How Your Anti-Lock Braking System Works

Prior to the advent of anti-lock brakes, the idea of pumping your brakes to keep them from locking up in slippery conditions was drilled into everyone's heads. Now, virtually all vehicles come equipped with an anti-lock braking system, which eliminates the need to pump the brakes and helps you maintain traction.

Drivers in West Palm Beach, Delray Beach, and Boynton Beach can find out more about anti-lock brakes and how this remarkable feature of modern vehicles keeps you safe and protected.

What Are Anti-Lock Brakes?

In wet or slippery conditions, skidding or sliding tires struggle to gain traction on the road, which makes your brakes less than reliable. Slamming on the brakes suddenly can cause the brakes and wheels to lock up, worsening the skidding you're already experiencing.

As the name suggests, anti-lock brakes prevent the brakes and wheels from locking up, helping your vehicle to maintain traction. This all takes place prior to the skid or slide and works to prevent the loss of traction in the first place.

How Do Anti-Lock Braking Systems Work?

Though the idea of an anti-lock braking system is simple, the system itself is quite complex. Anti-lock brakes use speed sensors to continuously monitor the speed of the wheels and sends that information to the controller in search of rapid deceleration. In many cases, this panicked deceleration is a precursor to the wheel locking up.

If the controller senses a potentially hazardous deceleration occurring, a valve in the brake line limits the pressure to a wheel that's at risk of locking up, causing an acceleration. The pressure is then increased with a pump until the wheel decelerates at the same rate as the rest of the vehicle, which maintains traction and prevents sliding.

In a sense, this system is pumping the brakes in the same way that drivers did in the past, but it's doing so with better control and accuracy. It also happens more rapidly and prevents a loss of traction in the first place, whereas manual pumping is a reaction to slipping as it's happening.

Maintaining Healthy Brakes

An anti-lock braking system is a vital safety component on slick road conditions, such as wet or snow-covered roads, but it's only part of the equation. Anti-lock brakes can prevent collisions and improve driver confidence and security, but they need to be in top form to perform this job effectively.

Minor brake issues, such as worn brake pads or low brake fluid, are all it takes to compromise your braking system's reliability. Because of this, it's important that you keep up with your vehicle's brake maintenance and take care of any minor issues before they become major repairs that impact your brake performance.

Schedule Your Service Appointment

Anti-lock brakes are an important part of your driving safety and can lose effectiveness with only minor brake problems, but fortunately, they're simple to fix.

If you're in West Palm Beach, Delray Beach, or Boynton Beach and in need of brake repair or maintenance, Audi West Palm Beach can help. Call or stop by our service center today to speak with a technician about your vehicle's maintenance and schedule your brake service appointment today!