I almost posted this in the other thread there, about poor performance in snow, but honestly I just drove through a major storm 8 hours to Reno and then through a week of foot a day snow there. Other than my own inability to be responsible on certain nobody else around corners, the Elantra does just fine in the snow.

Anyways, that's all beside the point. The one problem I did notice immediately and often however was the brakes. I've driven many other cars in the snow (real snow, back up in Canada), and never experienced this before -- when braking on some of the rougher terrain, the brakes would kick back against my foot like they were dragging on the ground themselves. Kind of a Flintstones effect, like my foot was actually being pressed against the ground to stop the car and the rough snow and ice underneath it was pushing back against me.

During these periods they would all but fail for the few moments it would occur, as though all the lines dropped their fluid and I was just pushing air out an open bleed valve.

Anybody else? They're fine on dry ground, but I have never experienced brakes that do that. If the car can't safely stop, it just can't stop, but I shouldn't feel it through my foot in a brand new car. And no, I wasn't just sliding on ice. I know what sliding on ice feels like. This was actualy physical backpressure on the brake pedal combined with an absence of pressure to the calipers.

 

*bump*

Nobody?

 

Sounds like the ABS was kicking in. Does your Elantra have ABS? Have you even driven a car with ABS in the snow?

 

Yes. I have, but thanks for patronizing me - I'm from Canada, I've driven in a lot of snow, in a variety of cars. This is not ABS, it's not an intermittent loss of braking ability as the ABS pumps the brakes, it's a complete loss. The pedal won't go in. You shouldn't feel ABS through your foot, unless Hyundai has some new fangled contraption that completely defeats the purpose of braking.

I suppose like my other question I had posted here, I'll just have to go to the other Hyundai forums where people actually try to help. Thanks for your time.

 

The ABS in my Sonata responds the very same way the ABS systems in my Taurus, Explorer, my daughter's Sonata and my son's Honda. If the systems detects a wheel locking up, it pulsates pressure to the slaves to the prevent the lock up. The pulsing can be felt in the brake pedal. I think most drivers have a tendency to let off the pedal when they feel the pulsing, when they should continue to apply firm pressure on the brake pedal.

If you think you have a true problem with the brakes, don't screw around waiting for answers on forums. I'd get the car to a dealer.

I'm sorry you found our previous dialog so useless.

 

How was I patronizing you? I asked a simple question about your driving experience. I don't know you from Adam and I don't know what you know or don't know without asking. Sorry for trying to get more information.

Sounds like the ABS to me. That's was ABS does, it releases the brakes when the wheels lock. And YES, you can feel it at the pedal. I'll ask again, have you ever driven a car with ABS before? Sounds like you haven't.

Really? You mean this question:
https://www.hyundaiforum.com/forum/s...ead.php?t=7516

Sounds like it was answered well. Oh well. You can't please everybody. Enjoy the other forum.

 

Hi,

We're having the exact same problem with our 2009 Elantra Touring. We live in Canada and have driven dozens of cars with ABS before-- this is totally different from the pulsing one feels when ABS kicks in. It is exactly as you've described-- a "Flintstones" effect that feels like you're pressing the brake directly through the floor and onto the icy chunks and snow. Scary, in bad weather.

Did you ever find out what it was? We figure at best it's a MALFUNCTION of the ABS. Let me know if you have any insight...

 

When my 09’s anti lock kicks in it does feel and sound very bad. The best description I can think of is those springy door stops in your house. Flick one and listen. Yes I can feel it in the petal. Combine the feel with the loud sound and you could think there is something wrong with the car. But you have to keep in mind that you are in a small car and the only place they had room to put the mech was inside the passenger compartment. Hence the sound will get your attention. But it does alert you to the real conditions outside.

I have a gravel driveway with a drop down to the main road. Mine goes off almost every morning on that drop, if I am by myself. With an extra person it’s normally quiet. The day it stops making noises is the day I’ll start worrying about it.

You need to learn how you car operates. I just learned that the “on” time for the dome light is different based on whether the door is locked or unlocked. Some features you like and some you don’t.

 

Well, I suppose that's all right, then. Just seems strange... As I said, we've driven literally at least a dozen cars with ABS in the snow, including small cars, and never experienced this kind of noise and sensation. But if you say it's normal... Well, that's good news.

 

If your tires are sliding on the snow ABS or anything else is not going to help you brake the car. The standard tires supplied by Hyundai are HORRIBLE in the snow. I made my son get new tires when he had only 10,000 miles on the standard ones because the snow performance was so bad. New Goodyear Tripletreds and problem was solved. True winter tires would be even better.