W123 (and earlier) owners: do you miss not having ABS? - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

#1 06-09-2004, 11:11 AM

...in a thread on another forum concerning someone's encounter with a utility pole in a pre-ABS BMW, one poster posited that ABS alone would have gotten him out of the glue...I think not...how do others here feel?

lietuviai · #2 06-09-2004, 12:12 PM

I do for sure! I nearly landed my '85 in a ditch trying to avoid running into someone who pulled out in front of me. As someone told me I oculd have had better control during that incedent but it was a split second decision and I didn't have time to think how to brake.

autozen · #3 06-09-2004, 12:13 PM

Depends on where you live and how you drive. Out here in California with insane drivers and more registered vehicles than any other state in the union, you have to drive defensively. On the other hand there is no snow and ice to contend with. I don't feel that ABS is all that important nor do I care if my car has air bags or not. I drive constantly. I drive on winding coast roads as well as mountain roads with nothing but thousand foot drop offs and no guard rails. I believe that two things have kept me accident free. I pretend I am invisible which means I plan for the red light runner not to see me. Since I drive on freeways alot I drive for position. I stay away from the gnats. Those are the people that drive down the freeway in groups and scattered across all lanes. These people don't even know each other, but let one of them fear into another lane and they are all involved in the accident. I usually drive above the speed limit on the freeway and work my way through one gnat group after another. So no I don't feel ABS is all that important. Probably one of the reasons that BMW driver hit the tree was the fact that he was a BMW driver. With as much driving as I do I find BMW drivers to be much more agressive than MB drivers. The least aggressive drivers drive Volvos.

Peter

#4 06-09-2004, 12:50 PM

It's a toss up, ABS is a nice thing to have, but the brakes on the Mercedes do a decent job of stopping me, but ABS will do just a little bit better job in the snow. The only draw back is that if any part of the ABS system breaks, it's very expensive to fix. I just broke an ABS part on my Subaru, and it's going to cost me about $300 total to get it fixed, with me doing most of the labor, I just need to take it to the machine shop and let them do the stuff I can't...

#5 06-09-2004, 01:56 PM

My car has ABS, but it hasn't worked in over 3 months because of a dead wheel speed sensor. I only miss it in the rain... the system works very well normally and makes rapid/panic stopping in the rain much easier and less dramatic. Just another thing on the list of things to do.

Benzcrusher · #6 06-09-2004, 02:10 PM

The least aggressive drivers drive Volvos.
---- You she see my wife drive her 960 wagon!!!!!

ABS is great on the snow and gravel, how often fo I need that here?

The brakes on my '83 300D feel as good as my '97 Volvo 960 wagon......

jcd · #7 06-09-2004, 03:49 PM

My 1977 300D has the best brakes of any car I have ever driven.

I have made panic stops in heavy traffic in all road conditions. Stops straight as a dime, and I find I can regulate the pressure very well so I don't lock up.

I just did new brakes, rotors, calipers, pads, etc. Stopping in my old car is almost as fun as driving since I had the work done.

JCD

JamesStein · #8 06-09-2004, 03:56 PM

ABS? Whats that?

Seriously.. My Mazada pickup has ABS brakes. To be honest the only thing that ABS has meant for me was a $500 repair bill when a speed sensor went out.

So no, I don't miss ABS on my 300D.

jbhebert · #9 06-09-2004, 04:15 PM

I have never missed ABS on my 123. I think that good tires make far more of a difference than ABS in most conditions. I drive my car year round and frequently see snow, ice, rain, and pretty much every other type of slipery surface. Never been an issue.

#10 06-09-2004, 04:18 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by JamesStein
To be honest the only thing that ABS has meant for me was a $500 repair bill when a speed sensor went out.

That's not that bad, if you had someone replace it for you... especially if you had to replace the same part I am having to replace...

Michael K · #11 06-09-2004, 04:20 PM

I'll never daily drive a car without ABS. I'm a fairly experienced driver, and the ABS on the 1997 C230 saved my skin one time. Raining, going 40, car in the oncoming lane didn't see me coming and started to turn left right in front of me. I though oh no this is it, I AM going to crash. I panicked, hit the breaks and yanked the steering wheel as HARD as I could. I mean not a controlled thing at all... hard enough to pull muscles in my back. The C230 stopped really short while swerving within inches of the other car. When it stopped, the car rocked back and forth for a second, but it never lost traction. Other drivers stopped and we're laughing at what an outrageous maneuver it was and commented that it was a miracle that I didn't hit that lady.

TN-W124 Diesel · #12 06-09-2004, 06:03 PM

I really like the brake shoes, so much easier to work on...but I'm old

wolf_walker · #13 06-09-2004, 06:37 PM

Well it depends. Do MB ABS systems work worth a damn? I've driven some cars that were pretty cool in that you could stomp the brakes and still steer, and some that did so much chattering and peddle pulsing and jerking it was unreal(when they were new, GM). I've driven and worked on a bunch of ABS cars, never driven one daily, and don't feel like I'm missing out. ABS is a bandaid for not so good drivers IMHO. My ah, not young, mother manages to keep it stuck in her head that you pump ABS brakes and stomp on non-ABS. Previous to ABS there was no confusion.
I hear this a lot from non-technical people. If I did have ABS I'd gladly trade it for less body roll..

unkl300d · #14 06-09-2004, 10:00 PM

Ditto on what AutoZen stated.

people drive stupid in San Francisco, especially the ones that wave at you after they almost kill you.

Wasuchi · #15 06-09-2004, 10:19 PM

I agree with wolf_walker, ABS is a bandaid for poor driving and many many ABS systems are poor at best. Now if I were driving on snow and ice frequently a car with a GOOD traction control and ABS system would be nice but not necessary..... pretty much depends on how and where you drive I guess. I don't miss not having it though.