ABS warning light keeps appearing?

[Nathan3266]

Hi guys,

 

I have 2011 skoda fabia 105BHP CR elegance trim 1.6 TDI,

 

great car, love it to pieces! the manufactures warranty runs out at the end of this month so just making sure everything is okay with her!

 

only thing that I have noticed that worries me, when I start her up (turn the ignition so the engine actually fires up) the ABS warning light comes on for about 2-4 seconds then goes straight off?

 

it does this everytime without fail!

 

but it goes straight off so does everything it mean everythings okay are is the ABS knackered?

 

I've noticed when I break very head i.e. having to stop for a red light that the breaks kind of 'jump', kind of hard to explain, sounds like the breaks are hitting something and there are 1 or 2 thuds from the breaks?

 

please help guys!

 

many thanks,

 

Nathan!

[Ootohere]

Read the owners manual on the ABS.
The lights on your dash should do a check and a system check. All might be as it should be. sounds like it is.

Are your brake pads and discs fine and stopping the cars as it should?
If they are all checked and serviced then fine.
Do you have Discs or Drums at the rear.
Have you had the drums off at recent services, checked and cleaned out.

[haribo(felicia)]

the light coming on and going off is the system self testing so all sounds fine  the brake jump you describe is the abs kicking in due to hard braking again all fine hth.

[vxh26]

As has been pointed out above, the various lights coming on temporarily and then going off is a system startup test, it happens on every car I have driven for years - for how long have you had your car, have you never noticed it before?

 

As to the brakes juddering on an emergency stop, again as pointed out above this is normal ABS behaviour.  ABS works by applying the brakes hard until the wheel almost stops rotating (lock up) and then momentarily releasing the brakes - it replicates a technique used by rally drivers for decades (rhythm braking).  The easiest way to trigger this is to brake hard on gravel - the ABS should kick in.

 

What I would say is that if your warranty is about to run out and you suspect that you may have an ABS fault - GET IT CHECKED OUT - ABS repairs are expensive as I have learned from experience.

 

ps - Slow down!  It sounds as if you are tearing up to red lights

Edited 24 February, 2014 by vxh26