma, it seemed like if one wheel lost traction, ABS kicked in on all 4 wheels. On my 4Runner, ABS actually seems helpful, and only kicks on for the wheel(s) that need it.

 

You need tires with better traction as you have a tire that is spinning less than the others. If any wheel is sensed to be locking it kicks in the ABS System.

If you pull any ABS Fuse and the ABS light comes on the system is disabled and you have regular brakes. Both fuses supply power to the Skid Control ECU. If either is removed it should fail the self test on startup and present you with an ABS Light on the dash and the ABS System is disabled.

ABS with TRAC, VSC, Auto LSD, Dac and HAC
https://www.customtacos.com/tech.ol...toyewd/06toypdf/ewd/2006/tacoma/h/em01d22.pdf

ABS W/O VSC
https://www.customtacos.com/tech.ol...toyewd/06toypdf/ewd/2006/tacoma/h/em01d23.pdf

 

Well I know it isn't my tires...

So anyway, I discovered something. Seems the ABS Fuses aren't really Fuses, but Relays. And they can partially fail and cause problems with ABS braking. Don't know that THIS is the problem, but tomorrow I'm going to have the Relays tested. There's a lot more power required for the ABS, and if these relays don't provide adequate juice, apparently the brakes can engage. Add a slippery surface, and MAYBE that means massive shuddering?

I haven't figured out the diff yet between

$13 ABS-1 ABS Black Plastic Sheet 1/4" x 12" x 12” Textured 1 Side Vacuum Forming

ABS-1 (50 amp) and ABS-2 (30 amp), but I definitely have both as seen in pic. No doubt pulling them for the Winter is the easy solution which I did last year as well. Still i'd like to solve this mystery that so many seem to experience.

 

Same problem here with my 07. Terrible abs. Absolutely dangerous. I pull the fuse (abs2) every winter. Anyone telling me I need better tires apparently has no experience driving on snow and ice in a like equipped Tacoma. It simply will not stop as anywhere near quickly as it will with the fuse removed. I can see it working on a wet road during a high speed panic stop but when it's on snow and ice it is dangerous. It will allow the truck to roll out into an intersection.

 

How do you know it isn't your tires?

I told you why you are having issues above, you're losing traction on one or more wheels. You have a wheel that is starting to lock up when it occurs which triggers the ABS System. That is where the pulsing brakes is coming from. I work for a worldwide manufacturer of Fuel Injectors and ABS Brake / Chassis Control Systems. I do have a small clue.

Get better tires.

I don't know where you got this Bogus information about fuses being relays etc. It is absolutely wrong. Both of those items you have circled are shown on the electrical prints ( I provided links) and are Fuses, Not Relays. They are large because they are used for high current as you see 50 ampere and 30 ampere.


Fuses have two states Good = Complete circuit or Bad = Open circuit. It is a binary answer, there is no such thing as a partially blown fuse.

 

Seriously Jimmy? How do I know its not my tires? lol Because they were brand new Toyo Open Country D Rated AT's. Its NOT the tires that cause this situation that so many have experienced thru the years! Its a little more complicated then the standard troubleshooting manual can explain too, otherwise so many wouldn't have experienced it. Give it up on the tires as the cause okay. I'm also very skilled at driving in the snow and ice. Replace your thinking about poor tires with a slick spot in the terrain as the variable. THAT is what makes the ABS go haywire.

And here's the first place where I saw them referred to as Relays.
https://www.yourmechanic.com/article/symptoms-of-a-bad-or-failing-anti-lock-fuse-or-relay

But they are also referred to many other locations, such as here and many other sites.
https://www.summitracing.com/search...coma/engine-size/3-4l-3378cc/part-type/relays

Even a little bit of Oxidation on contacts can reduce the amount of voltage going thru a circuit. It doesn't have to be 'blown' to not work properly. I had a 30 amp 110 household type breaker last year in my hunting trailer that I suspected wasn't working properly. For some reason I wasn't letting ample current reach my Inverter. I can't remember the exact voltage getting thru, but it wasn't what it should have been. So I changed the breaker out and the voltage returned to normal. Those are supposed to be on/off too, but apparently that's not the whole story on how they function. Not that this direction will solve the problem, but being its generally overlooked, so definitely worth more investigation.

I should also add for readers that my 06 is a Manual Trans not Automatic, so it lacks certain traction options. Oh yeah and there are no ABS Codes that come up.

 

Same stock tires my Tacoma had, my 4Runner has. Yet my 4Runner doesn't have this issue. I also had several sets of better tires on my Tacoma, ABS behavior was the same.

 

Not the tires. It's just the way the (crappy) ABS works. I've tested mine on snow covered roads many times to get a feel for the system. Going 45 mph, stomp the pedal. Still allows you to keep steering like it should. So it's ok for that. But slowing down at a stop sign and one side is on ice; the side on dry pavement will not stop you and you will roll (not slide) out into traffic. You will be powerless to stop. Not the case if you remove the ABS2 fuse. You will stop much sooner in conditions like that.

 

Does the 'relay' have two terminals, or more?

 

The one I pulled had 4

 

I don't remember and won't know until I pull them in town. Running around now but I suspect its the same as Replica's.

 

Couldn't log in till I got home as I don't have the pw on iphone yet. As it would turn out, mine ARE Fuses not Relays and only have two pins. There are plenty of relays there in the fuse box (all the larger ones are), but both these are fuses in mine anyhow. So any failure with them would probably only be related to lack of voltage moving thru them like from oxidation at the contacts, which I'll check closer over the weekend.

They also couldn't/wouldn't check them at Autozone. It sounded as tho they could as their machine can check a number of components, but not supposed to on these for reasons unknown?

 

Well, I don't want to say I told you so, so I won't. But those two devices you had circled are the fuses in every Tacoma with ABS. If you take the time and look at the two factory schematics I linked to earlier you will see that there are no ABS Relays with the exception of the DAC and Auto LSD.

You are obviously misinterpreting what I am saying when I said you need better tires. So allow me to say it another way so that I possibly don't offend you again.

The ABS System independently monitors the rotation of each tire when going down the road. When it senses that one or more tires are not rotating in sync ( locking up due to loss of traction ) it begins to pulse that wheel cylinders hydraulics system to stop and prevent locking up that wheel. It can do this for each wheel independently on a 4 channel ABS system. Granted that comes at the price of increased stopping distance, but the advantage of being able to steer. As stated many in these frozen wastelands disable the ABS System just for this and it works as a normal system without ABS when the fuse is pulled.

The ABS system probably could use better tuning of the software, but that doesn't void the Fact that better traction would prevent some of the locking up of the wheels during braking. Some people don't have an issue with the ABS System in snow and ice with the same programming, and the only variable being the tires. When talking about black ice or ice sheeting all bets are off and you should probably stay at home.

I wish you the best in your quest.