pump your brakes a couple of times before you leave your driveway in the mornings. I found out the hard way when my brakes locked up while hitting my first stop sign this morning. Luckily I was only going about 25mph and there was no cross traffic.

 

What do you mean locked up? The ABS failed to work or the pads didn't stop the wheel?

I have never experienced a problem, and it was 7 deg F on Monday morning. This is my 2nd winter with my EVO. I was going mention the EVO has the quickest pulsing ABS I've ever heard in a vehicle.

 

All I know is I hit the brakes and the wheels kept on turning. I could hear a grinding noise like the pads were making contact, but not enough contact. I would imagine the ABS failed.

 

I would imagine you had CRAP in/on rotors/pads! This is my 2nd winter and never suffered this. If ABS failed you should have a light. ABS didn't detect imminent lock so didn't activate (I'd guess, no ABS engineer). How many miles on those pads?

This just sounds odd...

 

Car only has 6500 miles. Original pads. All I know is that it was -5 degrees this morning and after the initial mishap, it did not occur again.

 

It's a good thing to pump the brakes a few times before going about your way when its really cold outside.

Thanks for the tip buddy

 

i would conclude your rotors had some ice on it.... during the winter as i warm up the car i will slightly press the brakes as im driving for maybe 30 seconds just to warm it up....

 

ice

 

well that could of ment u were on ice, meaning when u attempted to stop, the taction was 0 or -# and u slid... while the car's wheels were not moving you still were. i have fun and hit em just to slid a little, altho im FWD and no abs... its fun! lol but ya gotta be safe! had a little e-break fun the other night!

 

good theory, but I've lived up here for years. I know the difference between sliding and the grinding sound of my brake pads on my rotors as they were making a futile attempt to make contact.

 

u will still prolly on ice, the grinding could have been a number of things...
the abs coulda been the grinding and it could have thought u were on dry pavement, then when breaking you entered ice... **** happens, glad the cars fine.... and no1 was hurt..

 

Hmm, I had this same thing happen to me.

I had just gotten off the highay after 4 hours of driving. I turned onto a side street then another, and pulled up to a stop sign. I lightly applied the brakes and slid forward while I heard the same grinding sound twinevo described. I was easily able to stop in time despite the grinding sound, but it sounded horrible! The snow hit us by surprise and I was rolling on summer tires at the time.

 

If the wheels are turning, then they are not locked up, so ABS would not have engaged anyway. ABS keeps the wheels turning so that they don't slide and take away your ability to steer and control the car. Sounds like ice on the rotors which kept the calipers from gripping them.

 

I think this makes the most sense too now that I think about it. My lack of knowledge of the mechanics of the ABS system just kept me from making the proper diagnosis. Other posts seem to think it was ice on the rotors as well.

 

Wierd! I know that the grinding sound you are hearing is in fact the ABS system activating. I have heard that sound, and though it strange, many times in the snow and also at auto-x events (I tend to over-drive a bit ).
So something's probably happening where your wheels are locking or the system thinks they're locking, and then the system responds by pulsing the ABS - resulting in you not stopping as quickly. Anyone know what happens if ABS comes on at like 50% brake pressure?
Any tech type people here?