What could have caused the ABS to fail on my wife's Skoda Fabia?

My wife has a Skoda Fabia 1.2. Yesterday on a downhill slope she braked hard and it seems as though the ABS did not operate and she had to pull on the handbrake to stop. She contacted the dealer who said, "Monitor it if it happens again, we will look into it.” What do you recommend? And can tyre condition affect the ABS operation - the fronts are down to 3mm.

Asked on 28 January 2012 by MH, via email

Answered by Honest John

Regard ‘ABS’ as meaning ""Allows Braking and Steering.” On an extremely slippery surface, ABS actually prevents the vehicle from stopping because it releases any wheel felt to be skidding, only braking those that are not. Of course, the less grip the tyres provide, the less the car will be able to brake. That’s the main reason for fitting cold weather tyres in winter.

Tags: electrical faults abs winter tyres tyres

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