Euro: VSA

This is from the TSX technical manual - I can see if I can find it online if people want it - it is over 90 meg. There is a lot more info on VSA there.

"For example, if the driver enters a corner too quickly and the vehicle’s front wheels begin to slip (understeer), VSA almost instantly detects the situation and interprets it as understeer. VSA then reduces engine torque and selectively applies the brake on the inner front and rear wheels to help counter the understeer and enhance the driver’s control. The correction happens so quickly and so seamlessly that the situation is often resolved before the driver is even aware of it.

Another potential scenario involves a traction loss at the rear wheels, such as might be encountered when cornering on a dirty road or when encountering black ice. VSA detects the rear tires beginning to slip and quickly applies the outer front and rear brakes to counter the unwanted yawing motion and help restore control to the driver."

Although sometimes these systems can put you in a worse condition unfortunately.

Today I took a roundabout (going straight through) a little quick but safe nevertheless. I braked before entering the roundabout so I can safely manouver around it, BUT...

When entering the roundabout, I braked, the road was a bit bumpy and the ABS engaged when I was braking! But since ABS engaged, the brakes vibrated and I lost alot of brake pressure, and as a result I could not brake normally and almost lost control going around the roundabout due to excess speed. I even lifted off the brakes after ABS to regain brake control, but I already lost so much braking that it didnt help much. Luckily I managed to steer around the roundabout without hitting anything... Damn ABS is too sensitive IMO :(


If I didnt have ABS, the wheel would have just done a mini-skid at worst and I would have still had full braking capability.


Does ABS get disabled when you turn off the VSA button?

Do you have any mods on your car Eurodude (eg rims)? You seem to get ABS to activate more easily than me and I wonder whether something is right. When my ABS activates over some pot holes etc it is only for a split second - no where near enough time for me to lose total braking pressure.

You don't lose abs with VSA off.

Maybe honda updated the ABS module on the 06 model? There are always improvements to these electronic systems - do we have Bosch ABS?

No its totally stock, 16" rims. The only mods done are the Audio system and a K&N filter.

The bump was short but rigid and I was braking kind of heavily, so maybe thats why ABS was so furious.

[edit] Come to think of it, there may of been some stones on the road, but not 100% sure - that what it feeled like anyway.

From memory, ABS was engaged for about ~750ms.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by EuroDude

No its totally stock, 16" rims. The only mods done are the Audio system and a K&N filter.

The bump was a short but high and I was braking kind of heavily, so maybe thats why ABS was so furious.

From memory, ABS was engaged for about ~750ms.

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Ok - maybe the supplier of the ABS module to Honda improved the system with your model. Mine does kick in from time to time on potholes but certainly haven't lost as much braking pressure as you when it does.

Yeah thats definetely a possibility - it really scares me sometimes.

Maybe its because I drive the 1400kg Euro like a 1000kg Civic LOL :p

i have an 04 and abs is fine in mine

i think you need to get used to how the brakes work Brake assist is an electronic brake booster (someone correct me if i am wrong) what it does is magnifies the amount of pressure you put on the pedal which if your not used to this you can over apply the brakes

and understand where the point of maximum braking and when they lock up and you should only use abs in an emergency situation

and don't push the car beyond it's and your capabilities and you should be fine with the brakes

A number of reviews I read as I did research on the Euro before I bought mine commented on the ABS being "easily fooled" or "tripped" by bumps and I can confirm it has done it to me several times. It’s even happened when I have not been breaking hard.

It’s quite disconcerting and have thought that if it happened when you are doing an emergency stop for real or breaking late and hard for a corner it could get really ugly real quick :-(. Then again maybe the breaking performance will not be effected and just that ABS feels wierd throught the pedal. Has anyone "tested" this ?

P.S. I would like that VSA video. When I searched for it it had been removed.

The braking performance can degrade quite alot - this has happened twice now. But usually ABS isnt too harsh and brake pressure is near normal.

Its not just the feeling, the brake pressure actually disappears after ABS.
And the comment "ABS being easily fooled or tripped by bumps" is spot on in my experience.

In my sticky roundabout situation I was pushing down on the brakes pretty hard and the brake pressure was like if you were just gently touching the brakes (The brake pedal itself was quite low too).
It could have gotten ugly very quick but luckily I lifted off the brake and repressed them just in time. If I didnt, I'm quite sure I would have lost control :(

By the way, do you guys feel subtle brake feedback when going over a rough surface?

I'm not refering to when ABS/VSA is engaging. Sometimes when I go over a small bump or something, the brake pedal nudges a little bit. It kind of feels like ABS is about to engage but it doesnt.
(no ABS/VSA light comes on and braking is 100% normal).

Its quite disconcerting sometimes.


[edited]

Quote:

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Originally Posted by EuroDude

By the way, do you guys feel excessive brake feedback when going over a rough surface?

I'm not refering to when ABS/VSA is engaging. Sometimes when I go over a small bump or something, the brake pedal vibrates or pulsates a little bit. It kind of feels like ABS is about to engage but it doesnt.
(no ABS/VSA light comes on and braking is 100% normal).

Its quite disconcerting sometimes.

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That is the ABS - the light doesn't always come on in my experience. I can also hear my VSA trigger when cornering if I hit a pothole mid corner. The VSA light doesn't always come on either. When you have a big understeer moment in the wet you get the "flash flash flash" - that is definately VSA.

The thing is none of these experiences are disconcerting to me. I never feel like the car is going out of control or ost control of the car just because ABS activates. Does anyone else feel like Eurodude? I totally agree you can trigger ABS easily, etc but it is another thing to say you feel like you have lost control of the car when it happens.

yfin,

I shouldn't have said 'vibrates or pulsates', the feedback is rather more like a single nudge in the brake pedal when I hit those plastic lane seperator things.

Almost as if the force from the bump on the road gets directly fed into the brake pedal. It really doesnt feel like ABS kicks in.


...maybe ABS senses the bump and is initializating and feeding a bit of hydrolic pressure into the brake pedal or something, which I find disconcerting.