I have a 2003 Saturn Vue with ABS. The front wheels have disk breaks and the rear wheels have drum breaks. My friend says that only my front wheels have ABS, since they are disk breaks. He tells me that the rear wheels do not have ABS since they are drum breaks. I think that all 4 wheels have ABS. Anyone know the answer? Outside sources would be a plus. Thanks!
easiest way to check is to actually look at the abs unit under the hood, each brake will have its own channel coming from the unit, but at the same time, I am thinking that drum brakes are incompatible with abs since it must apply and release the brake several times a second, and drum brakes are just not made to do that.
I will think only the front would have ABS since my corolla is the same. But two different country so i duno but i'll break it down to you like this. Drum with abs only has a little effect on them, Drum response slow and they trap heat. Ask your dealer to double check if your car has 4-wheel ABS.
I won a 1994 Dodge Dakota pick-up with rear wheel anti-lock brakes. DRUM brakes. The sensor for it is located in the differential. Any brake, rear or drum, can have anti-lock brakes. Find the VIN number from the front of the dash on the drivers side, (looking in from the outside,) and call the dealer. They will be able to tell you what day, month, options, and trim package that car had. Also look at the proportioning valve and see if the servo is connected to it and there are 4 lines coming out of it. Your anti-lock computer might say something about 4 wheel anti-lock brakes on it, too. Check the owners manual, too, it might say. Don't let your friend BS you into thinking only disk brakes can have anti-lock brakes.
4 wheel ABS systems operate in a three channel or four channel system, depending on the manufacturer and the model. For the Vue there may be independant rear controllers but I doubt that. You most have the three channel type of system. For the front wheels, there are two controllers, one for each wheel. But the rear wheels are operated simultaneously via a single controller. The signal is usually sent from a sensor located above the differential. If by chance you have separate controllers for the rear wheels (which is possible but not common in drum brake systems), then there will be a separate wheel speed sensor located inside each rear drum, probably very close to the hub. Either way you do have rear ABS, no manufacturers build a vehicle with only front ABS, since it would be very dangerous to have front wheels turning but rear wheels locked up. Your friend is incorrect about the drum brakes, my truck has rear-wheel ABS and is drum brake onthat axle.
