I've discovered what I think is some sort of a brake malfunction. This has happend to me numerous times, in the same spot, under the same conditions.

Heres how it goes. I get off work, 9PMish, get in my car, crank it up, and as i pull down the driveway of my work (fairly steep hill) it has a rough bump at the bottom. Well I have adopted the habit of throwing the car into neutral before every stop. So as I start down the hill, neutral, and then begin braking. Brakes normally until i hit the bump, then grindddddd Its the EXACT same feeling you get when you grind the gears in the transmission, but it comes from the brake pedal. When this happens, braking is practically nonexistant and I end up about 20ft further than I would have under a normal stop.

I don't know if anyone else has had this, I do not know if this happens on flat ground or only on a hill. I do know that this is not normal. I'm going to have a honda guy drive or ride along with me when I go up to the dealer for my oil change tuesday. I will let you all know what happens. Til' then, beware and be safe!

 

It's the ABS. I've had it happen in several cars goin across railroad tracks.

 

are you serious? How is that supposed to help?? I end up halfway out in the street.

 

I think the vibrations throw off the abs and make them think it's losing traction or the tires actually come off the ground for a split second when ur hitting them and the abs is soo sensitive that it thinks u lost traction. My truck does it all the time when u hit bumps, i wouldn't worry bout it but u should slow down before u hit the bumps so it doesn't happen.

 

Im most likely not going over 10 or 15 when i hit the bump. Hm. That kinda scares me, ABS, something thats supposed to help could potentially CAUSE an accident.

 

You could still get it checked out cause it may be defective but i don't think they'll be able to fix the problem cause it's just the way it's made.

 

It's definately the ABS. Your driving too fast and locking up your brakes when you hit the bump (front wheels are possibly leaving the ground) The ABS will not kick in unless you are loosing traction or locking up the brakes

 

Yup...traction loss = ABS engagement. The ABS control module is designed to sense a loss of traction and engage the ABS system. That's all. It can't tell if the car is slipping on ice, gravel, or going over bumps. If one wheel is moving at a different speed than the others and you're braking, the ABS will engage.

 

Happens to me whenever I am stopping and there's bumps. It's annoying and I don't like the feeling. Even at low speeds it does it.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Sugar Shane &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">If one wheel is moving at a different speed than the others and you're braking, the ABS will engage. </TD></TR></TABLE>
Also if your not braking it still can compensate for understeer too. (taking a corner too fast). The Si does it less than the bigger hondas

 

I will check again tonight to see exactly how fast I am going when this happens. But this makes me very uneasy about braking when there are bumps. I don't want to be coming down a hill to a redlight, hit a bump, and roll right into the back of a car because my ABS prevented me from stopping. There's no way for me to prove that to be fault of the car, so I would be screwed.

 

I'm pretty sure I have experienced that same thing a few times when braking over a few bumps. And it's not a very secure feeling when I feel the brake petal giving in and grinding when I'm trying to stop.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by jascon &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I'm pretty sure I have experienced that same thing a few times when braking over a few bumps. And it's not a very secure feeling when I feel the brake petal giving in and grinding when I'm trying to stop.</TD></TR></TABLE>

I had this happen a couple times too. I just started to be very careful over any big bumps.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Demonis &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I will check again tonight to see exactly how fast I am going when this happens. But this makes me very uneasy about braking when there are bumps. I don't want to be coming down a hill to a redlight, hit a bump, and roll right into the back of a car because my ABS prevented me from stopping. There's no way for me to prove that to be fault of the car, so I would be screwed.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Let us know if the dealer decides to do something. I will have mine checked out.

 

I hit the same bump, speedo reading 13mph, and it didnt happen, i also didnt brake as hard. Maybe braking a little softer on the stops would prevent ABS in case of bumps.

 

There is a small downhill in the parking/roads that wind through my apartment complex. There is a speedbump halfway down one of these grades. In the morning leaving for work I go over the bump with the brakes on and I get that same thing all the time. HATE IT! I figured it was an ABS thing, but it still doesn't seem right to me.

 

Yep basically for me when I go over any bumps at all with the brake it starts to basically do what you guys said. It definately feels bad.

 

So, is there not really a way to fix this issue?

 

Not just the Si. I have an EX and when I leave my house to go to work theres new construction down the street. The road is bumpy and when I come to a stop on the bumps it feels like some thing is going to fall off of my breaks. I got scared the first time. Now I don't sweat it much but if you take yours in and they say it is a flaw let us know.

 

the guy at the dealer said they are all like that, its just how the system works. I hope for their sake the system works when I need it... i love honda but i wouldnt hesitate to sue if ABS cause me to rearend someone.

 

I get the same exact thing with my 06 type-s. I thought there was something wrong with the my car!! Everytime I come to a stop at a driveway or speed bump...Well now that I know what it is, my 88 CRX didnt have that issue

 

You know, ive had this problem and didnt really know what it was. Ill be going over a bumpy area with the brake depressed, and suddenly it feels like the pedal wants to go thru the floor and feels like something just ground. Well... now I know &gt;_&lt;

 

Dude I experience the same thing every time I start out for the day as well...it seems that it is some mechanism in the brake system that is doing it...for what reason I dont know...it does grind...maybe it is taking off the morning dew or warming up the brakes a little bit...its interesting that it goes away though after warming up the car. Keep me posted on this issue.

 

It only happens on bumpy roads, when you are breaking. I own an SI too... and it happens to me on this freeway exit i take to go to church.... first time it did it it scared the crap out of me......

 

yea I have done this too scared me a bit but I figured it was the ABS being confused.

 

If you guys are getting scared and it's taking you 20 ft into the road instead of where you expected to stop that could very well be a problem. With ABS you do feel vibrations in your pedal but you should be effectively stopping also. It sounds like you guys arent stopping. I had a 94 GMC Jimmy, they had the largest recall ever back in 98-99 with their ABS doing the same thing, people were getting into accidents, some fatalities. Unfortunately a company won't necessarily put out a recall unless it's more cheap for them to pay for every recall vs some law suits following accidents (usually lawsuits from the fatalities however). I beleive it was the ABS sensors that needed to be replaced, but that was years ago and im not 100% sure if that was the cause.