MY02 WRX ABS Problems

Is this a new behavior that started after the dealer touched your brakes? Or was the dealer trying to fix them? Similar symptoms have been cronic with the new age WRX in the US since the beginning. Look in the discusion forums over at

you will find dozens of items over the last 2.5 years. The latest "official" investigation results are currently posted in the News & Rumors forum. The ABS on mine seems a little oversensitive to me, but it's my first ABS equipped car so I have no personal point of comparison. We have plenty of "encumbered" roads in my part of the States. Most city streets in Seattle were paved 50-100 years ago and haven't been properly rebuilt since. After 44,+++ miles it's "normal" for me :)

No it wasn't after work had been performed on the car and I forgot to mention it only effects the Front Right Hand Side only, its always going off at a drop of a hat.

Anyway I will look into the forums you have pointed out to me and see what I can find.

Thanks Kimball

Andrew

You can work around that problem by braking hard before the bump, let the brakes go then brake hard again. This is also leads to more ride comfort.

I am talking about just 1-5 Kmph (mostly pulling into a car park etc..) not even applying the break really just covering it.

If that is true then there is something wrong with your car. Get it fixed.

Most of the US complaints about over-sensitive abs are down the heavy-footed driving. Unless the UK spec is dramatically different to that in the rest of the world - and I don't believe it is - then you have to really stamp on the pedal to make the abs work....even in icy conditions. In fact, I'm always amazed at just how brutal you have to be. Never made mine work by accident in, I suppose, getting on for 20 years of driving with abs-equipped cars - mostly Imprezas.

David Betts snipped-for-privacy@motorsport.org.uk

andrew,

it's the abs computer being over-aggressive.

there's some great threads about it on nasioc, as the other poster suggested.

afaik, there's actually a NHTSA investigation going on right now. some members have gotten questionairs in the mail.

do yourself a favor and pull the fuse when driving on gravel or snow.

jm2c ken

Some people have reported a defective or loosely mounted ABS sensor, that sounds more like your problem than the general "oversensetive ABS" issue that has been debated.

The US WRX brakes are different (ie cheaper 2 piston calipers) from other markets. So software programming and operation might vary noticably.

Might, but I don't see why. Lots of Imprezas have different brakes fitted, including aftermarket. No reason why that should affect the abs settings. The so-called 'over-sensitivity' issue is about heavy-footed driving. Sounds to me, however, like this guy has a fault.

It really is very simple. If the driver is activating the abs unintentionally on a regular basis, then either there is a fault in the system or the driver is not modulating his or her brakes properly.

David Betts snipped-for-privacy@motorsport.org.uk

David, I may not have mentioned this before, but you can f*ck right off.

I've had enough of your comments about heavy-footed / ham-fisted / dumb-assed / etc. North American drivers. Most of the complaints about over-sensitive ABS are from people you've never met, about cars you've never driven. Whether or not the UK and NA spec cars are identical is a moot point, as it's been pointed out before that not all NA cars seem to experience this problem.

Have a look at

and you'll find some instances of people saying "Aha, that's what you guys were talking about" after the first time they experienced it. In any case, let me assure you that I'm a reasonably competent driver, but that my ABS sucks, and my clutch shudders on cold starts.

Waiting for your apology, Andy Mason

2002 WRX Wagon

Word. My ABS has been working overtime with the winter snow and ice out on the roads. To say that it should only happen when you STOMP on the brake pedal is absurd. It should activate when ever a wheel slips. That's the reason for it's existence right? And it doesn't take a whole lot to make a 3000 pound object slip on ice. My upcoming tire change to snows will help eliminate this significantly.

It really is very simple Andy. If you regularly activate your ABS accidentally then either you are routinely braking too hard for the road conditions or there is something wrong with the ABS. If you have had the ABS checked out and there is nothing wrong with it then the problem is with your driving. From your use of language it is clear that you are probably not bright enough to accept that.

David Betts snipped-for-privacy@motorsport.org.uk

Not quite what I said, Tom, is it? I said I was surprised at how brutal you have to be to make it work, even on ice, but then I don't lock my wheels when braking on ice unless I intend to. In icy conditions I always pretend there is a raw egg between my foot and the pedal and slow down using the brakes as little as possible. You certainly have to break the egg to make the ABS activate.

