I think the brakes on the Fabia II are ok and if you need to do an emergency stop seem more than capable.

The only other thing which may have ment you couldn't stop in time is your tyres either the pressue or the make. A good set of tyres with tred depth and pattern correctly inflated should also help with braking.

Think the Laura is the Octavia (Octavia II to us UK'ers according to Wiki)

How did you get the airbags to deploy and bend the bonnet braking in anger?

What did you hit? And whats this op that was in the road?

I have heard some stories about the road conditions in India but they can't all be bad?

the road was naut bad at all.... it was like 3AM and i was driving towards the beach.... it was a straight road on the left hand side of the road there is a lane and from that lane came out a car all of a sudden . the car did not stop like how it should have normally stopped to see ongoing traffic.. it actually came to the middle of the road saw me and then stopped... the reaction was enough according to me..... but as soon i as saw the car i hit the brakes fullON and the ABS kicked in. as said in the earlier post the ABS helped me to turn the car towards the left side and i was able to avoid a full and direct impact...

but i have also notice something... in india ( mumbai) all the road are now cemented or tiled... the main roads are cemented and the cement roads have lines on the road it like huge cement blocks. when ever the car goes over the cement block the car seems to be very bumpy... i feel that could be one of the reason why the ABS must have kicked in

The press over here comment that the suspension is quite firm on the Fabia II plus if you have big wheels any road imperfection will be sent straight to the cabin.

Whats a huge cement block? I don't think the Fabia has enough ground clearance to drive over a breeze block

I wasn't questioning your driving. I haven't been to India yet but I know you guys like your horns!!

u very right.... horns ppl really like......

roads are made out of cement in india ... no longer the roads are tarmac

.. it get a bit difficult for me to understand at times

I had a Suzuki SX4 before my fabia and compared to that the brakes did at first seem weak. After a while I changed my mind though, they are just about right in terms of feel and efficiency. The Suzuki's brakes were perhaps a bit over-assisted.

The cars that are sold as Skodas in India are almost nothing like the ones we get in the UK. They look similar, but the suspension setups and equipment levels are localised to the Indian market. They are assembled locally from kits and generally, I would say they are not as well adapted for life in India as locally designed cars.

Apart from a few exceptions, the roads are, quite frankly, horrible and you need a very tough car to stand up to them. They don't have to comply with any grip co-efficient standard and it wouldn't surprise me if the ABS was actually a liability on some Indian road surfaces (on dry, clean surfaces the fastest way to stop in a straight line is to lock all four wheels).

That said, this does look like driver error to me. When I was there (some time ago), in many parts of India there was no speed limit for a car like a Fabia and generally drivers went like maniacs whenever possible.....

there are speed limits but no one ever adheres to them...

Don't agree with that (not for all situations, anyway). As I said above, ABS (in a Fabia I, anyway) lengthens stopping distances in a "wet manhole cover"-type situation because it doesn't seem to be able to work out that there's grip again.

Hi David, Obviously can't speak for the Fab1 or the particular car you were driving, but I would be suprised if what you say is correct. In another life and after being a motor techy, I was a Dept of Transport ADI. I taught Police officers to drive to Class One certificate standard (high speed blue's and two's) on road and track in every type of car you can imagine. This included teaching theory to advance level in the classroom and covered a comprehensive skid control course also. ABS was still not very common on vehicles in those days but did exist and was quite good actually. However, we had to teach 'CADENCE BRAKING' techniques to all officers and advanced drivers. Many of you will have heard of Cadence braking, but few have ever used it.

Cadence braking allows the driver to take advantage of the best braking grip available for the road conditions if you find yourself skidding (just as ABS does) but in a non ABS equipped vehicle. The teaching method is, off road in a straight line and at speed, to lock the wheels (wet or dry road - brutal I know!) and then pump the pedal as quickly as possible to release and relock the wheels as often as you can until you stop. This allows the wheels to rotate slowly in a series of jerks and retain steering power. It also allows the vehicle to slow much much more quickly as the best stopping grip is just before the wheels/tyres lock. So by locking and unlocking the wheels as quickly as possible you are providing many more times the stopping power of a locked skidding wheel. This technique is very useful for accident avoidence if skidding on ice or greasy roads or in a high speed skid on dry roads. Stopping distances can be halved easily over a skidding vehicle. NOW...ABS does this for you and more efficiently than any person can manage it. We proved that during training many times over even with the rather crude ABS that we had on some cars in those days. ABS is better than a person using Cadence braking. The dept of transport road research laboratory also proved this and set the standard for the industry to follow.

