Cheap/Free Mods

"almost slid through countless intersections during the winter months" X2 on you piercedtiger. I'll have to try this.

 

As I stated in the first paragraph. It was just a response to the comment that no human could outperform ABS.

 

I've almost rear-ended people while braking because a small bump in the road causes the ABS to kick in reducing my stopping distance. On dry pavement of all things...

 

i've had crappy performance on dry pavement as well due to ABS.

 

I have the same problem on one of the city streets on the way to work. There's a couple manhole covers and potholes just before a left hand turn. This is on a steep downhill 30mph section. I've learned to slow waaay down before I hit the bumps because I can not stop on them, and the ABS doesn't shut off once I've crossed them either. Probably because the wheels are hopping due to the ABS action. So there's a good 50ft section where I never know if I'm going to stop or not once the ABS starts it's shit, and that's were every slows/stops to make that left turn. Not a good place for that crap. Winter only makes it worse, and is one of the reasons I drive a different way to work.

 

To each their own I guess. It would be interesting to see what an insurance company says when there is an accident and an investigation as to the causes and they find out the ABS has been disabled.

Have fun.

 

What do they say about cars without ABS?


And who really cares? Insurance thought my 98 corolla had ABS. It didn't, and they wouldn't take it off when I told them. Would I get fucked over in an insurance claim?

 

i doubt my insurance company would go through my tacoma's entire wiring after a regular fender bender. they'll just write off an accident as just that: a regular accident. maybe they would if my ABS was at the root of a major disaster, like a nuclear explosion in a u.s. city or the implosion of an entire hospital full of orphans.

 

When I had an accident, they looked over the car for 5 minutes and made a decision. It's not worth there time to do a thorough inspection.

They might only do this if a death was involved.

 

Yeah, I've been in a couple of fender benders (only one being my fault). All they ever did was look at the damage and labeled it human error.

Even if a death was involved, unless you say it was the car's fault, they'll pretty much always say it was a driver's fault.

 

RE Simple DTRL mod. Do the turn signals work properly after doing this mod? Thanks.

 

Yes. That mod uses a second, unused filament in the bulbs. A brighter on actually, that's not used in the stock configuration.

While you're in there doing that one, if you do the alternating turn signal mod (same wires involved) you can get the side markers to blink opposite of the turn signals.

 

Why do some have DRLs from the factory, and some don't. I can see the Canadian Tacos having them cuz it's the law to drive with them on. But in the US it seems some have them, some don't.

 

awesome! just did it on my second gen!

 

I've seen write ups by police who investigate accidents and if a set of solid skid marks are noted they know ABS was either not on the vehicle or not working. If ABS was working you will generally see broken skid marks where the brakes are being locked up and released.

If a vehicle rear ends another and is equipped with ABS but it wasn't working and the accident resulted in a fatality, they very well could be doing some investigating of the vehicle causing the accident. IF the ABS didn't work properly, the manufacturer could be sued for liability. If it is determined that the ABS was deliberately disabled it would make sense the manufacturer is off the hook for the liability but the person who disabled it is now going to be the prime target.

Vehicles built w/o ABS could cause all the same issues but the liability is going to looked at more like an accident vs deliberately disabling something that most people consider a safety option.

Just saying it might be good to consider all those options when making mods.

 

Since ABS is not a mandatory safety feature, there is no liability for disabling it.

 

For me ABS works fine. I try and forget I have it, apply light brake pressure. If I am driving within my abilities and appropriately for conditions I will stop in time.

If I have to hard stomp on the brakes, in wet, snowy or off road conditions I figure I must be either 1) driving outside my abilities or 2) not driving appropriately for the conditions.

I will keep the ABS as is.

 

noted. however, i don't feel that ABS takes advantage of the optimum grab that a tire gives. you said that if a car with ABS brakes hard there will be broken skid marks, but mine will never brake hard enough to even begin creating skid marks. i've tried it. all i end up getting is a floored brake pedal and a car that's still moving; the brake pedal literally touches the floor when ABS kicks in; any other time it's nice and firm. i know there's no air in the lines. so basically, all my ABS is doing is preventing the disk from locking up, but not braking hard enough to make the tires grab at maximum capability. i've slowed down a lot more confidently when i've pumped brakes in other vehicles with no ABS. like i said, i feel more confident in my pumping skills than in this mushy ABS system.

but what if it's installed in the car from factory? wouldn't it become a safety feature that shouldn't be messed with?

 

It also automatically disengages from the factory when the vehicle is put in 4w lo. This mod just allows the user to do it when they wish. It might be a warranty issue if the ABS failed to work when it should have but I don't think there's anything wrong with being able to disable it. No one is saying it has to be done. Those who don't want it, should be able to disable it if it's not a mandated feature.

Some vehicles are not equipped with ABS, so there is no harm in disabling it if the user doesn't like the way it works.

I view it as being like the "Any time Locker" mod. The 4x4 trucks have to be in 4 lo for the locker to engage (Off Road models). You can't engage it in 2hi or 4hi. However, the Prerunner Off Road has a locker which engages in 2hi. So there is no harm in making the vehicle work like another Toyota vehicle. So even though it was installed that way by the factory, it's a simple mod that some feel makes the vehicle better.

 

The ABS also turns off when the locker is engaged. This mod simulates that without engaging the locker (which is why both the ABS and locker light come on when you flip the switch).

So basically, anytime you *really* need control and traction, toyota automatically disables the ABS for you. To me that says something about it.