95 Anuário Yearbook ABLA 2014 New equipment costs No one doubts the importance of ABS and air bags in driver and passenger safety. Such equipment became mandatory on January 1, 2014, for all the vehicles produced inBrazil or those imported. There had been some concern as to the cost of such equipment and its weight in the final price of vehicles, especially for entry-level models, but everything indicates thatautomakersandsuppliershaveabsorbedpartof thecost. Concernnow turns to themaintenanceand replacement costs of such equipment However, Alessandro Rubio, a technical specialist at theCenter for RoadSafetyTestingand Safety (CESVI) both neither air bags nor ABSwill cause any headaches for owners. “Air bags have a working life of between 15 and 20 maintenance-free years,” he says. “Manufacturers recommend thatafter thisperiod,an inspectionbeperformed. If thereareany problems, you can replace just thedamaged item, but itmaybe that evenafter 20years it isstill inperfect condition,”headds. ABS is less of a risk as regards extra cost.” Although it useswheel sensorsandelectroniccomponentsandmodules, maintenance ismuch like that of aconventional system,”says Alessandro. It seems complex, but the operation is simple. The same professionals who maintain or repair traditional brake systems can alsomanageABS. Risksandcosts Of course, the analysis Alessandro carries out is done under normal conditions. However, sometimes an airbag can be triggeredwithout acollisionoccurring, requiring thewhole system to be changed. “The mechanism is activated not only by impact, but abrupt stopping. So if someone is traveling at 60 km per hour and hits an exposed manhole and the vehicle stops immediately, itmight triggering the airbag,” hewarns. Replacementmay be costly because it involvesmultiple parts.Alessandrosays that latest cost surveysdownbyCESVI come from 2012.”It cost between R$ 5,000 and R$ 8,000 for a hatchback, and between R$ 10,000 and R$ 15,0000 for an average sedan,” he says. The price depends on what needs to be changed: if it is one or two bags, the dashboard, seat belts pre-tensioners ...The time taken to carry out thework is around four hours. As for ABS, sometimes a cable or sensor has to be changed,which is quick and cheap, saysAlessandro. