2005 Mazda 3i very dangerous ABS problem. Anyone else?

[urge262]

About a week ago I was traveling at 55-60mph when I thought someone was going to pull out in front of me, I slammed on my brakes really hard for about 2 seconds, the ABS kicked in, and I did not skid. But when I noticed the car wasn't going to pull out in front of me, I took my foot off of the brake but the ABS brought my car to a dead stop right in the middle of this busy road. The car behind me flew off onto the shoulder almost crushing my back bumper. So basically the ABS didnt disengage even when I took my foot off of the brake. When the car came to a complete stop the car rocked backwards and the ABS/brakes realeased and everything seemed fine. This cannot be normal and seems like a very very dangerous issue. If this happenes again I mean maybe I need to accelerate after hitting the brakes to dodge something and i won't be able to because the ABS brings me to a complete stop??!

No ABS light came on, nothing was touching the brake pedal, and the brakes didn't lock up. I tried to re-create this in a parking lot but I didn't try this at the same speed (for saftey reasons) and the ABS kicks in and releases when I take my foot off of the brake. I called the dealer and I am taking the car in on Monday. I was just wondering if anyone has had this happen to them or if anyone has heard about this issue with this car, and or if this has happened with any other ABS systems (i bet it has)?

Also what happenes if they tell me they can't find anything wrong with the ABS? What should I do then? Just make sure that my problem is documented in their work order just in case something happens down the road? Or contact Mazda directly? Or other organizations?

Thanks,
-Neal

 

[urge262]

05 Mazda 3i very dangerous ABS problem. Anyone else have this issue?

About a week ago I was traveling at 55-60mph when I thought someone was going to pull out in front of me, I slammed on my brakes really hard for about 2 seconds, the ABS kicked in, and I did not skid. But when I noticed the car wasn't going to pull out in front of me, I took my foot off of the brake but the ABS brought my car to a dead stop right in the middle of this busy road. The car behind me flew off onto the shoulder almost crushing my back bumper. So basically the ABS didnt disengage even when I took my foot off of the brake. When the car came to a complete stop the car rocked backwards and the ABS/brakes realeased and everything seemed fine. This cannot be normal and seems like a very very dangerous issue. If this happenes again I mean maybe I need to accelerate after hitting the brakes to dodge something and i won't be able to because the ABS brings me to a complete stop??!

No ABS light came on, nothing was touching the brake pedal, and the brakes didn't lock up. I tried to re-create this in a parking lot but I didn't try this at the same speed (for saftey reasons) and the ABS kicks in and releases when I take my foot off of the brake. I called the dealer and I am taking the car in on Monday. I was just wondering if anyone has had this happen to them or if anyone has heard about this issue with this car, and or if this has happened with any other ABS systems (i bet it has)?

Also what happenes if they tell me they can't find anything wrong with the ABS? What should I do then? Just make sure that my problem is documented in their work order just in case something happens down the road? Or contact Mazda directly? Or other organizations?

Thanks,
-Neal

 

[Antonio DiMarco]

Bring it back to the dealer.

About a week ago I was traveling at 55-60mph when I thought someone was going to pull out in front of me, I slammed on my brakes really hard for about 2 seconds, the ABS kicked in, and I did not skid. But when I noticed the car wasn't going to pull out in front of me, I took my foot off of the brake but the ABS brought my car to a dead stop right in the middle of this busy road. The car behind me flew off onto the shoulder almost crushing my back bumper. So basically the ABS didnt disengage even when I took my foot off of the brake. When the car came to a complete stop the car rocked backwards and the ABS/brakes realeased and everything seemed fine. This cannot be normal and seems like a very very dangerous issue. If this happenes again I mean maybe I need to accelerate after hitting the brakes to dodge something and i won't be able to because the ABS brings me to a complete stop??!

No ABS light came on, nothing was touching the brake pedal, and the brakes didn't lock up. I tried to re-create this in a parking lot but I didn't try this at the same speed (for saftey reasons) and the ABS kicks in and releases when I take my foot off of the brake. I called the dealer and I am taking the car in on Monday. I was just wondering if anyone has had this happen to them or if anyone has heard about this issue with this car, and or if this has happened with any other ABS systems (i bet it has)?

Also what happenes if they tell me they can't find anything wrong with the ABS? What should I do then? Just make sure that my problem is documented in their work order just in case something happens down the road? Or contact Mazda directly? Or other organizations?

Thanks,
-Neal

If the dealer gives you problems tell them you'll call Mazda. Most dealers I know don't mess with saftey issues. I can't imagine the computer wouldn't record some brake failure in this case.

 

[MightyMouse]

About a week ago I was traveling at 55-60mph when I thought someone was going to pull out in front of me, I slammed on my brakes really hard for about 2 seconds, the ABS kicked in, and I did not skid. But when I noticed the car wasn't going to pull out in front of me, I took my foot off of the brake but the ABS brought my car to a dead stop right in the middle of this busy road. The car behind me flew off onto the shoulder almost crushing my back bumper. So basically the ABS didnt disengage even when I took my foot off of the brake. When the car came to a complete stop the car rocked backwards and the ABS/brakes realeased and everything seemed fine. This cannot be normal and seems like a very very dangerous issue. If this happenes again I mean maybe I need to accelerate after hitting the brakes to dodge something and i won't be able to because the ABS brings me to a complete stop??!