Now in your situation David, imagine not having ABS when you hit the manhole cover. Your wheel/s would be skidding because you had braked too hard for the conditions (otherwise the ABS would not have engaged). But, ABS was allowing you to retain steering and continue braking/stopping. It may not have been stopping as quickly as you wanted but blame the road conditions, your speed or whatever. You were stopping as quickly as you car could for the conditions prevailing and the amount of pressure you were exerting on the brakes. Without ABS you would almost certainly have taken longer to stop.

Of course, the best technique is to learn to read the road, but in emergencies know how much pressure to apply to the brake to enable the car to stop without engaging the ABS. You don't really want the wheels to lock at all but to nearly do so. That's where the best grip is.

Sorry to bump your thread a bit Chasefreak! Although I think it is still a little related to your original post somewhat...

PS. I'm not an expert or a know-all. I hope I don't sound too much like one either No offence meant to anyone on this board...

WARNING: DO NOT USE CADENCE BRAKING IN A CAR EQUIPPED WITH ABS. This will confuse the system and possibly reduce braking performance or even cause an accident.

Edited 9 November, 200817 yr by Estate Man
I can't speel...!!

My gripe is really that the Fab I ABS isn't clever enough to work out that the grip has returned - and I've had similar scenarios on both Fabia Is I've had.

Lots of good stuff about Cadence braking in Estate Man's post, but the point of ABS is I shouldn't need to know all that.

Now in your situation David, imagine not having ABS when you hit the manhole cover. Your wheel/s would be skidding because you had braked too hard for the conditions (otherwise the ABS would not have engaged).

One wheel would be skidding ... for about 50cm.

But ABS (on a Fab I) won't switch off - it stays on for many more metres even when the manhole cover is a distant memory, and reducing the braking effect when actually there is more than enough grip for the original amount of brake pedal effort to stop safely. Fab I ABS seems to assume that the amount of grip on a wet manhole cover (ie hardly any grip at all) is an accurate reflection of the condition of the entire road for the next mile or so.

For instance, last time it happened to me, I was travelling at 30 in town, damp (but not wet) road, no other cars in sight ahead or behind me, but a pedestrian had just arrived at a pelican crossing. Obviously you can anticipate that you might need to stop, but I wouldn't start braking until the lights go amber - at which point you then need to have assessed (ideally in advance) if you've passed the point when you can stop in time (I think "...unless it would otherwise cause an accident" is the criteria in the Highway Code, which is actually pretty harsh criteria, as it suggests you should go for a tyre-smoking emergency stop on occasion).

On this occasion I thought I could stop - so I put the brakes on - not trying to do an emergency stop, but obviously enough to cause a very short loss of grip on a manhole cover/banana skin/whatever. ABS triggered and I then found myself careering forwards with much reduced braking, long after the cause had gone and reasonable levels of grip had returned.

The only way I've found round this is to release the pedal and reapply it (ie a brief cadence, although I'm certainly no expert).

Because I had grip I could now stop more quickly than ABS was allowing me - only just before the crossing as it happened, though.

But, ABS was allowing you to retain steering and continue braking/stopping.

But on a 50cm manhole cover, stopping in a straight line with 3 wheels having much more grip, there's not much risk of losing steering control.

Without ABS you would almost certainly have taken longer to stop.

Not in this occasion. Once I released the pedal and re-applied it' date=' I was stopping far better than I was with ABS triggered.

Sorry to bump your thread a bit Chasefreak!

:+1:

Edited 9 November, 200817 yr by DavidY
Added some more bits

thanks everyone ... for shedding some light on the braking issue

i had a pothole issue today .... i was on my way back home from football practice... bumped in to a pothole and the abs kicked in when it actually did not require to do so... but there was no danger

yehooooooooooo i live another day to the tell the stories

David, that's very interesting and makes me think the Fab1, was setup incorrectly, or was just a very crude ABS. You obviously did the right thing it seems to lift off and reapply the brakes under those circumstances.

My ABS only engages if I brake very hard as in an emergency and has only ever done that when I practiced that manouver to see how the car performed. Of course you don't need to know anything about Cadence braking in modern ABS equipped cars. I was just using the illustration to make comparisons and get a point across. Of course EBD on Fabia's totally deals with that situation and makes sure all wheels do there own share of braking. Very interesting.

Edited 9 November, 200817 yr by Estate Man
Still can't speel...!!

i know for sure that my fabia does not have EBD

the work shop ppl have told me that the fabia does not have EBD like the LAURA ( OCTAVIA)

and i cannot install EBD

if EBD can be installed can i get help on it

Chase, EBD...it's a factory fit option only. The cost and complexity of fitting it after purchase is prohibitive.

