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Buyer advice - ABS prevalence?


Giff
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I'm looking to buy a 1.4 Lupo and have a question regarding the prevalence of ABS.

Will all 1.4 cars have it fitted? I recently saw an early 1.0 without, was it introduced in a specific year?

Cheers.

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I think that ABS had to be fitted by law from 2003 onwards on all cars...

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My V reg SDI has ABS. Can't say it's a feature you desperately need though. All Lupo's have **** brakes regardless of ABS.

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Mine's a 2002 with ABS - seems to be a very rare option indeed!

Certainly on 1.0 it is. Totally unnecessary as I've said. The brakes on these cars are poor, at best. ABS doesn't make them better. In reality, it probably makes them worse.

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My V reg SDI has ABS. Can't say it's a feature you desperately need though. All Lupo's have **** brakes regardless of ABS.

my tdi brakes where completely fine before I upgraded them for the lulz. My brother tdi has standard and they work great. New pads, discs and a fluid change and they are as good as any modern car.

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Certainly on 1.0 it is. Totally unnecessary as I've said. The brakes on these cars are poor, at best. ABS doesn't make them better. In reality, it probably makes them worse.

Interesting you say this skezza, it's the one feature on the car that I wouldn't be without, and the reason I bought this particular lupo. Have you noticed a problem with the abs system?

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Yes. Mines the 1.4 model S, 2001 and no ABS

So an option on the S too, I thought that might narrow down the search!

Certainly on 1.0 it is. Totally unnecessary as I've said. The brakes on these cars are poor, at best. ABS doesn't make them better. In reality, it probably makes them worse.

ABS is an anti lock braking system, in order for that system to be triggered the wheel rotation must first reduce to the point of either locking or near locking.

It sounds like your car is running old fluid full of air or discs and pads that need replacing so won't be able to even trigger that system hence it can't be making them worse!

Looking for a car for a 17yr old, I don't expect them to be able to cadence brake like a professional racing driver!

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Interesting you say this skezza, it's the one feature on the car that I wouldn't be without, and the reason I bought this particular lupo. Have you noticed a problem with the abs system?

Nope. The ABS system is fine and it's not running old fluid as suggested above. The brakes are just not that good if you want my honest opinion. Newer hatchbacks have far better braking systems.

Totally disagree with DBlock when he says they're as good as any modern car, because they're just not imo. It might be because mine has rear drums. His TDI of course has discs which would make a decent difference. Geoff has done a conversion from drum to discs. I recently drove a reasonably newish Punto and the difference in braking was quite a lot. I wouldn't mind comparing the braking in mine to an Up! which is obviously the logical successor to the Lupo seeing as the Fox was so ****.

As for ABS, it works by pulsing therefore in certain road conditions, it can reduce stopping distance as it's applying the optimal amount of braking, however on a loose surface, ABS actually increases stopping distances. Don't get me wrong, it's nice to have. I find it particularly useful in snow funnily enough as it can help to prevent side skids when going slowly, but in reality, ABS? Meh, it's a nice feature but not essential and not something I even look for when buying a car.

Edited by Skezza
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Nope. The ABS system is fine and it's not running old fluid as suggested above. The brakes are just not that good if you want my honest opinion. Newer hatchbacks have far better braking systems.

Totally disagree with DBlock when he says they're as good as any modern car, because they're just not imo. It might be because mine has rear drums. His TDI of course has discs which would make a decent difference. Geoff has done a conversion from drum to discs. I recently drove a reasonably newish Punto and the difference in braking was quite a lot. I wouldn't mind comparing the braking in mine to an Up! which is obviously the logical successor to the Lupo seeing as the Fox was so ****.

As for ABS, it works by pulsing therefore in certain road conditions, it can reduce stopping distance as it's applying the optimal amount of braking, however on a loose surface, ABS actually increases stopping distances. Don't get me wrong, it's nice to have. I find it particularly useful in snow funnily enough as it can help to prevent side skids when going slowly, but in reality, ABS? Meh, it's a nice feature but not essential and not something I even look for when buying a car.

Skezza you can make braking harder/better in a few ways. But I very much doubt the punto you drove had 6 pot 300mm discs. My car also has drums. Disc size, pad size and caliper size/piston all has an effect plus other things but lets keep oem for now. The tdi is close to 240mm isn't it. For a car that weighs 980+kg thats fine. I really doubt the puntos brakes where much bigger or has additional pots. Where the car seems to brake better is that the newer cars have less travel between nothing and working. Also wider tyres can help. But ultimatly it would be a heavier car and I would be surprised if it had brakes bigger than 280mm or stopped quicker than a lupo. Again the brakes "feel" better but they aren't. It's like my brothers old car didn't have servoed brakes. They felt like they wouldn't stop but if you stomped on them it would really stop.

Also regarding snow and ice that's when I personally find it's the most dangerous. It can think your slipping when your not and just plow you into something or a curb.

Edited by Dblock
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