This might sound like a strange question but up until today I hadn't had the need to use my ABS so didn't think about it much. (trying to anticipate traffic flow has really made me pay attention)
Today on the way home however I was afforded the opportunity to try them out and now I have some doubts about them... They locked up and gave a horrendous barking from the tires when I had to do an emergency slam on the brakes. I was surprised because at most I was going 30 and I slide to a stop. Now I can see them locking up at high speeds but under 30? And I felt none of that subtle pumping feel like I do in my 2000 ZX2 under the same conditions. I realize that I have a lot more weight behind me in the FEH but it sure didn't feel right. Once I got to my street I tried it again at about 25 and the same darn thing... only I didn't see the neighbor in his yard and the noise made him swing around in a hurry. Oops! Any help or ideas? By the way no idiot lights lit up or are on while driving.
Other then this little incident today I absolutely love this Hybrid and I love educating my co-workers and friends about hybrids and why they are important while being FUN!
Thanks for your help all!

 

That's interesting, the one time my ABS has been on, I was surprised, it was just after a rain, and it wasn't at all like in my old '95 Explorer. In fact, I wasn't even sure that they were on, except for the light on the dashboard that was flashing, the car profile with the wavy road/tire streaks.

 

Hi Pravus,
No light no nothing! (except when you initally start it, so I know the bulb is good)

Has anyone else ever had to aggressively apply the brakes? I hate to be a new mother and take it to the dealer if it's not an issue.
Thanks all!

 

ABS is really easy to test. All you need to do is find a deserted road or large empty parking lot, then accellerate to about 30 MPH, then press the brakes quickly and as hard as you can. If you come to a smooth stop with out any wheels locking up, your ABS is working fine. You may feel the brake pedal pulse when you try this, but be firm on the pedal.

If you lock up a wheel or you find yourself veering off course, let up on the brakes, and take the vehicle to the dealer and have them test the systems.

Good luck and be safe.

 

That is how the ABS feels on the FEH. No pedal feedback whatsoever! Remember that this vehicle is braked by wire. Not mechanically like we are used to on other cars. Gas and brakes are completely computer controlled. And therefore the brake pedal doesn't really provide any kind of mechanical feed back.

I myself locked the brakes up on a rainy road doing about 30 MPH. It was nothing like the typical ABS stop. It was more akin to hitting a wall with a single thump and a flashing ABS light. The ABS light flashes because there is no way to provide mechanical feedback to your foot so they give you a flashing ABS light for your eyes.

This system uses a electronic brake pedal position sensor and an accelerometer to gauge if the vehicle is slowing down proportionally to the amount of brake pedal pressure. We could say that the "Gas" and "Brakes" are controlled by wire but I guess it would be more accurate to say that "Acceleration" and "Deceleration" are controlled by the computer based on inputs from the Gas and Brake pedal position sensors and feedback from the accelerometer. It does this so it can give you the maxium amount of contolled electrical regeneration and only apply the mechanical brakes when and where necessary. I think this braking is very smooth and controlled compared to the somewhat sticky and less than smooth brakes on my last 2002 Ford Escape.

However, if the vehicle senses a sudden application of brake pedal it will apply full braking force before your foot even reaches the floor. That can be unsettling if you have never experienced it before. But it reduces the time from your sudden reaction to your sudden stop. If this all works like it should you have less stopping distance than you would have had otherwise.

I've tried this while going down the road at a pretty good speed. If you take a shallow but fast jab at the brake but don't put them to the floor, you will get this thump and a sudden deceleration like you had stomped it to the floor that you wouldn't normally get in most other vehicles.

I think this is what some of the car magazines call the "Brake Nanny". They complain about it when it kicks in on some of those high end cars.

Anyway, to me it is not as annoying as that stupid alarm that goes off when you have your left turn signal on trying to merge on the freeway. First time I did that I had my foot on the gas trying to merge left (motor sounded like it was attemping to reach subwarp drive) and then that stupid alarm went off!!! I thought she was about to blow or something. I can't wait until I find the hack to disable that thing!


{{{{ LEGAL DISCLAIMER }}}}}


I AM JUST SHARING MY EXPERIENCE WITH THIS VEHICLE. I AM NOT A MECHANIC NOR AM I AN EXPERT ON THE FORD ESCAPE HYBRID OR ANY OTHER VEHICLE FOR THAT MATTER.

YOUR EXPERIENCE MAY VARY FROM MINE. IF YOU TRY ANY OF THIS AND WRAP YOR VEHICLE AROUND A TELEPHONE POLE IT IS ON YOU! BECAUSE JUST LIKE THE NAV NAG SAYS "SAFE AND LAWFUL VEHICLE OPERATION IS THE DRIVER'S RESPONSIBLITY".


{{{{ END OF LEGAL DISCLAIMER }}}}}

 

I tested mine at about 45 MPH and while I could hear the tires whining a little, it didn't lock them up. I noticed the lack of feedback in the brake pedal as well. I just wrote it off as the regenerative braking system helping (which I guess is the "decel by wire" described in the previous post).

 

The wheels will still lock up w/ ABS, it is just for very short bursts of time. If you have ever seen slow motion of a Gran Prix driver under full braking you would better understand what I am saying, the tires/wheel will stop rotating for short periods of time. That would likely be the cause of the tire squeel you heard. Though if the light did not come on during braking i would begin to wonder. The best way i could think to test it, though not really that safe in an SUV would be to find a gravel parking lot, accelerate to about 20 slam the brakes and try to steer. I wouldnt really suggest it, though i am really unfarmiliar with the steering atributes of the escape, and flipping it may not be an issue.

 

Hi all,
Thanks for your comments & suggestions!

To clarify a few of your questions.
No ABS light came on not even a blink.
The tires locked up immediately which surprised me at the low speed I was going.
I live down a seldom used road and got up to 25 and slammed on the brakes, same thing hapened, locked up and no abs light or pedal feedback. I'm almost to 3000 miles and was thinking I'd get the oil changed (I know but 3000 is habit and my toyota p/u has over 200,000 miles on it and runs like a top!) So I'll have the dealer check it out, better safe then a tailgate decoration on an 18 wheeler.

 

Good choice i think, better safe than sorry. Hope all goes well!

 

I tested mine at different speeds last night and didn't get the ABS light either. The ABS did appear to be working though since I didn't lock up the tires even when jamming the pedal pretty quick & hard. Mine is an '06 4WD, I wonder if different configurations make any differences?