w0318

i am new and currently looking to buy a 97 SE 240sx. the owner says they have every option. but i a skeptical.

its got leather, 5 lug, sunroof

but he mentions that in his dash there is no abs light.

is there a dash light for abs?

or how can i check if this car has abs/VLsd? i am checking the car out tomorrow (friday) please let me know

-HyJynX-

I don't see a ABS module in the engine bay, and there is suppose to be a ABS light in the gauge cluster.

90% sure it doesn't have a VLSD

w0318

so is it safe to say that if the cluster doesnt have abs light the car is not equipped with it?

is this a major draw back? without ABS and LSD?


is there any other way to tell if the car has abs?

DRiften

every car equipped with ABS will have the abs light in the gauge cluster.
if it has ABS than it will have the VLSD as well.

abs, vlsd and sport suspension, were available all together as one optional sport package..

if the owner keeps sayin that it has abs, take it for a ride, and around 35mph just slam on the brakes.
good luck

USMCDrifter

I'll answer these in order:


1. That's pretty much the jist of it

2. Nope, a good driver without ABS is better than a poor-moderate driver with ABS? The LSD is usually used during braking and decel. only so you probably won't really notice the difference.

3. Charge up to around 30-35 mph and light the brakes up. If you hear SKKKRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR . . . .then you know that you don't have ABS. If you hear SKR . . . . .RR . . . . RRR . . . .R . . . . .R . . . .R then you know that you have ABS. Also, if you mash the brakes and you feel a vibrating or pulsating sensation under your foot, chances are it's the ABS kicking in.


-Dave

w0318

is that the ABS

DRiften

YES. THATS THE ABS CONSULE.

ummm. i dont know if you know this, but LSD is a device that spinns your rear wheels at the same pace. making sure you dont get the "Grab Leg Effect" (meaning when one wheels spinns and the other one just tags along... doing nothing. like the crab legs, when one leg moves and the other one is just dragged along)

well... LSD is a must if you plan on drifting. not really A MUST but you will need it to take the full control of the car while in long drifts. and its good while acceleration, (take off) cause your power is equally transfered to both wheels 50/50 power transfer. UNLIKE with no LSD when it can be anything except 50/50 transfer.

so. yeah. i dont see the advantage of having lsd while braking.
hmm.
well, correct me if i was wrong anywere

USMCDrifter

I'm aware of what an LSD is, LMAO! HAHAHA! I was just simply stating the fact that some LSD's are variable and only work under decelleration in order to balance out the car. Like with my Cavalier, I bought the LS Sport Coupe with the optional performance suspension from GM Goodwrench. The LSD does absolutely nothing under accel, I can still hit the one wheel action. But when I brake, downshift, or simply accel off, the LSD locks both wheels into the same motion. I don't know if that's the case with the 240sx's or not, but that was just one instance.

I won't argue with you on the LSD needed for drifting, I will however state that you can drift without an LSD, it's just different. Not harder, not easier, just different, you know? I can't explain it, I had a Silvia (S13) in Japan and it had an LSD, drifting was a breeze, it had it's difficulties, but it was just a matter of learning them . . .my 240 doesn't have an LSD (the one-track wonder) and it drifts with the best of them, but it also has it's, more prevailant, weaknesses. It's up to the driver to compensate for that, you know that however, you're a smart dude. It's like preaching to the choir. HAHA!

No correction, I just learned about the benefits of a LSD during braking when I bought my first FWD vehicle. I don't think it would be useful in a RWD car. If I'm wrong, please correct me, but I've felt the difference in FF's. My friend has a car just like mine. I drove his and braking is a lot more concentrated and controllable in my car then in his. Oh well!


Take Care
-Dave

sr20det power

im pretty sure he knew what he was talkin about, lsd can be used for both and i guess the advantage is that one brake setup wont have to work harder than another, in other words they rear brakes will work together because of the lsd and therefore it brakes better

w0318

so is LSD + ABS needed for every day commute. eventually it will be a super hooked up car..

is abs a worthy componant to be added afterwards.

I did a search and read that the LSD can be swapped out fairly easily.

-HyJynX-

LSD is a plus later on down the road when you really start upgrading your car and do more serious sht with it.

ABS, is not.

DaPCWiz

I didn't think it you could add abs to a non abs car.... or u could, but it would require so much **** that it's not even worth it...

devnull

You could add ABS to a non-ABS car, but there is indeed way too many things put in the car for it to worth it. ABS module, ABS computer, ABS wiring harnesses, ABS sensors. I believe you'd have to change certain parts of the suspension as well.

DRiften

sorry bro.. just thought you didnt know that crap cause you put the words in a 'funny' way.
anyway.. i would say that theres no difference in brakin while having lsd, or not. at least not for 240s or rwd cars in general. i mean when you drive normally, all your wheels spin at the same time, apply the brakes and all of them brake. (well theres a 75/25 % brake transfer. 75% front and the rest in the back) but my point is that lsd has nothing to do with brakin ability in 240s.

but i think i know why people say so. the 240s WITH LSD have the ABS. and the 240s with abs have bigger rotors in the front. (comparing with 240s with no abs) therefore, there would be a great difference in braking between 240s with abs/lsd and without.

aiiit.

l2aine

I agree with all the above - ABS isn't worth retrofitting into a non-ABS vehicle. As for LSD, if "eventually it will be a super hooked up car" then why bother with finding a car with VLSD? If you plan on making it "super hooked up" then an aftermarket LSD should be already on the list of upgrades.

... but as for the seller claiming the car has ABS, show him the picture of the ABS unit which you don't have. If the seller continues to claim it has ABS afterward, then they're a dumbass (or think you are a dumbass buyer)