Driving Characteristics with ABS

After starting the engine, the ABS warning lamp on the instrument panel goes out.

The system switches on automatically only when the speed reaches approximately 8 km/h. When the speed drops below 3 km/h, the ABS switches off, so theoretically the wheels may lock during the very final stage of braking, but in practice this is no longer significant. The ABS performs the control process within fractions of a second.

Pulsation of the brake pedal under the foot means that braking is under ABS control, in other words, that the driver is operating at the limit. In addition, the chattering noise caused by ABS operation reminds the driver to adjust speed to the actual driving conditions, which have changed due to a reduction in the friction (grip) coefficient between the tires and the road, for example due to ice.