128 replies to this topic

[LazyDonkey]

Exige abs is designed for a 16" front. As such some say it's better on 17", some say it's worse.

[techieboy]

I've got the ABS controller from an Exige Cup fitted to my car and it's transformed the braking. Not a single occurrence of the infamous "ice mode" nor the "hard pedal" syndromes since it went on the car, both on the road and on the track. I might be able to get 2% more ultimate braking by having the ABS disabled but, like you, I'm not convinced my braking technique wouldn't go straight out of the window given an emergency on the road. The sh!tty normal ABS definitely saved me from T-boning a car that pulled out in front of me on a roundabout on my way to the National last year, even on a particularly dirty surface. For that reason alone, it's staying. If you can track down a secondhand controller that will just swap straight on without any assistance from Lotus, it's a really simple thing to do. Slightly more complicated if you have to buy a brand new one, as the car will need to go to a Lotus dealer to hook up to their diagnostics machine to be programmed/activated.

[techieboy]

Thanks - I have the standard NA alloys...is this going to be a problem not having 16's at the front?

Don't know I'm afraid. I've been running 16"/17" since way before the changeover in controllers. Moving to the 16'/17" setup on my standard ABS didn't make it any worse and may even have made the standard ABS slightly better (but by no means was it a cure).

If you can replicate whatever problem you have "on demand" then you're welcome to borrow my controller to test whether it improves things on the 17" wheels - it's literally a two minute job to change them over.

[cs_]

Actually the Lotus ABS runs perfectly with any combination of wheel diameter. The original VX220 ABS is limited to 2.5% difference in diameter, if you go further it runs out of specification. The Lotus ABS seems to adept itself to different diameters like modern ABS units do. In germany we have about 100 cars running the Lotus ABS, did (afairc) some 4 group buys 'til now. Not one complained, feedbacks are positive in any way. It's a totally different ABS. It kicks in much later, even lets you block one of the front wheels on track for a certain amount, it regulates faster, sometimes it is even hard to notice if it is still working. But it does. It is one of the best improvements you can get for your VX! Cannot understand one wants to have an ABS break switch. You simply don't need any after replacement.

Edited by cs_, 26 July 2011 - 01:16 PM.

[C43]

I run a Lotus Europa so had the 4 channel setup with 17" front and rear rims. With the right tyres sized I would say it was very good, except for ice mode when tracking it really hard. When I fitted 16" front rims I was told it would self compensate....b@@@@ks does it! I did not think it would as I know what code is needed and I was right. Running the wrong rim size throws the ABS totally out. So much so I would get ABS failure warning lights a lot of the time and the rest of the time it would go into ice mode at the strangest times. If you want ro run 4 channel ABS on a car fitted with 17" rims then use the one from a Lotus Europa. It just so happens I have a second hand one I could sell but if you want to get one new I can give you the part number. cheers C43

[Bargi]

What ABS unit do they have on the Europa? They run the same size wheels as std VX don't they?

[14500rpm]

Theres a early stage group buy on Elise ABS units at the moment if anyone wants to jump on it:

CLICK

[Graeme Lambert]

I run a Lotus Europa so had the 4 channel setup with 17" front and rear rims. With the right tyres sized I would say it was very good, except for ice mode when tracking it really hard.

When I fitted 16" front rims I was told it would self compensate....b@@@@ks does it! I did not think it would as I know what code is needed and I was right. Running the wrong rim size throws the ABS totally out. So much so I would get ABS failure warning lights a lot of the time and the rest of the time it would go into ice mode at the strangest times.

If you want ro run 4 channel ABS on a car fitted with 17" rims then use the one from a Lotus Europa. It just so happens I have a second hand one I could sell but if you want to get one new I can give you the part number.

cheers

C43

Interested in both the part number, and how much you'd be after for the second hand part?

G

[Pidgeon]

Just as a counter, I've been happy with the brakes on my three VXs and never felt the need to disable the ABS. I think most of the contributors to this thread have NAs? The current car has the VXR unit, but I can't say it works any differently than original.

[14500rpm]

I believe the VXR unit is a 4 channel one like the Elise/Exige.

[Graeme Lambert]

Just as a counter, I've been happy with the brakes on my three VXs and never felt the need to disable the ABS. I think most of the contributors to this thread have NAs?

The current car has the VXR unit, but I can't say it works any differently than original.

