I was wondering if ABS can be added to a car after I have purchased it?

Question

I purchased a new car and to my fault for not looking it doesn't have Anti Lock Braking System. Is that a feature I can add?

Answer 1

Easy answer to your question..Yes,though it is not feasible.
Depending on the year/make/model of your vehicle it can be done the hard way or the harder way.
Newer vehicle's have other system's that work in conjunction with the ABS braking system,such as traction control.
An abs system can be added using a standalone system and adapting sensor's to your existing car,but it would take alot of time,creativity and ingenuity.It would also take some ECM programming and knowledge.The easiest way would be to find the most basic ABS on the most basic non-electronic fuel injected car and adapt it to work.This would not be a job for a DIY home mechanic,just the equipment to do the computer would cost upwards of a $1000.If I took on a job like this at my shop,I would give an estimate of not less than $2000k,as long as they understood it would be very time consuming and probrably be over budget when finished.
Hope this helps,and if you decide to do it,take it to someone that is very very smart and deals with ECM programming on a daily basis.

Answer 2

Depends entirely on the car. In theory, any car can have ABS added for the right price, but that price might include custom fabrication of all the gear, and would likely cost more than the car itself.

So:

1. If your particular make and model had ABS available as an option for the same model year, ask the dealer. Most likely the answer will be "no", but it never hurts to ask, and if you mention that cost is not a concern, they might do the research for you. Trouble is, ABS is a factory option rather than a dealer-installed one, so the labor and parts will be painfully, painfully expensive.

2. If your particular make and model did not have ABS available as an option, you're out of luck, unless you're a mechanial whiz with deep, deep pockets.

Answer 3

You don't want no anti lock brakes.Forget it.
If you had them, I would bet you have no idea how they work, how to use rhem, or how do you know when they are working or not.
Not 1 person in a hundred, by my estimate, knows how to use anti lock brakes or can even tell me how they work .
They are a money maker for the shops. Most "mechanics" cannot trouble shoot or repair these systems.
From what I read on this forum most "mechanics" can't tell a bad battery from a bad alternator. So they change them both and YOU get the bill.

Answer 4

ABS ain't all that. Matter of fact, it is a rarely used system and when it DOES kick in it scares the beejezus out of most people. If you get into a situation like hydroplaning, pump the brakes, thats all ABS does for you.

Answer 5

Yes, you can but it's expensive to add ABS system into your
car. It's cheaper to sell the present car by trading in for another
with ABS system.

Answer 6

Well in theory you can buy all the components for ABS and have it installed in the vehicle, but you will more than likely pay more than the car is worth having those items installed. There are so many components and they are all very expensive.

Answer 7

i own a repair shop,and no you cant add this to it,it has to installed at the factory,because they use a different wiring harness on the cars that have abs on them,if you want it you have to buy the car with it on it already,good luck i hope this help,s.

Answer 8

If you are a average to good driver you can drive for decades without needing them, I have.