How do I tell whether a 2000 Toyota Celica GTS has ABS or not?
1. There will be an indicator light on the dashboard. It will light up, at least briefly, when the key is turned to the “run” position, and should turn off when the engine starts. If the ABS system were to fail, this light would stay on, until you clear it. 2. If the owner will let the car out of his sight, run it up to about 35 and stand on the brake pedal. If you feel it pulse under your foot, it’s probably got ABS. If it just feels solid, and you slide to an eventual stop, it probably doesn’t.
The ABS light isn’t fool proof as it’s possible for the lamp to burn out. However if it comes on at all you know the car is equipped. Other things to look for is ABS markings on the brake pedal, ABS fuse in the fuse panel, and a lack of a vacuum booster behind the master cylinder. Most cars aren’t shy about proclaiming ABS equipment with badging either inside or out. toxic writes “If the owner will let the car out of his sight, run it up to about 35 and stand on the brake pedal. If you feel it pulse under your foot, it’s probably got ABS. If it just feels solid, and you slide to an eventual stop, it probably doesn’t.” You should do this anyway when test driving a used car. Among other things it’ll help show whether brakes on one side are grabbing or not working at all, it’ll work the suspension (listen for thumps/clunks), test the inertial belt system and it can show pro
>If ABS was a factory-installed option, and was not installed, would you still expect the ‘ABS failed’ light to be on at all times? No. That’s not how these sorts of indicator lights work. If the car doesn’t have ABS, then although the light will be in the dashboard, it should never light up, because there’s no ABS controller to tell it to light up. The fact that it comes on before start-up is part of the system self test (like your check-engine light, which is similarly controlled). Look at it this way. How many Toyota customers would drive a new car off the lot with a dashboard warning light lit up?