You do have to stomp on the pedal to make the ABS activate on smooth, dry tarmac. I know, because that's the only way I have experienced ABS activating. Obviously on a bumpy, dusty, loose or otherwise slippery surface - let alone snow or ice - it will activate at a lesser pedal pressure. Fact is, though, you still have to braking too hard for the road conditions to make it activate. It really is common sense.

David Betts snipped-for-privacy@motorsport.org.uk

Well, leave it to a ham-fisted North American to get offended by Betts' comments :)

Seriously, the ABS on my '02 Leg. GT is the _worst_ I've ever experienced. I think I'm going to install a switch to dis/enable. I'm not even going to get into how horrible the clutch is!

Well I'm glad to hear that it turns out that you weren't even remotely close to being incorrect on this issue. I guess I shouldn't have been surprised.

I'm simply comparing the experience I had with my previous 1993 Nissan Altima, a 10 year old family sedan, to that which I've had in my WRX. In the Nissan, I liked the ABS so much that I kept it in good shape by regulary working it out on a small, inevitably icy, hill with a stop sign at the bottom in my neighbourhood. Not to worry, I made sure the intersection was free of any traffic, pedestrians, animals large and small, etc. In the WRX, not only do I and many others find OURS (not yours) to be too sensitive, it also seems to release braking pressure, and not reapply it at all quickly, which seems more like a design flaw than something that could be "checked out."

The Nissan stopped faster than I could, the WRX does not. Pretty simple.

Since no one mentioned anything about regularly activating their ABS, just about how badly it worked when it did activate, or about how it activated when it shouldn't, then your points above aren't entirely relevant.

Rest assured that my use of language was related to a few years of browsing through this ng and reading your postings which repeatedly dismiss out-of-hand some common and valid complaints with such condescension as: "Most of the US complaints about over-sensitive abs are down the heavy-footed driving" (A direct quote. Remind me which one of us isn't bright enough again?)

Andy Mason Genius

Andy

It seems that you're being a trifle precious in your response to David.

I too have followed David's posts in this NG for years and must say that he adds a touch of reality to this NG. He does it with his tongue firmly placed in the side of his cheek with no malicious tones ever.

The fact that you you used to drive a Nissan Altima and a your WRX doesn't perform to you satisfaction you want to blame someone and become unsavory if you don't agree with their post.

I have driven many Subarus in the USA and Canada as well as my home in Australia (5 Subarus in the family) and I've never experienced the symptoms you have described.

I drove a Forester through the Rockies last Christmas with minimal activation of the ABS.

So the issue boils down to two thing:

1. There might be something wrong with your car, I don't know, discuss it with Subaru.

1. David's driving technique is correct. I agree with his theory on the use of brakes and never had a problem. Perhaps you could attend an Advanced Driving Course where you can understand the theory of driving and the relationship of braking. This may overcome your problem.

2. Yelling abuse at people on this NG tends to pigeon hole you into the unhelpful category, something I'm sure you're no really trying to do to yourself.

You my simple thoughts > > accidentally then either you are routinely braking too hard for the

We must be talking around each other. Now, I am no expert, but I do believe that the ABS always activates if it senses a wheel locking up upon braking. I've had it do so braking at a particular intersection because there are several manhole covers there and at speed, one of the wheels loses contact with the driving surface. And on ice, I don't see any reason to use the brake as little as possible. Why? I take it slower, but why avoid using the brake? It's sole purpose is to reduce braking distance right? Just my opinion. Have a good one.

So which two of these three things does the issue "boil down to"?

With tongue planted firmly in cheek,

- Greg Reed

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1976 Cadillac Fleetwood Formal Limousine 1989 Audi 200 Turbo Quattro sedan 5-speed 2000 Oldsmobile Intrigue 2001 Chevy Astro AWD (wife's) 2004 Forester 2.5XT 5-speed (coming soon!)

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I thought the purpose of ABS was not to reduce braking distance, but to allow you to control the vehicle by not letting the tyres lock up.

I had an experience the other day where my ABS kicked in unwanted though. I was braking normally for a red light, and there was a little skip in the road where i think the tyres momentarily lost contact with the road. All of a sudden, the brake pedal started pulsing, felt really weird.