Snow finally=strange breaking problem. HELP

[Alphazuzu]

So we finally got snow here in NC and i was excited to go to work. BUTTTT when i pulled out of the neighborhood I decided to do a preliminary test on the breaks and they made a horrible grinding noise and were pretty ineffective, practically kicked my foot off the pedal. I had a suspicion this would happen; a few weeks ago I lost traction around a turn and hit the breaks and the same thing happened I didnt think much of it then. I turned ESP on and off and had the same effect.

If you have had this problem or know what it is please help me diagnose it.

Thanks

[A4A4A4]

So we finally got snow here in NC and i was excited to go to work. BUTTTT when i pulled out of the neighborhood I decided to do a preliminary test on the breaks and they made a horrible grinding noise and were pretty ineffective, practically kicked my foot off the pedal. I had a suspicion this would happen; a few weeks ago I lost traction around a turn and hit the breaks and the same thing happened I didnt think much of it then. I turned ESP on and off and had the same effect.

If you have had this problem or know what it is please help me diagnose it.

Thanks

It's called ABS

[Jung]

anti lock brakes... snow driving

never hit hte brakes if you start sliding.. you can power oversteer our cars in snow. it's really easy and fun to do.. just makes sure ESP is off..

[beemercer]

anti lock brakes... snow driving

never hit hte brakes if you start sliding.. you can power oversteer our cars in snow. it's really easy and fun to do.. just makes sure ESP is off..

Yeah definitely keep on the power, it may take a while to get used to though.

[ABsKiLLz]

Yeah, this happened to me a week ago causing me to get into a minor accident. I was approaching a red light and hit the brakes and then it wouldnt stop so i crossed the intersection and hit a car going about 10-15mph. Luckily everything was good, I came away with a scratched up front bumper and broken fog light grills. So then in snow driving its best to keep ESP off because of this? Off would be with the ESP light on or is it the other way around Off = ESP light off? I would really like help because i dont want to get into other minor or major accidents. THanks

[maclem8223]

With ESP off the light will be ON

[NightRoller USP]

Haha.....I forget that people arent used to snow driving!

[NightRoller USP]

Yeah, this happened to me a week ago causing me to get into a minor accident. I was approaching a red light and hit the brakes and then it wouldnt stop so i crossed the intersection and hit a car going about 10-15mph. Luckily everything was good, I came away with a scratched up front bumper and broken fog light grills. So then in snow driving its best to keep ESP off because of this? Off would be with the ESP light on or is it the other way around Off = ESP light off? I would really like help because i dont want to get into other minor or major accidents. THanks

Engine breaking and slow breaking are key.......and slow down!

[Alphazuzu]

anti lock brakes... snow driving

never hit hte brakes if you start sliding.. you can power oversteer our cars in snow. it's really easy and fun to do.. just makes sure ESP is off..

Yes fun but not safe for normal driving. I just want my brakes to work in the snow or even rain. It sounds like the general consensus is the ABS does more harm than good in the snow. My 98 Kia could go all day in the snow and have no problems with braking.

So I guess atleast I dont have to take it to the shop.

[Tgr_Clw]

Yes fun but not safe for normal driving. I just want my brakes to work in the snow or even rain. It sounds like the general consensus is the ABS does more harm than good in the snow. My 98 Kia could go all day in the snow and have no problems with braking.

So I guess atleast I dont have to take it to the shop.

No the general consensus is to use proper tires for snowy conditions.

[a2gtinut]

ABS means- you can use brakes to maximum and able to steer at the same time.
Use proper tires according to season.
Unskilled drivers should keep all driving aids on and attend real driving school.
if car starts to slip - gently lift foot of gas and car will gain back traction. I see many recommend powering out of slides, this is not very good advice when there are other cars around, curbs, etc.

[yung turbo]

in stead of stomping on the brakes, use the tiptronic to downshift into first to slow the car down then brake

[oildrpr]

fuk, can't anybody spell BRAKES anymore... Braking! Brake! Brakes! fukkin A

[A4A4A4]

Yes fun but not safe for normal driving. I just want my brakes to work in the snow or even rain. It sounds like the general consensus is the ABS does more harm than good in the snow. My 98 Kia could go all day in the snow and have no problems with braking.

