Brake grinding ABS?

[anto135]

So driving home today and its been snowing in my area, went to turn into my street and my car slid out slightly so i've brake quite hard as a car was coming out opposite me. As i did this i heard a horrible crunching/grinding noise, As i pulled up in my street i checked my brakes and it's still doing it if i brake quite hard. I was fearing the worst but according to a few sources this is what happens when the ABS kicks in, funnily enough all the videos that show it is when there's snow on the ground. Is this the case as i've not been able to check it anywhere without snow and I didn't want to cause further damage if it is the pads and or disks. The only reason it being the ABS makes sense is that it's happened quite suddenly, i would have thought if it was the pads or disks it would gradually start grinding rather than just suddenly starting to grind.

[Mavroz]

Happens all the time when stopping suddenly or hard on ice or snow.

Braking hard causes a skid making the ABS kick in to try and stop it. The grating / rumbling is the ABS activating the brakes causing the rumbling grating noise.

It is more difficult to check without ice or snow around as it is hard to actuate a skid other than accelerating and braking very hard to make the ABS kick in.

Feels strange the first time you feel and hear it but it is normal.

That's the way I see it.

 

[isetta]

In case you want more reassurance, what you describe does sound like the perfectly normal operation of the ABS braking. if it does that you know the ABS is kicking in, ie it is fighting you, it is saying you are braking to hard for the road conditions, you are making the car skid, the ABS senses this and is releasing the hydraulic pressure on the brakes to stop the wheels locking up. It is a weird feeling and can be quite alarming.

[anto135]

Thanks for the guidance, turns out it was the ABS as it was fine today. Would never have guessed that it would be the ABS unless i came across a video of it last night, what a horrible noise it is when it kicks in though.

[MJNewton]

For exactly that reason I always encourage those that haven't experienced ABS activating before to find a safe* and workable place (e.g. loose gravel) to make it happen.  The last thing you want is anything distracting you in an emergency situation. Indeed I could well imagine the possibility that someone might even come off the brakes if they thought the grinding/pulsing/whatever meant that they weren't working.

 

* I should add that you don't need to overdo it. When I went through this exercise with my wife she braked with such force and duration that we didn't just test the ABS but the seat belts and security of any fillings we might have had too!

[Bobr]

First time I experienced ABS actuating I was amazed at the speed it can switch the brakes on and off.   I've known slower machine guns.

[Albert27]

On 13/02/2018 at 8:27 PM, MJNewton said:

For exactly that reason I always encourage those that haven't experienced ABS activating before to find a safe* and workable place (e.g. loose gravel) to make it happen.  The last thing you want is anything distracting you in an emergency situation. Indeed I could well imagine the possibility that someone might even come off the brakes if they thought the grinding/pulsing/whatever meant that they weren't working.

 

* I should add that you don't need to overdo it. When I went through this exercise with my wife she braked with such force and duration that we didn't just test the ABS but the seat belts and security of any fillings we might have had too!

You know when you've taken the test too far when the airbags explode  :D