Is this normal? I was driving today and had to brake hard for the first time in a long time. First time in this car. Anyways i was going straight about 50 mph and i had to all of a sudden brake hard. I pushed the brake pedal to brake fast and as i pressed hard on it i heard and felt a clatter(Vibration) on the pedal as i had it down. Is this normal? is it just the ABS kicking in?

Dre

Any help is appreciated

 

If it vibrates this is abs.

 

yea it was a vibration.. felt weird

 

First time with a car with ABS?

 

yea it is.. My old car didnt have it and all the cars i drove were pre90's before..

 

Hope you won't mind if I add a question related.

I was driving like 30mph, I brake before going through those speed table (not hard braking, just little pressure on the brake pedal to slower the speed to around 15mph), but I also felt clatter on the brake pedal.

As I was just going less than 1/4 of the brake pedal travel, I'm not sure is it the ABS or the VSA or my tires were not working well? In addition, the stopping distance increased whenever this situation happened recently.

The feelings is similar to the brake clatter feeling I had one time at the track when I brake hard before the corner in the middle of the pouring heavy rain. The feelings on the pedal is alike. The only difference is I would still be able to stop and steer on the track with the summer tires, but now with the all-season tires, the stopping distance just increases and it makes the situation a little bit scary.

Note: Driving condition
-Tiny little rain just above freezing degree (no snow or ice)
-Just switched my summer tires with the all-season M+S rated tires

 

Since you say you have not braked hard, really hard, in a car with abs in the past, I would most certainly think its just the abs working and doing its job. If the car came to a stop in a expected distance and didnt behave in any odd way (expect the pulsating vibrations you feel on the brake pedal which only engages as "when you brake really hard") while coming to the stop, then its the abs. Did you notice that the car's pulsating/vibrating brakes stop the car much faster than when you slam on the brakes in your older cars and it locks up and just slides away unless you pump the brakes. AH. ABS is like pumping the brakes in non-abs cars....pumping really fast. I really hope im not misguiding you. This is all dependent on you having no experience of HARD braking/reduced traction in a car with abs. Do the vibrations occur on all four brakes? If so, yes, ABS operating normally.

 

If you listen carefully (radio off, etc.) you should be able to hear the ABS module working. It sounds like a muted buzz.

If the vibration is very rythmic and you are not invoking an ABS response, it very well could be slightly warped rotors. In that case, look out for some tiny steering wheel tugs as well.

 

No steering wheel tugs... It sounds like it is the ABS from all the comments here. I appreciate the help...

Dre