This query is showing my lack of knowledge of our specialised vehicles but, are the Townace/Masterace etc fitted with ABS brakes or, are none of them fitted with ABS ? If they are, and mine is a 1990 Masterace 4WD, would I see a sensor & cabling around the caliper or rear cylinder area or, is ABS "sensed" and controlled somewhere else in the hydraulic system. If ABS is fitted, does the system operate at low speeds, say around 10mph or, does it "cut in" at higher speeds ? Any guidance much appreciated.(You can tell that I started motoring when cars had cable brakes) - (#1697) John Davis, 23 Dec 01

John, according to my records, and the parts look up CD I have, none of the pre 1992 Townaces, or their derivatives had ABS even offered on them, the post 1992 Aces, including the Lite Ace had it as an option, or even standard I suppose on the 'luxury' models, so yours being the non rounded shape model from 1990 it won't have ABS, unless some sort of aftermarket thing. All ABS vehicles (I have it on my company car) have a little orange lamp comes on at switch on (To check the bulb) this normally depicts a skidding car, this indicates the vehicle has ABS & it is operating. Finally, most of the systems operate at speeds in excess of 5-10 MPH, as they are useless below this speed as the sensors are not spinning fast enough for the computer to work out if the wheel is locked or not anyway. But to further blow your mind, FORD will be fitting the new DELPHI LOCKHEED 'Brake by Wire' electronic brakes (no hydraulics) to production vehicles from next year, so it moves on another generation from your old pre-stretched cables you remember. HTH. What was the question again, oh yes, no you almost certainly haven't got ABS. Regards Rob. - (#1698) Rob Drinkwater, 23 Dec 01

Thanks Rob for that comprehensive answer. I had thought that this was the case but am not conversant with ABS systems and was not sure what to look for. The query arose because the advert for my vehicle (private sale), which I still have, definitely says that it has ABS. However, with the vehicle's other advantages,"goodies" etc, I will overlook the lack of ABS and I feel that the previous owner was somewhat ignorant of it's spec rather than being devious. - (#1700) John Davis, 24 Dec 01

John
Lack of ABS on the Townace could be a blessing in disguise. The early ABS offerings were a little quirky in their design. The ABS on my 1990 Honda saved my neck a couple of times but recently failed. Diagnosis and repair requires specialist equipment beyond the reach of DIY and I was quoted up to £1100 just for replacement parts! As the repair would have cost more than the car was worth, I've reluctantly got rid. Considering the difficulty in sourcing some parts for our Townies, I cringe at how much a Jap ABS system on an import, of that era would cost to repair. Just drive carefully and keep your wallet in your pocket!
Ian - (#1704) Ian Dunse, 24 Dec 01

Couldn't agree more Ian, there is so much electrical/electronic gear on these vehicles, ABS would only complicate matters further, additionally, the early systems were not very good either, I had a Rover with it on in the early 90's and it performed very badly, actually throwing your foot off the brake pedal if you were braking on ice or gravel, where it couldn't work out the data fast enough, the BOSCH ABS 5.1 on my company Peugeot also has EBD (Electronic Brake Force Distribution) this pumps the fluid from the caliper for the wheel about to lock, to the other calipers, rather than back to the master cylinder, thus reducing the pulsing of the brake pedal. The new Peugeot I'll be getting in January will also have Emergency Brake Assist, so I'll let you know how good that is when I've given it a go. Regards Rob.
P.S. ABS is no good in the snow or on gravel anyway, as it doesn't allow a build up of the material in front of the wheel & actually increases stopping distances on loose stuff. - (#1705) Rob Drinkwater, 24 Dec 01

Rob
I know what you mean about the reaction of the brake pedal when the ABS engages. It had a "good" side-effect of violently waking you up and alerting you to the fact that something bad was happening. As for stopping distances, I think I would prefer to drive with ABS than without. The reaction time is faster than manually applying the on-off-on-off braking technique while negotiating the best place to try and guide the car thru the slide.
Ian - (#1706) Ian Dunse, 24 Dec 01

Ian, couldn't agree more, wouldn't dream of having a modern car without ABS, but at least the modern systems are faster reacting & transparent in their operation, so it's a shame that the Townie doesn't have it, but I would rather not have it than have a late eighties design that would have been on them if they had. Merry Xmas Everyone. Regards Rob. - (#1708) Rob Drinkwater, 24 Dec 01