Thread: ABS in the winter and TC Light

Ok, us STi guys take the ABS fuse out in the winter time for better braking because the ABS is ****ing terrible. It also gives you more control and less shudder, and doesn't cause us to slide 500 feet past an intersection. It creates a snowball effect under the tires, racking up snow, stopping you way faster.

I live in Buffalo New York, and we get more snow than the majority of you see in 4 years.
My question is, does anyone else pull their fuse for the winter time?
I did it tonight on the drive to walmart, i left it in, to see and test the braking, it was ****ing terrible.
I took it out on the ride home, the car stopped on a dime ( partially in part to my new brakes yes snowflake that's directed at you).
Does anyone else here do that all winter for the snow?

Also it made the Traction Control light come on and the brake lights the P and the . I am not sure why it would do that, as in the Subaru it doesn't ( different cars different problems i know ).
So i get home, i put the fuse back in, and the abs, and brake lights go away, but the TC light still stays on. I push the button two times to see if it's just enabled and it's not.


Any ideas, and thoughts from others who do this.

k well the TC light went off after sitting for an hour, or two after putting the ABS fuse in. Is it normal that when you pull the ABS fuse that the TC light goes too?

To claim braking in snow is due to quality of brakes is absurd.

Its the tires. Thats all that matters in the snow.

Any vehicle could lock up the brakes in serious snow.

If you lock up the brakes that easily, you're driving too fast for the conditions.

Originally Posted by matt5112

To claim braking in snow is due to quality of brakes is absurd.

Its the tires. Thats all that matters in the snow.

Any vehicle could lock up the brakes in serious snow.

If you lock up the brakes that easily, you're driving too fast for the conditions.

He calls me out about the holes some mexican drilled into his rotors without realizing he contradicts himself in his own post.
Good stuff!

Originally Posted by WRBSTi

I did it tonight on the drive to walmart, i left it in, to see and test the braking, it was ****ing terrible.
I took it out on the ride home, the car stopped on a dime ( partially in part to my new brakes yes snowflake that's directed at you).

He was referring to how he dislikes ABS brakes.

OP: Did your vehicle come equipped with electronic stability control?

If so, that alone is worth keeping ABS for.

Yes... but he says the braking was "****ing terrible" with his rotors that were on a drill press a few weeks ago.
Then he says he stops on a dime, thanks to his rotors being on a drill press a few weeks ago.

Fun stuff.

you guys went way off base here.
I said the braking was ****ing terrible with the ABS enabled in the snow, and truth is, IT IS.. plain and simple. The ABS had me sliding through intersections braking from 30 miles an hour in a 40 mile hour speed limit zone on a 4 lane road ( which most our main roads are 3 to 4 lane). This was also at 2 am when where was no other traffic just to test the differences. I agree it is mostly about tires, but for what we had, it worked. And another thing, controlling it at 30 miles an hour to a dead stop wasn't making go out of control either. I agree maybe a higher speed stop yes, but at 30 to 0 it stopped pretty damn fast without the ABS enabled. I saw what you meant with the TCS not working with the ABS fuse pullled, but i only noticed it when starting off and getting up to 30 it was a little different of a feel. I forget that this car is also heavier than my STi.

I say it stopped on a dime because it felt much better and stopped faster without the ABS enabled to me so i noticed a huge difference. It didn't literally stop as good as my STi would on the dry with no snow. Maybe i'll choose my metaphor more carefully next time.

So it comes down to this. Without the ABS from 30 to 0 in the snow, the car stops better, no sliding through intersections, and stops a lot better ( and yes even when locked up ). With the ABS i went through a few intersections and stopped just about after them with the ABS enabled.

To answer your question about the electronically controlled whatever, i have no idea. I know it has a TCS light that was on, when i took it out.
Oh and Snowflake, guess what smart ass, i wasn't referring to the rotors so much as i was the pads asshat. New brakes def helped as opposed to the old rotted out pads and rotors which barely worked in the first place, which is why replaced them anyways. So they surely helped a lot better than the old ones i'm pretty sure.

Originally Posted by boostedcompg

If you need to steer...and the front wheels are sliding....you won't. But if your happy...game on.

Do you know what it's like stopping in snow with ABS on and without? Usually you're in traffic behind a car. The abs prevents it from locking up obviously, but even if you were to steer, either way you're not going anywhere in the snow slamming on the brakes anyways.

The point of no abs, or taking the fuse out, is that is builds up a wall of snow between the front tire and ground, snowball effecting in essence stopping you faster than you would just sliding along without the build up. let me link a few videos.
Also, i had no issues steering without the abs in at that low of a speed either, so i don't know where you're getting steering from, im just simply talking about braking. I didn't know all the axles locked up too disabling steering as well.

Anti-lock braking system - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Originally Posted by Wikipedia

An ABS generally offers improved vehicle control and decreases stopping distances on dry and slippery surfaces for many drivers; however, on loose surfaces like gravel or snow-covered pavement, an ABS can significantly increase braking distance, although still improving vehicle control

We're also talking straight line, and not highway driving as well. The woman doesn't drive on the high way anyways. I was just merely wondering what others of you do.

I'm gonna let you off easy kid... Stay safe out there slamming the brakes in the snow!

Originally Posted by boostedcompg

I dissabled it today for pure ****s and giggles...its terrible. And in 3 inchs of fresh snow I got no "wall of snow" that helped slow me down. And my neighbors now think I'm nuts for sliding all over the road for a half hour lol

This made me LOL