EBD ...hmmm there is no company fitted option for the FABIA......

so me stuck with the fabia

Chase, if you CAN drive a car, all the systems HELP you, but do not REPLACE your driving. People have been driving without driving aids for ages, and the accident statistics was not that much worse than now... If you're dumb behind the wheel no EBD, ESP, ABS will help you.

Back where I live, we sometimes have slippery roads (not UK-slippery, but Scandinavian-icey), and I got away with my 1991 rear-wheel drive Mercedes brilliantly. Given, it was on bold tires. Get yourself a proper safe driving course, and stop relying on your go-kart experience. Those little things have a totally different feel. I'm a local amateur karting champ myself, so I know what I'm writing about.

Agreed. I think Chase needs to drive a bit more slowly. :)

Or be more observant towards the roads and conditions.

As we've seen in the UK its carelessness on the roads that are the major cause of accidents and India has a lot more action plus things to be worried about on the road!!

OMG... all u ppl think i/m at fault and the braking is perfect......

perhaps u all may just be in real love in the fabia.... and hate me

but i will be honest...

the fabia has breaking problems in india... the brakes or the ABS are not suited towards indian roads..... and cars that are in india and have ABS are really very different compared towards the FABIA's ABS...

VW passat has a reall nice breaking system.. but then hey it cost a bomb in india

the fabia is compared with a lot of hatch back's like the swift......

the word on the streets are that no one is buying the fabia cause it is faulty.... market review have given it a 5/10.......

i was at the workshop to tuesday to give the car and there were atleast abt 13 fab's TBH that reported all the same problems that i'm having

so all the guru's out there that seem to think that i have a problem in driving go check before u accuse ppl of their driving

this just came out ...( i'm human)

OMG... all u ppl think i/m at fault and the braking is perfect......

perhaps u all may just be in real love in the fabia.... and hate me

but i will be honest...

the fabia has breaking problems in india... the brakes or the ABS are not suited towards indian roads..... and cars that are in india and have ABS are really very different compared towards the FABIA's ABS...

VW passat has a reall nice breaking system.. but then hey it cost a bomb in india

the fabia is compared with a lot of hatch back's like the swift......

the word on the streets are that no one is buying the fabia cause it is faulty.... market review have given it a 5/10.......

i was at the workshop to tuesday to give the car and there were atleast abt 13 fab's TBH that reported all the same problems that i'm having

so all the guru's out there that seem to think that i have a problem in driving go check before u accuse ppl of their driving

this just came out ...( i'm human)

I can sympathise with you to some extent. Over rough and rutted roads ABS can actually make things worse or be overly sensitive

In Britain it's great because we have smooth tarmacced roads (well smooth by Indian standards). Over loose surfaces and snow it's better to be without ABS as when the wheel locks it can dig in and obtain more grip

I had an Alfa Romeo that decided to kick in it's abs over some gravel at the end of a junction leading to a large main road. I ended up right in the middle of the road (Fortunatley nothing coming). Difference is the Alfa had front wheel ABS only and not all round

I have been certain that on occasions my ABS has kicked in, had I been without it the wheels would not have locked. The way the brake pedal feels is also disconerting

If the ABS comes on though, you are exceeding the limits of the cars grip regardless, but I can see what you are saying

DAY 3 and my car is still in the workshop... they have told me that they are doing a software upgrade on the ABS system.. and replacing the blower motor with a new and rectified one

they will give me the car only when they are satisfied after all the test

i have mentioned all the same issues that are mentioned on my first post

hey i got some good news ....

i got my car back from the workshop today and they have replaced the blower motor ( the A/c one) and so far the noise from the side has stopped

and the car is much more smoother

something strange happened ... as i left the workshop i sprayed some water on my windscreen and the wiper stopped working

so i had to head back and they said that they will order a new wiper motor ... since the current one seems to be damaged

guys i need a small favor... i have taken this pic from EM's avatar

i know the fabia 1.9TDI has an ENGINE cover.. i was wondering if the 1.4 TDI could have a similar cover... engine dampener...

the guys at the workshop have asked me if anyone knows if there is a dampener for a nother engine that would fit the 1.4 TDI... all help would be really GR8

I don't think it will fit. You've got a 3-cylinder engine, while 1,9 is a 4-cyl. So I suppose the entire engine is different, hence the fittings...

interesting debate having worked on lots of skodas in the uk very rearly come across noisy heater fan motors please ellaborate may be an Indian issue? brake feel does vary between models ie discs all round feel and operate better maybe in India the brake pad material is different tyre type and compound and road surface different? the fact that the ABS is working indicates the shortest stopping distance should be achieved i could understand a complaint if the ABS was'nt working? engine noise. PD engines are noisier than some diesel engines ie common rail, but PD units are more efficient, have higher torque outputs, and are more economical so an increase in noise on idle isn't such a bad trade off