So I guess atleast I dont have to take it to the shop.

No, you missed the point completely. ABS is a good thing, they prevent your brakes from locking and you from sliding. It gives you the ability to steer the car while you are breaking rather then just going right into the car in front of you. If you want your brakes to work well in the snow you have to equip the car correctly (i.e. snow tires or all seasons at the very least) and you also have to understand what winter driving requires and realize that the most important step you can take to driving safe in wintery conditions is to slow down substantially.

[Rockclimbersh]

This is pretty ironic after this post

http://www.audizine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=258860

[B6Lovin]

No the general consensus is to use proper tires for snowy conditions.

we don't get enough here to justify the money on anything more than your basic all season tire. chains are more cost effective around here than snow tires unfortunately.... but knowing how to drive - and when NOT to is generally the best thing for us southerners

[B6JoeS4]

its Braking not Breaking

[Jung]

i drove in wisconsin for a month in summer tires and had no issues. I know how to snow drive. just learn how to drive in snow... take the car to an empty parking lot or to streets with no cars and learn how the car will react to snowy conditions. most importantly SLOW THE HELL DOWN! *brake* (note spelling also), early.

[{PMS}fishy]

its Braking not Breaking

Doesn't matter, its broken.

[SpacemanSpiff]

Holy misinformation, Batman. ABS and traction control are put on cars for a reason, and that reason isn't to put people into accidents.

If you're going to screw around and turn off ESP, make sure you're in a parking lot and nobody's around. Most of all, don't suggest advanced driving 'techniques' to people who are still trying to figure out what ABS feels like.

For those new to ABS, it's meant to keep your car straight/under control when your wheels would otherwise lock up. This is a good thing. If you're sliding through an intersection and into traffic, it's because you're going too fast, not because ABS prevented you from stopping.




Spiff, wondering what the hell driver's ed is actually teaching these days

[Jung]

turning off ESP isn't even that big of a deal.. it teaches you how to drive better with it off. to the people who seem tentative/afraid to turn it off, you have QUATTRO! on dry ground, it doesnt do shit for me on/ off unless im launching. You don't have enough power to spin the tires from a roll unless you're BAMFT (bigassmofoturbo) or frontrash. Stop being vags and learn how to drive

[B6Lovin]

Holy misinformation, Batman. ABS and traction control are put on cars for a reason, and that reason isn't to put people into accidents.

If you're going to screw around and turn off ESP, make sure you're in a parking lot and nobody's around. Most of all, don't suggest advanced driving 'techniques' to people who are still trying to figure out what ABS feels like.

For those new to ABS, it's meant to keep your car straight/under control when your wheels would otherwise lock up. This is a good thing. If you're sliding through an intersection and into traffic, it's because you're going too fast, not because ABS prevented you from stopping.




Spiff, wondering what the hell driver's ed is actually teaching these days

well i'll go ahead and let everyone here who keeps saying that he "doesn't know what ABS feels like" etc. know that the guy is a friend of mine and he's not a moron.... just because he isn't used to ABS in snow or particularly familiar with it doesn't mean he's incapable of controlling his car in other situations (like powering out of a slide or modulating the throttle etc). so throw your ASSumptions out the window.

it feels different in snow... which *again* we do NOT get a lot of here. we got a miracle "blizzard" down here.. more than 5 inches of snow in a single day is some kind of record for this decade, the last time we had this much was back in the late 90's or early 2000's when we got 2 feet... so it's been a minute. (and since before either of us would have been driving. i think i was 14 or 15 the last time i drove in snow in cary... and that was MAYBE 3/4 of an inch)

[B6Lovin]

turning off ESP isn't even that big of a deal.. it teaches you how to drive better with it off. to the people who seem tentative/afraid to turn it off, you have QUATTRO! on dry ground, it doesnt do shit for me on/ off unless im launching. You don't have enough power to spin the tires from a roll unless you're BAMFT (bigassmofoturbo) or frontrash. Stop being vags and learn how to drive

I'm only BAT and mine break loose in 1st gear without launching.... 2nd gear if i'm turning. (i can shift early to 2nd in an intersection, lag, and then the car will still slide when i hit boost)

ESP is the devil's tool anyways. that crap never did anything but fuck me up.... i don't like a computer trying to do a job that my brain prefers to control.

