Re: electronic throttle

It depends a lot on the model. Early systems did indeed release all brakes simultaneously. Later ones handled front and back differently. Many of the newer ones deal with each wheel independantly.

Early ABS was really dreadful and much less effective than just properly feathering the brakes. Newer ABS systems are a lot better than that.

Mind you, I'm still driving a car without ABS and I am just fine with it, and I know pretty well how it handles when it skids. Then again, It doesn't snow much here, and I have good tires.

Frankly, putting money into better tires is probably more effective than putting it into braking control systems. But it's less sexy.

--scott

I've got the factory manual for all my cars - and I'm a mechanic too. It IS POSSIBLE to lock all 4 wheels at once on a slick surface. I've done it on my '95 Pontiac - it didn't know what to do. The brakes chattered like crazy, but the car (van) didn't slow down at all. Eventually one wheel caught some traction. THAT put the van into a skid.

Not much snow here this year either. About half the average - which is half what we got last year. I'll agree though - tires are more important than ABS.

Some older vehicles, by the way, had rear ABS only. And then there was

My PT cruise has no ABS. Wife's Mystique has ABS and full time traction control.. Both have the same Graspic Ice and Snow tires. The cruiser stops better in the slop than the Mystique.

In message , snipped-for-privacy@snyder.on.ca writes

I've never had a car without the workshop manual, (I have been refused a few times (VW) but it's amazing what walking away from the salesman will produce.).

typically the VW Bentley manuals are $100 or less and are readily available through aftermarket channels, so I wouldn't consider that a deal killer. IME it's the American ones that are expen$ive.

nate