So wife was driving on the freeway the other day, was not paying attention , looked over her shoulder and almost rear ended someone when traffic stopped.

She slammed on the breaks bracing for a bad accident as she was within 30 feet and going about 55 MPH.

Luckily she did NOT smash our baby, and was full stopped within inches.

Point to this so far worthless post , she said she felt like the car hit three little bumps while she was slamming on the breaks.

Now I'm wondering, was that the engine breaking? (I read about this somewhere that was implemented after all the toyota pedal being stuck)

OR was that the locking def "locking" since its full time 4WD.

Thoughts anyone?

It's called ABS, and I bet she was not 30ft away doing 55mph.

What's a locking def?

sorry - locking diff.
Really - ABS? I have had ABS for past several cars, but never felt that?!

You said, "she said", never mind, I'll stop before I get in trouble.

It was ABS.

Hey now !!!

I can sometimes feel my transmission downshifting when braking hard.
Or, maybe it was that Prius she ran over.

what ever it was, it gave me a good feeling to know that such a monster of a car has pretty impressive stopping power.. Yipeee

It was most likely ABS, just as ClockWork mentioned. Ask her if she felt the break pedal "pulse" under her foot. if she was holding the breaks down, the ABS system kicks in and "pulses" the breaks so that they don't lock up, hence A.nti-lock B.raking S.ystem

Glad she's ok and more importantly, the truck's ok. ha ;)

Also the engine has nothing to do with the brakes unless you have installed a diesel with a jacobs brake.

How long did it take for her to free her hands from having embedded her nails into the steering wheel?

fixed.

I'm sure 'Brake Assist' activated if she hit the brakes that fast/hard. Yes our 4R's have this. That will also make a sound as well.

"Brake Assist is designed to detect sudden or “panic” braking and adds the full pressure needed to help prevent a collision.

If something rolls out into the street in front of a vehicle, there’s only a split second to react. (Figure 1)

Because the reaction time is so short before the driver hits the brakes, not enough pressure may be applied. As a result, the car may not stop in time.

But in a Toyota, if a driver fails to apply enough pressure to the brake, the Brake Assist sensors will detect this sudden or “panic” braking and add pressure. (Figure 2) This additional pressure can help the driver avoid hitting the object."

Brake Assist – Vehicle Safety

I've triggered mine many times, sends anything inside your 4R flying (numerous threads on it as well).

You guys are driving me nuts!! BRAKES. Unless they are broken, they aren't breaks. Rant over, carry on.

It's been edited in my original post, I fixed it a few mins after I posted it. My brain and my keyboard weren't speaking correctly. lol

Thanks westwind! That what I was looking for, not engine break DOH.. I mean the "Break Assist". I'm thinking thats what it was, am now interested to know the detail mechanics behind it all.