[JMRQuattro]

^^ has he never slammed on his brakes before until now or something? Cause i'm pretty sure ABS is not anything new. I understand he's not used to it, but holy crap.

I'm sorry but it would have been really funny if the first reply would have said something like "OMG that's really bad! That's a sign that your brake calipers are failing and could fall off!" haha that would have been great.

[JMRQuattro]

ESP is the devil's tool anyways. that crap never did anything but fuck me up.... i don't like a computer trying to do a job that my brain prefers to control.

I agree. ESP is the antichrist. That crap just makes the situation worse most of the time. I think the only times it helps are those stories where people are driving on the freeway or somewhere with a high speed limit.

[B6Lovin]

^^ has he never slammed on his brakes before until now or something? Cause i'm pretty sure ABS is not anything new. I understand he's not used to it, but holy crap.

I'm sorry but it would have been really funny if the first reply would have said something like "OMG that's really bad! That's a sign that your brake calipers are failing and could fall off!" haha that would have been great.

well have you ever slammed on your brakes on a normal, dry road -- and then gone out in ice and done it?

it feels different.... on dry pavement you get the pulsation in your pedal but you don't get the audible "grinding" noise and the weird pedal feel/vibration... its completely different in bad weather and you should know that...

that would have been funny though lol. (about the first reply)

(btw, jared - if you see this and want to have your brakes looked at anyways just lmk and i'll call you when im free up at the shop)

[SpacemanSpiff]

well i'll go ahead and let everyone here who keeps saying that he "doesn't know what ABS feels like" etc. know that the guy is a friend of mine and he's not a moron.... just because he isn't used to ABS in snow or particularly familiar with it doesn't mean he's incapable of controlling his car in other situations (like powering out of a slide or modulating the throttle etc). so throw your ASSumptions out the window.

Did you miss the part where he said he had the "same thing" happen a few weeks prior going around a (presumably dry) corner? He tried to fix it by hitting the ESP button. I wasn't inferring he was a moron, just inexperienced. There's a lot of disinformation in this thread for someone at that stage of driving (not to mention younger drivers that may be reading along). Case and point where he posts that the consensus he was getting is that ABS hurts more than it helps in snow. I live in Wisconsin and have had plenty of dry/wet/frozen road experience. ABS is probably one of the biggest advances made in driving safety in a long time as it allows you to retain control of the car during emergency braking. Try locking all 4 up in snow some time and watch your car start to drift sideways. Sure, you can pump, but once you've lost all 4, you can have a bad situation turn worse, quick.

As for power sliding being a better alternative to ESP, I've yet to be doing 60 down a road where I've lost control and I felt that kicking the rear out was the safe thing to do. I get the feeling that a lot of people think ESP just cuts power (and therefore fun), but it does much more than that. It has the ability to apply brakes on any individual wheel as needed to help bring the car back under control. Want a good example? Try lane changing on icy roads over a 3" thick strip of slush with ESP off -bring extra underoos and the phone number for a tow truck. With ESP on you barely know anything happened.

Sure, you guys are from a southern state where it's a fluke to get any real snow, but driving in slick conditions helps hone your car handling skills. If you're good when it's wet, you'll be excellent when it's dry.

Be safe.

[JMRQuattro]

well have you ever slammed on your brakes on a normal, dry road -- and then gone out in ice and done it?

it feels different.... on dry pavement you get the pulsation in your pedal but you don't get the audible "grinding" noise and the weird pedal feel/vibration... its completely different in bad weather and you should know that...

that would have been funny though lol. (about the first reply)

(btw, jared - if you see this and want to have your brakes looked at anyways just lmk and i'll call you when im free up at the shop)

yeah i've done both. The feeling difference is slight. I notice in the snow the pulses seem more spread out. So it will slide, pulse, slide, pulse. Same feeling with the pedal kick though. I've never noticed any grinding sound in bad weather though. Maybe i've just never paid attention to it just cause i'm used to it. I'll have to go test the sound.