Newb Question, ABS Brakes

[ryan_M]

Ok I have a 1990 240sx fastback and my brake master cylinder went out on me and I want to order a new one. My question is how do I know if my car has ABS brakes or if I dont have ABS brakes?

Sorry for the Newb Question,

Thanks

[skiboard06]

go out in the rain and get up to 60mph and then stomp on your brakes down a hill. if you feel the abs kick in and pulse than you have it, if your wheels just lock up then no. solved-

[ryan_M]

Sounds like a plan, but one problem with that idea, I dont have a master cylinder so I have no brakes LOL :eek3d:

[Lurkable]

Look in the engine bay, follow the brake lines from the BMC, if they go to a large square-lookin thing with a bunch of hard lines coming out of it, you have ABS, and that thing is your ABS actuator. If the brake lines just go down the firewall below the engine, you probably don't have ABS....hopefully that helps. Sometimes it's answering the simplest questions that's really hard. :hs:

[ryan_M]

Thanks for your help, a new BMC is on its way.

[iwishiwas-all*]

fairly sure that abs didnt hit 240's until 91 year. if u have a 90 then most likely no

[g6civcx]

ABS was an option in 1990. A crude way is to do the panic stop. If your ABS is working, the pedal will pulsate. If ABS is malfunctioning, you will lock up some or all tyres, just like non-ABS.

Like Lurkable said above, a better way is to follow the brake lines from the MC. If the lines go to the side and go into a little box maybe the size of half your hand, that's the ABS modulator. If the lines go straight down from the MC, you don't have ABS. It's really simple.

As a precaution, if you do have ABS, remember that you have to bleed the ABS module as well. Check the FSM if you can get one.