Ive owned my panda twinair 4x4 from new it's done 20000 mls But ive found a very serious problem the ABS dose'nt work i found this out recently when i braked hard on an icy road , It's booked in this week to get it sorted .I suggest all owners of this model should test their abs out now.

plonkers said:

Ive owned my panda twinair 4x4 from new it's done 20000 mls But ive found a very serious problem the ABS dose'nt work i found this out recently when i braked hard on an icy road , It's booked in this week to get it sorted .I suggest all owners of this model should test their abs out now.

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Interesting as my 4x4's exactly the same as yours, with same mileage. I'd be equally interested to know why the system hasn't flagged up the failure. I thought the ELD function was part of the ABS set-up, so has that shown any errors?

ABS will really struggle on ice & it apportions grip to the point of lock up so if there isn't grip, it'll give up.

I doubt it's a fault TBH.

^^ this ^^

I've had a few frightening experiences on sheet ice where the ABS has been ineffective. If you've got no grip at all, it won't work.

But I suppose it makes sense to get it checked out, if only to put your mind at rest that it's not broken.

I think many people don't understand the likes of ABS, ESP & the likes.

They are not get out of jail free cards!

ABS are designed to help prevent skidding in an emergency brake situation and steer round a problem. On ice you do not brake hard ever you try and steer out of a problem, foot of accelerator and if you have to very light touch on brake. On ice and snow abs can in fact increase your stopping distance not decrease it.

On a lot of cars go below 20 to 15 mph the anti lock brakes turn off on most cars.

I personally think its more the weather conditions and the false belief that abs is a holy grail.

ABS entirely useless when it comes to ice and snow. The quickest way to stop in snow actually involves not having ABS in the first place or switching it off. Non ABS stops in snow build up a mound of snow in front of the braked wheel - which contributes to the breaking effect. Having ABS "on" prevents build up of the snow and increases stopping distance.

Probably pointless anyway, if you are breaking that hard in deep snow (on non studded tyres) you are probably going to have a "hello Mr Moose/Elk/Deer/ruminant of choice" moment anyway?

ABS helps prevent wheel lock up.... Nothing more nothing less, if the wheels are still turning then it's not a factor IMO

It was looked at by main dealer in Lincoln ,They couldn't test it out as there was no way to do it but! a big but they said there was a computer update from Fiat for the ABS and Hill Start which they did ,I tried it out on a muddy track and the difference was the brake pedal pulsed up and down and i was able to steer ok but the brakes still locked on which i think is a big problem,I have enjoyed 22000mls in the panda but have decided now to sell and buy a new Dacia Duster 4x4.

More fool you!


Have you read up on the Dacia Ruster??

plonkers said:

It was looked at by main dealer in Lincoln ,They couldn't test it out as there was no way to do it but! a big but they said there was a computer update from Fiat for the ABS and Hill Start which they did ,I tried it out on a muddy track and the difference was the brake pedal pulsed up and down and i was able to steer ok but the brakes still locked on which i think is a big problem,I have enjoyed 22000mls in the panda but have decided now to sell and buy a new Dacia Duster 4x4.

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If the wheels don't lockup then the abs won't actually work, the wheel has to stop even if it's for the tiniest fraction of a second, for the system to know you're skidding

My God ABS will be the least of your worries in a Dacia. They make Fiat's look like a Bentley.

You might be lucky if you're getting one out the Romanian factory instead of India, now that they've switched production for UK Dusters due to the major rust problem.

However I'd have just kept the Panda. From an ex-Renault, now Fiat & Alfa owner, if you're worrying about the Panda ABS then you'll have a nervous breakdown with what Renault Group can throw at you

Haha! That's good!

plonkers said:

It was looked at by main dealer in Lincoln ,They couldn't test it out as there was no way to do it but! a big but they said there was a computer update from Fiat for the ABS and Hill Start which they did ,I tried it out on a muddy track and the difference was the brake pedal pulsed up and down and i was able to steer ok but the brakes still locked on which i think is a big problem,I have enjoyed 22000mls in the panda but have decided now to sell and buy a new Dacia Duster 4x4.

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I'm not convinced there's actually a problem with the Panda's brakes and it certainly wouldn't encourage me to make the change you're proposing. I wouldn't voice quite the extreme views expressed by others, but I think the Duster is one of the ugliest (and worst made) vehicles I've ever come across.

This thread has to be a wind up, no?

Please give the ABS a chance!
Wheel speed sensors monitor, er each wheels speed.
If one wheel is turning considerably slower (ie locking up or close to) than the rest, it quickly releases and reapplies that brake until it matches the others.

If all four aren't turning (so the sensors all read the same speed), which is easier to do on a slippy surface, what do you expect the ABS system to do, read your mind?

Any one that slams the brakes on when on a slippy surface, locks up all four wheels, then expects the ABS to sort it all out deserves to own a Dacia Dustbin!

plonkers said:

....and the difference was the brake pedal pulsed up and down and i was able to steer ok but the brakes still locked on which i think is a big problem.....

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Sure sounds to me like its working OK. I have 2 cars without any sort of ABS, Traction Control, Stability Control or any other control - apart from me and they are all the better for it as far as I am concerned. Regardless of the fact as whether your ABS is working properly or not (and I suspect it is), you should always drive in such a manner as to minimise your reliance on electronics. The best safety aid is driver development or training, so I'd strongly suggest spending just a few 100 of £££'s of the money you'll lose out on by buying the Ruster on yourself and a driver training programme (IAM Skills for Life as a starter for ten....) and I'm sure you'll soon be happy that you're the one in control, not the car.

/RANT_MODE=OFF.

Funniest thread of the month this, there is nothing wrong by the sounds of it, so not sure why you've deciding to sell the car

http://www.rustydaciaduster.co.uk

R1NGA said:

The best safety aid is driver development or training, so I'd strongly suggest spending just a few 100 of £££'s of the money

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I'm staggered ever time I leave the house to drive anywhere, by the level of idiots and doughnuts that drive around these days, I'm sure it's down to the attitude of drivers that "rely" on safety aids like airbags, ABS and the likes.
It's OK for them to drive like a knob, the devices will save them from injury, if not they'll sue the manufacturers!

My young lad is now learning to drive and the tests are now a joke, yes they are harder as the ******** one needs to remember regarding catalytic converters, emissions, the ozone layer and polar bears seems to match the level of knowledge needed of things like the highway code.

http://toptests.co.uk/
Anyone care to post their real scores?

Goudrons said:

I'm staggered ever time I leave the house to drive anywhere, by the level of idiots and doughnuts that drive around these days, I'm sure it's down to the attitude of drivers that "rely" on safety aids like airbags, ABS and the likes.
It's OK for them to drive like a knob, the devices will save them from injury, if not they'll sue the manufacturers!

My young lad is now learning to drive and the tests are now a joke, yes they are harder as the ******** one needs to remember regarding catalytic converters, emissions, the ozone layer and polar bears seems to match the level of knowledge needed of things like the highway code.

http://toptests.co.uk/
Anyone care to post their real scores?

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I agree - I've suggested driving cars with spikes on the steering wheel to aid concentration!

Rather disappointingly I got 48 out of 50. Oh well, never mind...... I didn't know what happened after you'd been disqualified (hey, what can I say), and got out to check when I couldn't see rather than relying on a dodgy shop window reflection (I was trying to predict the correct answer & overthought it!). Is that really an example of the actual test - where are the signs to identify, how to indicate (though I believe you no longer do when passing parked vehicles! :bang: ) etc?

I think every car should be made with the the driver alone in a fragile plastic bubble sticking out the front.