Performance pads, cold tires, bumpy surfaces and the ABS is going on?
Chances are you are breaking beyond the grip capability of the tire, the tire is starting to slip and ABS is doing its job. I suspect nothing is wrong and you are just expecting more grip than you are getting.

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Triple-H
[B]

 

If it has no ABS light on, The system is working like it should. Sandy road surfaces can also cause the system to activate especially under light braking. If you take it to a dealer, They won't be able to do anything for you other than say it's a normal characteristic of the car. I also agree, Cold tires, cold road surface, and grabby brake pads, All contributing factors. Try swapping to stock pads after de-glazing or resurfacing rotors.

 

I had this problem too, where anything quicker than a gentle deceleration would give a bit of ABS feel.

I changed the Shocks, and it feels a lot better now, though haven't done a hard brake yet. Shocks were about 46,000 miles old.

 

Thank you all so much for your feedback. Some more points of clarification.

1) The ABS light has NEVER come on.
2) The rotors are in tip-top condition. No need to be resurfaced/reglazed.
3) The pads are in excellent conditions.
4) I "feel" the ABS engage through the pedal. Feels just like it would during "normal" engagement, albeit under these anomolus circumstances.
5) Pedal feel is normal (i.e.; extremely firm), even with the SS brake lines.
6) I have not tracked the car with this particular setup, so I don't think the system has gone through any undue hardship.
7) Am running OEM wheels/tires
8) Shocks are great all-around. Car has about 20k miles on it and I don't beat it.
9) I have NOT checked my tire pressure lately. I will do that this evening. While that may be a contributing factor, I don't think it is the primary cause.
10) All tires are in great shape with plenty of thread.

All roads are leading towards pulling the ABS fuse and seeing what happens next. Please, keep the suggestions coming. I am confident that I can resolve this issue with your help and feedback.

EJ

 

Wouldn't a blown (or pulled) ABS fuse just disable ABS? I wouldn't suspect that to be the problem unless the wheels were locking up without ABS engaging.

I think someone mentioned a faulty sensor on one (or more) of the hubs. I would check to make sure that all of your sensors look okay (no bent brackets, etc.). If there is too large of a gap between the bumps on the hub and the sensor, the system may think the wheel is turning slower than it is.

 

Hiro, I have the same issue too. I just installed new front Porterfield RS4s on the car and when I took it out to bed the pads, the ABS came on with little pedal engagement. This occured during moderate, heavy, and even light pressures to the brakes. The pads are the only new thing on the car so I would assume that they are the problem. Still haven't figured out why or how to fix it.

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by gernby
[B]Wouldn't a blown (or pulled) ABS fuse just disable ABS?

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by autoxEX
[B]Hiro, I have the same issue too.

 

Swap the pads! The answer to your problem could be 30 minutes away.