[quote author=velocityredmica link=topic=28909.msg398652#msg398652 date=1126150597]
I was driving home from work tonight and it was dark as hell and my hood doesn't have street lights. I have the stock non-HID headlights and we all know those SUCK... so yeah I'm going 40mpg and a dog jumps in front of my car, about 20-30 ft ahead. There was a street to my left so I swerved to the left. I jammed on the brakes and the anti-locks kicked in, but I wasn't stopping for shit! I almost sideswiped the curb (INCHES from the rim, probably 1 inch even) and then I would have been really pissed. In the whole swerving/brake jamming session I maybe went from 40-30mph. This isn't acceptable. I had a similar incident when I was hauling ass off an off-ramp and someone didn't yield. I had to floor it to avoid hitting him and then there was a red light right ahead and again I jammed the brakes. Same anti-lock vibrations on the brakes, but I ended up drifting around the corner... good thing there wasn't any traffic. I don't have $2000 to upgrade to a big brake kit, so what can I do to actually STOP when I hit the brakes? Oh, and my car has only 6500 miles on it.
[/quote]

My hood doesnt have lights on them as well. :? Is this a new mod Im not aware of? :lol: Anyways, get some better headlights. Drive slower in your hood. :lol: Dont slam on your brakes.

 

[quote author=velocityredmica link=topic=28909.msg398652#msg398652 date=1126150597]
I was driving home from work tonight and it was dark as hell and my hood doesn't have street lights. I have the stock non-HID headlights and we all know those SUCK... so yeah I'm going 40mpg and a dog jumps in front of my car, about 20-30 ft ahead. There was a street to my left so I swerved to the left. I jammed on the brakes and the anti-locks kicked in, but I wasn't stopping for shit! I almost sideswiped the curb (INCHES from the rim, probably 1 inch even) and then I would have been really pissed. In the whole swerving/brake jamming session I maybe went from 40-30mph. This isn't acceptable. I had a similar incident when I was hauling ass off an off-ramp and someone didn't yield. I had to floor it to avoid hitting him and then there was a red light right ahead and again I jammed the brakes. Same anti-lock vibrations on the brakes, but I ended up drifting around the corner... good thing there wasn't any traffic. I don't have $2000 to upgrade to a big brake kit, so what can I do to actually STOP when I hit the brakes? Oh, and my car has only 6500 miles on it.
[/quote]

wow, you were going 40mpg :lol: ? That doesn't tell us how fast you were going :klavergreg:

 

You actually slid? Or it just didn't seem like you were stopping? I know that when you slam on the ABS it seems like you will never stop, and you just feel the need to press harder and harder on them. In reality you actually do stop faster, even though it seems like an eternity.

If I remember correctly from Physics this has to do with the amounts of friction, and a tire that is no longer rotating provides less friction.

If you brake and swerve (remaining in control), then they are doing their job. Otherwise you would have probably slid sideways.

Did you take the exit ramp a little too fast? That would cause you to drift around a corner, something that would have nothing to do with ABS.

I know you have low mileage but perhaps you have managed to burn through your brakes? Although its unlikely. It never hurts to check.

Just figured I would offer my $0.02. I had ABS on my old car but do not have it on my 3, so I don't know how it performs.

 

dont brake with turned wheels if at all possible.

 

My honest advice:

Don't drive like you're getting chased by the mob.

Going fast on the highway is fine, but going 40 in a RESIDENTIAL area, where there are dogs around? 30 feet should have been plenty of room to stop (at least, if you were going 25-30 like you were supposed to), or spook the dog enough for him to move. If not, get your breaks checked.

And just how fast were you going on the off-ramp?? Most off-ramps have a speed limit of 25-35...sounds like you were traveling a tad over that...like, say, 50?

Honestly, there's fast driving and there's dangerous driving. Seems to me you might have jumped over that line a LONG time ago.

