A quick query - what is a/b?

mike65

I've been looking through car ads again, what is a/b?

Mike.

Tipsy Mac

As far as I know it's an Air Bag.

murphaph

Airbag isn't it?

mike65

Ah that makes sense, feel a bit stoopid now!

Mike.

colm_mcm

It could also be Antilock Brakes. although ABS is more common

mike65

ABS is listed seperatly

Mike.

colm_mcm

that'l be an airbag then!

Victor

colm_mcm wrote:

It could also be Antilock Brakes. although ABS is more common

Thats anti-brake skidding isn't it?

crosstownk

AFAIK ABS stands for Anti Blocking System.

The term a/b is a bit ambigious as it could mean ABS or Airbag. However, if ABS is listed seperately then I'd imagine it means Airbag.

cormie

maybe they listed it to mean ABS as in airbagS and then AB means anti breaking or whatever. By the way, if you're looking on buyandsell.net, when you fill in the for sale form for AUTOS, you can click features such as ABS and airbags and they add the shortened word (acronym are they called? no it's something else isn't it?) to the ad. Airbag adds a/b, ABS adds ABS, El. Windows adds e/w etc etc.

RobertFoster

crosstownk wrote:

AFAIK ABS stands for Anti Blocking System.

Anti-lock braking system (translated from German, Antiblockier-Bremssystem).

crosstownk

RobertFoster wrote:

Anti-lock braking system (translated from German, Antiblockier-Bremssystem).

That's exactly correct but I think that the engish speaking world uses Anti Blocking System in an effort to describe it rather than using German (Google it and see what you get). But you are 100% right it is a German term.

colm_mcm

I've never heard of anyone calling it anti blocking.

crosstownk

I've come across it a few time - usually in in a technical publication - I think i't simply an 'approximation of the correct German term.

Bards

The Car Manufacturers call it "Advanced Braking System"

Hagar

The car is a wreck and will just about get you from A to B.

colm_mcm

Bards wrote:

The Car Manufacturers call it "Advanced Braking System"

which manufacturers?

Bards

colm_mcm wrote:

which manufacturers?

http://world.honda.com/motorcycle-technology/brake/p7.html

http://www.frost.com/prod/servlet/report-brochure.pag?id=B770-01-00-00-00

http://timesonline.newcarnet.co.uk/pop_sec_indepth.html?serialno=30411

http://car-reviews.automobile.com/news/mercedes-benz-recalls-680-000-cars-for-sensotronic-braking-system/222/

http://www.dervman.com/abs.htm

I used to work in the automotive industry and we supplied parts to various automotive manufactuers.
we and the manufacturers always called ABS "Advanced Braking System"


Maybe the gneral public simply refers to them as anti-lock but the industry refers to it as advanced

colm_mcm

isn't the Honda "Advanced Braking System" a combined ABS system for motorbikes?

ninty9er

I think you'll find Honda said Advanced (only capital due to beginning of the sentence

Bards
http://world.honda.com/motorcycle-te.../brake/p7.html

http://www.frost.com/prod/servlet/re...70-01-00-00-00

http://timesonline.newcarnet.co.uk/p...serialno=30411

http://car-reviews.automobile.com/ne...ng-system/222/

http://www.dervman.com/abs.htm

I used to work in the automotive industry and we supplied parts to various automotive manufactuers.
we and the manufacturers always called ABS "Advanced Braking System"


Maybe the gneral public simply refers to them as anti-lock but the industry refers to it as advanced

They then say systems then stating CBS and ABS. ABS stands for Anti-lock Braking System. (I've had enough of grammar last semester to know anti-lock is 2 words joined by a hyphen to make it one word as is Ard-Fheis per example)

I have 2 relatives in the industry and have friends with dealer connections and frankly I wouldn't buy a cara off a dealer that doesn't know 10 years on in mainstream model use that ABS stands for Anti-lock Braking System, as much as EBD stands for Electronic Brake-force distribution and ASR = Traction control (Acceleration Slip Regulation), sometinmes ioncorporated into the ESC/ESP electronic stability programme

Common sense

colm_mcm

Yeah. the car brands I sell have never referred to ABS as advanced braking system. not saying you're wrong, but Anti Lock Braking is the commonly used term.

Seth Brundle

Looking at a BMW owners manual they translate it as Antilock Braking System!

Spit62500

Anti-lock braking systems existed in a basic form as early as the 1920s for some aircraft. When Bosch in collaboration with Mercedes developed the system for cars the acronym was taken from the German 'Antiblockiersystem'. I clearly remember this as I remember when it was introduced on production cars (showing my age now...). Its been called various things since then to make understanding and marketing easier, especially in places like America. It may now stand for Anti-lock Braking System or Advanced Braking System or whatever you're having yourself but originally it was taken from the German and it happened that it was possible to use the same acronym to describe the system in a similar way in English. That's probably why there's no consistent description.

Just to stir some controversy: when did you last need yours and did it prevent you from having an accident? Mine has only activated when I brake hard on gravel or snow and very rarely on a tarmac surface. I remember that Audi used to have an ABS override on their cars as they claimed that ABS was dangerous when driving on snow. Under heavy braking, locking the wheel allows a wedge of snow to build up under the wheel and slows the car more effectively. Anyone who has braked heavily on ice (as you should never do) will agree that ABS is fairly useless in this case as the resultant slide will usually bring you sideways because of weight transfer etc.

Thoughts?:D

unkel

RobertFoster wrote:

Anti-lock braking system (translated from German, Antiblockier-Bremssystem).

Exactly! I remember the introduction on the S-class and 7-series in late '78

Bartonprince

mike65 wrote:

Ah that makes sense, feel a bit stoopid now!

Mike.

you should lol