Brakes - Antilock Braking System (ABS)

[Junkyard Dog]

Have you ever engaged your Mustang's ABS system?

What happens?

In my Audi, when I slammed on the brakes in an emergency, or even just too aggressively, the pedal would pump back at my foot and back off the brakes.

I have never noticed my Mustang ABS engaging, ever.

What happens when the S650 ABS activates, and how do you know it is doing its job?

I have never had the tires slide during braking, either.

I could go out on a gravel road and drive fast and slam on the brakes, but I do not want to drive my Mustang on gravel fast - the first time in my life I have ever been hesitant to do something like that with my car.

So please share your experience.

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[MissStang]

What happens when the S650 ABS activates, and how do you know it is doing its job?

During an encounter with sheer-ice on a winter road recently, a low-speed stop resulted in a loud clicking noise under the driver-side dash. I suspect it was an ABS relay switching around 280Hz (estimate). I could feel each studded winter tire grip intermittently and very little slide happened. The car stopped very straight and within an acceptable distance.

I kept the brake pushed to see how it would turn out, however, in the future I would pulsate the brake pedal manually as per normal practice for slippery conditions.

ABS worked fine, albeit, a little loudly.

 

[Sofa King]

I did an emergency stop (ahole in front of me had no brake lights on a fast stop), the ABS was not nearly as bad as some cars... a small kick back, but I just STOPPED! (brembos w/PS AS 4 tires).

 

[Junkyard Dog]

OK, so clicking noise and a push back in the pedal.

I have never felt either, and this includes on the race track hauling down the brakes for all she was worth.



Maybe next time it is raining I will just stomp the brake to see if I can detect anything at all.

 

[LouG]

I had ABS activate twice. Once when I was a tad distracted driving a new "friend" to her beach house and nearly missed a corner. Braked and steered, all was well.
The second time doing 150 something kmh and a stray farm dog ran out from the side of the road. Braked, steered around him and I hope he then led a long healthy life.
Otherwise never had them activate, not even on the two bikes I had with ABS. The bikes were very difficult to activate deliberately on a dry road.

 

[Wiley Marmot]

Funny you should ask.

On my way back with the groceries yesterday (3/1/26); doing about 45 MPH when a deer bounded out of the R hand ditch at full speed trying to cross the road at a shallow angle. Stomped on the brakes and veered left into the oncoming lane (no traffic). ****ing deer was pumping it's legs for all it was worth just inches from my passenger side front quarter . Scrubbed off enough speed to allow Bambi to accelerate past my front bumper and make it into the opposite ditch/field.

Felt a slight pulsing through the brake pedal; GT stayed nice and straight (clear dry pavement/ approx 26 F temp). My under shorts survived unsoiled and there were no quarter panels harmed in the making of the event!

 

[steveo1960]

From my one experience it buzzes and you feel the pedal moving. Main thing is to not pump the brakes like in the "old days" but let it do it's own thing unless obviously it's not working.

 

[Sig Oris]

I’ve tested ABS on several vehicles in empty snow covered lots to see how the ABS behaves. The same results, I felt pulsating in the pedal and the vehicles tracked straight.

NOTE: as a BOOMER I had to unlearn PUMPING the brakes and just mash on the pedal.

 

[RJW]

During an encounter with sheer-ice on a winter road recently, a low-speed stop resulted in a loud clicking noise under the driver-side dash. I suspect it was an ABS relay switching around 280Hz (estimate). I could feel each studded winter tire grip intermittently and very little slide happened. The car stopped very straight and within an acceptable distance.

I kept the brake pushed to see how it would turn out, however, in the future I would pulsate the brake pedal manually as per normal practice for slippery conditions.

ABS worked fine, albeit, a little loudly.

You will get the best result if you let the ABS do its thing rather than modulating the brake pressure yourself. When you do it, the amount of brake pressure is going to be the same for all four wheels. The ABS controls all four wheels independently, so if you are driving on a road where one side of the lane is icy and the other side is slushy, the computer will apply as much pressure as each wheel can take without losing traction.

 

[Junkyard Dog]

Ok, so is the ABS on the Dark Horse handling package less aggressive due to the ridiculous, grippy tires Ford spec'd?

I have pressed on the brakes hard on drive pavement on the racetrack with no detectable ABS activation.



And I haven't had them come on driving on the street, either, although I do not really remember any emergencies yet.

 

[Sofa King]

Ok, so is the ABS on the Dark Horse handling package less aggressive due to the ridiculous, grippy tires Ford spec'd?

I have pressed on the brakes hard on drive pavement on the racetrack with no detectable ABS activation.



And I haven't had them come on driving on the street, either, although I do not really remember any emergencies yet.

I don't think it would be less aggressive, the tires are just more aggresive, lol. ABS activates once you "exceed" the grip of the tires... pretty hard to do with the trofeos on a dry track.

 

[MissStang]

You will get the best result if you let the ABS do its thing rather than modulating the brake pressure yourself. When you do it, the amount of brake pressure is going to be the same for all four wheels. The ABS controls all four wheels independently, so if you are driving on a road where one side of the lane is icy and the other side is slushy, the computer will apply as much pressure as each wheel can take without losing traction.

I appreciate your response, however I live in a 'very wintery' place where I find cadence braking is still an important skill.

'Full pedal ABS' is good when you have no traction, but there are a lot of conditions where advanced braking skills are handy between full-traction and no-traction.

That said, I am very grateful for the ABS and traction control features of this car. It is a fun car to drive.

 

[Charger68]

Just thinking about the old days and icy conditions. With a manual you could lightly step on the brakes and have all idiot lights on the dash come on because your engine locked with the rear tires.

 

[LouG]

I remember some pro driver ( it might have been "Sam the Racing Driver") on Carwow YT saying that braking hard enough to not quite activate the ABS gives shorter stopping distances. His reasoning being that there won't be any pressure modulation of the ABS pump just constant full retardation.
He might be right, and it might work on track, but there won't be many people with that level of skill, or many cars with that level of tactile feedback. The Brembo equipped Mustangs would be some of the few.
One place ABS is useless, braking on gravel.

 

[Junkyard Dog]

One place ABS is useless, braking on gravel.

Why do you say this?

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