 

Yeah, well I just think the stock brakes suck. And the speed limit in my neighborHOOD is 35mph. I was going 40 just because, well, I always go 5 over. And the dog was a stray and out in the middle of nowhere... it's not like I was zooming past a family's driveway and almost clocked Fido. At any rate thanks for the advice, I'll look into new ceramic pads and some new rotors would be nice... and the friction thing totally made sense. Never thought of that.

 

I have had no issues. Brakes work like a champ. If you think the performance is really that bad take it to the dealer and have them run a diagnostic on them...could be the ABS module is defective. Also the more you turn the steering wheel the less braking power you have. The ABS well help to prevent wheel lock, but the more you turn the more force is on the tires and the less is availible for actual braking. If you are cornering near the limit then you are going to have almost no braking force availible.

Even without ABS this would be the case, the difference is, if you are a crappy drive without ABS you are simply going to lock the brakes and slide.
-Matt

 

one suggestion manmy have ingnored here. If your ABS is activating, and you are still not happy with your stopping power, its not your brakes that are the problem, its your tires (and the fact that you had the wheel turned a lot probably). Stickier tires will decrease your stopping distances much better than a big brake kit would, bigger upgraded brakes are for track use, to prevent fade, but unless you are always driving like a bat out of helll, its difificult to experience fade on the street. Check out our brakes next to a comparable car in its class, and you'll see how much better/bigger ours are, I know I checked mine out next to a jetta and a tC yesterday, and they look like they dwarf them. . . not to mention, having driven those cars, our brakes are best in class really. Sounds like tires are your problem, everyone hates the badyears. .

 

I agree with rubyred3. Ttires may be the issue. Also, like someone said earlier on, don't brake with the wheel turned. Maybe you pumped the brakes too subconciously?

 

thats what I love about never really driving an ABS car...I don't have to deal with my desire to pump those brakes. Of course if the next car I get has ABS I know it is going to land me in a world of hurt some day. Me > threshold braking and pumping....ABS > me.
-Matt

 

Having ABS in a car is weird. My mom got it on her Taurus stationwagon back in '99 and she got in an accident a week after taking it off the lot because she was pumping the brakes as she was accustomed to doing so. When I got into my tangle a few weeks ago, I thought I was accustomed to pumping the brakes on my non-ABS Focus. Well, needless to say, since I now drive a Mazda3, I wasn't. I jumped on 'um and locked 'em up real quick...

 

[quote author=velocityredmica link=topic=28909.msg404797#msg404797 date=1126589934]
Yeah, well I just think the stock brakes suck. [/quote]

Well, you're wrong, or else there is something wrong with your brakes!  The brakes on my car work very well.  Maybe you hit some gravel or wet pavement?
Bigger brakes will only help for extended periods of high speed braking. Our brakes are already very large for our class of car.
Here are some numbers for cars with similar 60mph-0 braking numbers (from Motor Trend):

Mazda 3s 5-Door 121ft (on RS-A's!)
Mazda RX-8 118ft
Lamborghini Gallardo 115ft
BMW M3 116ft
Chevrolet Corvette 113ft
Ferrari Maranello 115ft

Have you tried going on the street and just slamming on the brakes?  Maybe you should take it in for a check if they don't seem powerful.

 

We do have some pretty big rotors plus the added benefit of rear discs. That was one of the things that grabbed my attention on the 3: 4-wheel discs and the big rotors.

 

Maybe there is something wrong with your brakes or abs. Or that you steered while braking. Maybe it was your perception that was distorted.

If its not the brakes, you'll just be spending lots of money and not solving the problem. Pointless to me :dunno:

 

That's not right at all. My car brakes like no other I've ever had. You need to get them checked. If you have a brake problem, driving like grandma won't help.

 

ABS sucks unless you live in snow are heavy rain areas and that is why I didn't get it. When I had my Prelude, I almost got in more accidents because the damn car wouldn't stop.

 

LOL, but a car with ABS brakes will actually stop quicker. At least as long as they are working properly. It seems like the car will take longer to stop as the ABS works the brakes, but that is actually a perception problem.

