Technical information

■

Technician Guidelines for Antilock Braking Systems

■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■

• Operate mixed combination vehicles (with and without

an ABS) the same way one would operate totally non-

ABS combination vehicles. Apply only the brake

pressure needed to achieve the desired deceleration

while ensuring vehicle stability. Monitor the

combination vehicle behavior and back off the brake

pedal, if possible, to keep the units under control.

D. What Are the Features and Benefits of ABSs?

Table 1 lists the major features and benefits offered by ABSs:

TABLE 1: ABS Features and Benefits

FEATURE BENEFIT

Control of steering, drive and trailer wheels

Increases steering ability and vehicle stability

during braking

Reduces possibility of jackknifing and trailer

swing

Reduces tire flatspotting

Fail-safe electrical/electronic system

If the electrical/electronic system fails, the

ABS is shut off, returning the vehicle to

normal braking. On some systems, the ABS

is only shut off at the affected wheels.

Traction control

An optional feature that controls excessive

wheel spin during acceleration, reducing the

possibility of power skids, spins or jackknifes.

Self-diagnosing system

Built-in system makes maintenance checks

quick and easy.

Diagnostic tool compatibility

ABSs are compatible with industry standard

hand-held and computer-based diagnostic

tools. Blink codes and other diagnostic

schemes can also be used for

troubleshooting, if other tools are not

available.

ABS Malfunction Indicator Lamp

Informs the driver or technician that an ABS

fault has occured. The warning lamp may

also transmit blink code information. It does

not signal all possible faults.