No ABS light came on, nothing was touching the brake pedal, and the brakes didn't lock up. I tried to re-create this in a parking lot but I didn't try this at the same speed (for saftey reasons) and the ABS kicks in and releases when I take my foot off of the brake. I called the dealer and I am taking the car in on Monday. I was just wondering if anyone has had this happen to them or if anyone has heard about this issue with this car, and or if this has happened with any other ABS systems (i bet it has)?

Also what happenes if they tell me they can't find anything wrong with the ABS? What should I do then? Just make sure that my problem is documented in their work order just in case something happens down the road? Or contact Mazda directly? Or other organizations?

Thanks,
-Neal

That is the EBA, or Emergency Brake Assist. If the car thinks you are in an emergency situation, it will engage the brakes harder than you are hitting them and let the ABS prevent lockup.

 

[Kansei]

holy crap that's a really scary situation!! Let us know what the dealership finds.

 

[Raymo853]

I bet it is the EBA; however, the situation described has to be a malfunction of some sense or the software. It should know you took your foot off of the brake. Or to show I am fickle, maybe not. The decision tree in the software could have some routine that is to stop the car even after you release, so say if you hit one object, are rendered unconscious or killed the car will not just continue to roll into another object. I say just disconnect your brakes and engine brake and learn to coast to stops all the time.

 

[keleko]

and how possible is it that you THINK you took your foot all the way off the brake, but didn't?

or, how about you moved your foot just enough to bunch up the floormat and it somewhat jammed the brake pedal down *just* enough?

sure, unlikely, but just as unlikely as the abs doing as you described all by itself

 

[urge262]

and how possible is it that you THINK you took your foot all the way off the brake, but didn't?

or, how about you moved your foot just enough to bunch up the floormat and it somewhat jammed the brake pedal down *just* enough?

sure, unlikely, but just as unlikely as the abs doing as you described all by itself

I thought about that but, i do remember placing my foot back on the floor. I mean this was around 3 seconds from when I first hit the brak till i stopped. It doesnt seem like a long time but halfway through i was saying to myself "why am i still slowing down?"

 

[urge262]

Ok I took my car to the dealer this morning. They ran tests through the computer and they said everything seemed fine. The guy in the service dept. said that he could call the Mazda Tech line and see if they had any other tests or complaints about this issue but, they didn't open till 9am. I said I was going to head to work and that I would come back in if they wanted to try some other tests. The guy called me back a little bit ago and said that the Tech line hasn't heard of any other complaints with this issue and that the computer should have reported a malfunction if something was wrong.

He said the Tech line mentioned what could have happened was that my rotors were really hot at the time. The rotors expanded which kept the brakes from releasing properly. Now this sort of makes sense. I didn't tell the guy I was driving in the mountains of WV. The road that I was on was very curvy and fast. So i was definitely working the brakes going from 55mph to 10 mph on hairpin turns etc... But I can't remember how curvy the road was prior to this incident and why would the brakes release as soon as I stopped? Would the rotors have cool down that much? Why didn't the brakes stay locked for another 5-10 seconds as the rotors cooled? Maybe they were "cooling" down as my speed decreased and just happened to release as soon as I came to a complete stop? Or the rocking back of the car's momentum as I stopped turned the rotors clockwise (the opposite direction of what they were spinning as I was stopping) somehow "released" the brakes? If the rotors expanded then how come the ABS continued to work? Wouldn't the ABS turn off if it knew I wasn't using the brake. Even if the rotors expanded and were "sticking" (my word not Mazda's) to the brake pads wouldn't the wheels lock up and put the car into a skid if the ABS knew I didn't have my foot on the brake? I mean I don't know the technical ins and outs of the ABS so I am by no means an expert.

 

[Brian MP5T]

That sounds ******* Dnagerous..

 

[urge262]

Ignore the my "clockwise" comment. Ha that only made sense if you were looking at my car from the driver's side! What I meant was when the car rocked back maybe the rotors turned in the opposite direction which caused the brakes to release?

 

[Kansei]

I've never heard of rotors expanding enough to stick like that.. I mean yeah the brake pads are really close to the rotors and all but wow... they don't expand that much.

Your rotors are still the original mazda ones, right?

 

[urge262]

I've never heard of rotors expanding enough to stick like that.. I mean yeah the brake pads are really close to the rotors and all but wow... they don't expand that much.

Your rotors are still the original mazda ones, right?

Stock 11,477 miles 2005 3i.

Yeah I mean that gap is really small but for metal to expand like that?? Yeah I could bet that my rotors didn't look like the rotors during a NASCAR road course.

 

[iracemine]

dude expanding thing.... no. its probably EBA thing did you bring that up with your service writer? most of the time when they say they did somthing they really didint, i know i was one and i was way WAY to bussy to deal with tuff probs like that. i just hoped they would move on to the next dealer. sorry but do some resurch about the EBA

 

[urge262]

dude expanding thing.... no. its probably EBA thing did you bring that up with your service writer? most of the time when they say they did somthing they really didint, i know i was one and i was way WAY to bussy to deal with tuff probs like that. i just hoped they would move on to the next dealer. sorry but do some resurch about the EBA

I mean that EBA feature sounds really dangerous. I'll look into it but does anyone know anything else about it? Is this a standard ABS feature or do various manufacturers use them? When I get some free time I look look into the EBA and post my findings. If anyone else comes across any EBA info feel free to jump in. Thanks for all of the feedback so far!