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ABS Module Installed In Your Car, What Does It Mean.

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ABS is an automobile safety system that allows the wheels on a motor vehicle to maintain tractive contact with the road surface according to driver inputs while braking, preventing the wheels from locking up (ceasing rotation) and avoiding uncontrolled skidding. An anti-lock braking system or anti-skid braking system.  It is an automated system that uses the principles of threshold braking and cadence braking which were practiced by skillful drivers with previous generation braking systems. It does this at a much faster rate and with better control than a driver could manage.Wheels

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

Since initial widespread use in production cars, anti-lock braking systems have been improved considerably. Recent versions not only prevent wheel lock under braking, but also electronically control the front-to-rear brake bias. This function, depending on its specific capabilities and implementation, is known as electronic brakeforce distribution (EBD), traction control system, emergency brake assist, or electronic stability control (ESC).

ABS was first introduced for aircraft use in 1929 by the French national who was an automobile and aircraft. They were as threshold braking on airplanes. These systems use a flywheel and valve attached to a hydraulic line that feeds the brake cylinders. The flywheel is attached to a drum that runs at the same speed as the wheel. In normal braking, the drum and flywheel should spin at the same speed. However, when a wheel slows down, then the drum would do the same, leaving the flywheel spinning at a faster rate. This causes the valve to open, allowing a small amount of brake fluid to bypass the master cylinder into a local reservoir, lowering the pressure on the cylinder and releasing the brakes. The use of the drum and flywheel meant the valve only opened when the wheel was turning. Upon testing, at least improvement in braking performance was noted, because the pilots immediately applied full brakes instead of slowly increasing pressure in order to find the skid point. An additional benefit was the elimination of burned or burst tires.

Following the subsequent studies and actual reading taken from the installed mechanisms a fully electronic anti lock system was developed in the late 60s for the Concorde aircraft.

Later In 1985 the Ford Scorpio was introduced to European a year later it was awarded the coveted European Car of the Year Award in 1986, with very favourable praise from motoring journalists. After this success Ford began research into Anti-Lock systems for the rest of their range, which encouraged other manufacturers to follow suit.

Among the biking industry Harley-Davidson began offering an ABS option on police bikes, BMW, Honda  and Suzuki followed the same. It is almost the basic safety feature in the current generation of cars with all the manufacturers doing their best.




car brakesABS equipment may also be used to implement a traction control system, on acceleration of the vehicle. If, when accelerating, the tire loses traction, the ABS controller can detect the situation and take suitable action so that traction is regained. More sophisticated versions of this can also control throttle levels and brakes simultaneously.

Among other way the speed sensors of ABS are sometimes used in indirect tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS), which can detect under-inflation of tires by difference in rotational speed of wheels.

Speed sensors; A speed sensor is used to determine the acceleration or deceleration of the wheel. These sensors use a magnet and a Hall effect sensor, or a toothed wheel and an electromagnetic coil to generate a signal. The rotation of the wheel or differential induces a magnetic field around the sensor. The fluctuations of this magnetic field generate a voltage in the sensor. Since the voltage induced in the sensor is a result of the rotating wheel, this sensor can become inaccurate at slow speeds. The slower rotation of the wheel can cause inaccurate fluctuations in the magnetic field and thus cause inaccurate readings to the controller.


Pump, in the ABS is used to restore the pressure to the hydraulic brakes after the valves have released it. A signal from the controller will release the valve at the detection of wheel slip. After a valve release the pressure supplied from the user, the pump is used to restore a desired amount of pressure to the braking system. The controller will modulate the pumps status in order to provide the desired amount of pressure and reduce slipping.

Controller is an chip board unit in the car which receives information from each individual wheel speed sensor, in turn if a wheel loses traction the signal is sent to the controller, the controller will then limit the brake force and activate the ABS modulator which actuates the braking valves on and off. Controller monitors the speed sensors at all times. It is looking for decelerations in the wheel that are out of the ordinary. Right before wheel locks up, it will experience a rapid deceleration. If left unchecked, the wheel would stop much more quickly than any car could.

The ABS replaces the need to manually pump the brakes (old fashion) while driving on a slippery or a low traction surface, allowing to steer even in most emergency braking conditions. This is up to 16 times per second.  ABS works with your regular braking system by automatically pumping them. In vehicles not equipped with ABS, the driver has to manually pump the brakes to prevent wheel lockup. In vehicles equipped with ABS, your foot should remain firmly planted on the brake pedal, while ABS pumps the brakes for you so you can concentrate on steering to safety

ABS significantly improves safety and control for drivers in most on-road situations.

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