Thats the whole purpose of ABS, I mean, other then helping you stay in control, the stoping distances are shorter.

Haven't you ever been on that TEST TRACK ride down in Disney? it demonstrates the two.

 

My problem with ABS is instant stop. Everytime I have slammed on the brakes with a car equipped with ABS, the car jitters then stops slowly. My 3 without ABS stops when I need it to. I can see how ABS would be nice on slick surfaces like ice, snow, and rain, but I live in San Diego.

 

[quote author=TheJackal link=topic=28909.msg410328#msg410328 date=1126926294]
LOL, but a car with ABS brakes will actually stop quicker. At least as long as they are working properly. It seems like the car will take longer to stop as the ABS works the brakes, but that is actually a perception problem.

Thats the whole purpose of ABS, I mean, other then helping you stay in control, the stoping distances are shorter.
[/quote]

Actually, the purpose is to avoid skidding (A is for "anti-lock"). If you can slow down and steer around your obstacle, it's much better than careening straight into it.

You're right that you can shorten braking distances, compared to a skidding emergency stop. But a skilled driver without ABS can do better.

And ironically, ABS makes things worse in snow or gravel: the wheel is no longer plowing into the dirt/mud/gravel/snow.

Or so wikipedia claims: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-lock_braking_system

 

[quote author=Krupo link=topic=28909.msg410359#msg410359 date=1126928454]
But a skilled driver without ABS can do better.
[/quote]

Agreed here, but how many people are skilled enough out there. I'm sure that lots of people lack this skill. And on top of that, a skilled and attentive driver would be able avoid many accidents in general. ABS or not.

 

[quote author=TheJackal link=topic=28909.msg410368#msg410368 date=1126928818]
Agreed here, but how many people are skilled enough out there. I'm sure that lots of people lack this skill. And on top of that, a skilled and attentive driver would be able avoid many accidents in general. ABS or not.
[/quote]

Very true.

Of course, that's why we have the Die Hard 2 3 scenario: rip out all the stability and assist controls when you're hardcore. Otherwise, let it protect your complacent ass.

 

That is Die Hard 3 in the stolen Mercedes I believe. Die Hard 2 was the one with the airport.

Good Idea, for those people who dislike, and don't want ABS, can't you take out the fuses (2)?

 

History has been corrected.

Yeah, I was trying to figure them out in my head - that was a silly idea.

Oh, there's also an easier way to avoid ABS: buy a Toyota.

Man, that company makes it *hard* to get a car with ABS. Irritating.

 

[quote author=Krupo link=topic=28909.msg410359#msg410359 date=1126928454]
But a skilled driver without ABS can do better.
[/quote]

no way, no how, show me a non abs car that has shorter stopping distances than the model that has ABS, anywhere. This is simply not true, no human can modulate the pedal that quickly, or keep the tires on the edge of traction better. The viper, for example, when they added ABS, reduced its stopping distances by like 20 ft from 80 mph. This statement is flat out wrong, even michael schumacher can't stop my car without ABS quicker than I can with it.

 

[quote author=Krupo link=topic=28909.msg410359#msg410359 date=1126928454]
[quote author=TheJackal link=topic=28909.msg410328#msg410328 date=1126926294]
But a skilled driver without ABS can do better.
[/quote]

I find it VERY hard to believe that ANY human being can pump the pedal faster than a computer can. 

If you bought your car with ABS and now are having second thoughts, talk to the Service Dept. at your dealer about it.  I wouldn't go yanking fuses out especially with respect to something like brakes.  Who knows if the fuse you pull for the ABS is in some way, shape, or form connected to the brake controller.  It may be a chain of things on one fuse where if you pull it, will have one big slippery slope (no pun intended).  Like what my Service Manager told me about adding a CAI and the warranty: "It may void it because the intake will cause changes that the PCM will have to adapt for, changing the engine settings to something Mazda never intended." (or something to that effect)[/quote]