Have to say I felt the same about my VX for the first 5-6 months, but have experienced ice mode a couple of times recently - scary the first time when you don't know to come off the pedal and squeeze yourself gently back onto it.

Swap you for the VXR unit?

G

[cs_]

As the Lotus Europa is a modded VX220, I would not wonder if they used the same crappy ABS unit.

The one to go for has the part number A120J6004S and comes from the Elise 111R and several other types. I heard rumours that it is even the same ABS unit used in the 2-11...

Anyway I and many other drivers (I would say almost ALL of them) use the unit with 17"-wheels F&R and noone has ever encountered any problems with this. Never seen the ABS light either. The unit works like a charm and alls ABS problems are simply gone, might just forget this topic for all times.

But as always in any internet community: some do believe, other do not, the reader has to judge for himself what to believe. Sometimes a bit frustrating. Especially if things are that clear as with the 111R-ABS...

[cs_]

Just to make it complete: the ICE MODE is a phenomenon you may provoke with ANY ABS unit in ANY car on the market. Only the way the VX-ABS reacts is absolutely bull... You may provoke any ABS driving over a bumb pushing the brake on top of it. The ABS unit sees different wheel speeds because front wheels have a longer way to go uphill, additionally they loose grip after the top of the bump while the shock absorbers need some time to relax. This will trigger the ABS for some tics. This happens in every car with ABS. No care where it comes from. The problem with the VX-ABS is, that it blocks the braking for some second almost completely. This does not happen anymore using the Lotus-ABS. For sure. Granted. Tested by many many users. It works a lot better in any other braking also, this is a nice addon. You will feel as if you are driving a completely new car concerning the brakes.

[techieboy]

You will feel as if you are driving a completely new car concerning the brakes.

I agree.

It was driving a 111R (on a rough airfield track) that finally convinced me that I had to get one. I couldn't believe how well the Elise could brake. Whilst I was struggling to slow the car enough to make some of the turns at all, the 111R had no problems.

[Pidgeon]

Swap you for the VXR unit?

G

I bought my current car because it had all the 'right' bits on it. So now I have a set of four pots that have sat in the roof for two years, Nitrons that spend 11 months of the year on the shelf and Speedlines that have not been fitted for over a year. But one day I may want to put it all back together, so I'm keeping it

[TheRealVXed]

I did an experiment in the wet with the standard ABS to see what was what. With it enabled from 30mph (didn't want to go too fast) stamped on the pedal. Lots of mooing, little retardation for the first half second and then continued mooing with fairly good retardation. Stopping distance - 20.45 meters. Disabled ABS, and on the same piece of road stamped on the break pedal released and then re-applied (as per normal non-abs equipped cars for emergency stopping). Stopping distance 18.25 meters. I have driven a lot of cars, and 50% of them haven't had ABS at all. There is no need for it. If you have enough driving skill to keep a VX out of a ditch then you don't need ABS. It is a tool created for people who can't drive or are oblivious to conditions and don't plan ahead. Much like traction control/ESP/DSC and all the other TLA electronic programs designed to help you overcorrect into the opposite ditch.

[cs_]

May I introduce the "brakeforce distribution" topic here? In early times when cars had no ABS, they usually had a little mechanical gizmo called brakeforce distribution valve, usually sitting at the rear axle. It was connected with the axle, regulating the braking of the rear wheels depending on how large the rear axle is loaded (e.g. elongation of the dampers/springs). This was mandatory to never lose grip on rear of the car in any load condition. With the ABS systems there was no need anymore for mechanical valves inside the brake hydraulics. Any ABS has a feature called electronic brakeforce distribution (or abbreviated EBD). By design it detects blocking rear wheels and takes measures against it using the valves inside the ABS unit. So, the price question: what happens, if you deliberately deactivate the ABS in a stock-ABS-equipped car? Are you safe you will never encounter blocking rear wheels? - with any wheel combination? - with any brake setup (disks, calipers, pads)? - on any surface? - in any weather condition? I think many of the drivers who use an ABS-switch simply are very lucky chaps because the VX220 has very weak rear breaks in standard setup. And most guys who upgrade the brakes upgrade the front brakes with 4-piston-calipers or even more, neglecting the rear brakes. But beware if you are only near the optimum ratio and then getting into slippery conditions with more load on the rear wheels while braking hard... That's why I never would switch off the ABS in my car. Never. But these are just my 2 cents. But maybe some small coins worth thinking about...

Edited by cs_, 29 July 2011 - 11:18 AM.