I know how ABS works and why but i think that i have a serious problem.

Whilst messing around in the snow this evening I tried to brake but the pedal was totally solid. No pulsating or braking. This problem happened a couple of weeks ago when i had it sideways in the rain and tried to slow down.
Any clues as I don't want to crash and no i don't want to slow down

 

Sounds like you're going to crash.

 

Exact same thing happened to me yesterday, and today, pedal just went solid, let it off and tried it again and it was OK. I put it down to my clowning around doing donuts

Hope it aint a serious problem

Stuart

 

I've had exactly the same on a UK car. Only once mind, and that was a couple of months ago. Hit the brakes again and brakes were fine.

**** me up something real bad thou' !

Mark.

 

When ABS encounters very slippy conditions (ie snow , ice , mud , etc. ) for too long it temporarily gets confused and switches itself off . Sometimes it will not come on again unless you switch the ignition off and on again . I discovered this when having some 'fun' in a large field . Btw if you are driving in deep snow you are better disconnecting the ABS . I do this by removing the ABS fuse .

 

Nigel253
If you haven't killed yourself yet and this is too late.......ABS on snow locks the wheels up solid. What you describe is totally normal and exactly why ABS is useless in snow.

A ramp of snow builds up under the front wheels and when you brake it fools the ABS sensors into thinking the wheels are rotating normally thus ABS pulsing is not required and it just locks the wheels solid. Releasing the brakes stops it but as soon as you apply the brakes again it locks up again.

In the snow/ice cadence braking works with ABS but not as well as non-ABS cadence braking.

This isn't meant to sound patronising or big headed but having driven my normal 28 mile cross country commute the last two days (yesterday 3" of snow on top of ice) I have not had the brakes lock/ABS activate once because if they do then I consider I have driven outside the capabilities of me/the Scoob and I am no longer in control of the vehicle.......

 

Cheers Dave,

But what I experienced, and I suspect Nigel did too, was that the pedal would not depress, it was just solid, took foot off, re-applied and it was OK.

Very damned scary.

 

Nigel
Same thing - you don't need much brake pedal movement when friction coefficient is zero.....

Welcome to unintelligent ABS.....