Been noticing for a while, but never really thought it was that big of a deal, that my ABS sometimes catches when slowing down from a sudden, hard stop. Basically it happens when shifting down in sport shift from 3rd to 2nd and sometimes from 2nd to 1st. Should I even be manually shifting down if coming to that hard of a stop? Will it normally catch your ABS or is something up with my brakes?

Sudden hard stops? Did you brake or just downshift?

Both

What do you mean your ABS "catches"? Do you mean the ABS pump engages? If so, and you're not decelerating fast enough to engage ABS, then yes, something is wrong with your brakes. Try a sudden, hard stop without downshifting and see what happens.

It doesn't do it when I'm just stopping hard without downshifting. Lemme try to add more detail to what I'm asking

I'm doing, let's say, 45 in 3rd gear (remember, 5AT), traffic comes to a fast slow down to 0. As I'm hitting the brakes, I'm also downshifting in to 2nd (which would be at about 25-30). When I downshift from 3rd to 2nd, while under heavy braking, the ABS pump kicks in in the time it takes the tranny to shift from 3rd to 2nd. It lasts about 1 second. Sometimes it does the same thing between 2nd and 1st under heavy braking. But it's mostly while the tranny is shifting from 3rd to 2nd while under heavy braking.

Sounds like you are braking close to the limit of traction and the increase in engine braking during the downshift is breaking the rears loose. That wouldn't happen if the tranny could rev-match downshifts.

You have a brake pedal for a reason, use that and not your engine braking for the described situations. You don't need to downshift like that just to pretend you are a cool 6mt, even 6mt drivers don't downshift so harshly.

I drive a 6MT and I'll tell you that I never downshift unless it's to accelerate. Brakes are cheaper to replace than transmission components. If you have a 5AT just brake. In my car I simply throw it in neutral and let the brakes do their job.

Likewise, if I'm coming to a stop, I don't downshift. I pop it into neutral just as I'm about to stop. I only downshift when I know I need to accelerate out of a turn.

Just had to rebuild my transmission due to utilizing the sport shift in my 5AT. My advice would be stop using that crap before you end up having to spend a lot of money... I know it's dificult to keep yourself from beating on an automatic tranny but, they are really not made for that kind of abuse.

If you're going to be an ignorant ****face, please stop breathing.

The only reason I downshift while breaking is because that's how I learned to drive sticks. Now, I know I don't have a 6mt, which is really beside the point, but it still serves it's purpose. I will, however, stop downshifting when coming to a hard stop, as I don't want to have to replace the tranny. I will admit my ignorance on this, but like I said, it's just how I learned to drive. Thanks to those who weren't total dicks, lol

Haha a total dick? I'm not the one pretending to be a bad ***, kicking my rpms up really fast and high to downshift for a quick stop. Even driving my 6mt I kick it into neutral and use the part of the car made to slow down the car in that situation, the brakes. Don't be pissed at me because you learned to drive stick incorrectly and somehow learned to drive an automatic incorrectly as well. We are all trying to save you money and time down the road so if anyone is being a dick it is you, you ungrateful dick.

You assumed I downshifted when stopping "to pretend to be cool". Which is an idiotic assumption, and one that is also wrong. I forgive you for your assumption, however, as I have gotten good advice from at least a few people, and that's all I really wanted.

You're right, most people down shift their automatics when stopping for the additional braking power?

If you need to feel good about yourself at the expense of my admitted ignorance, I give you permission.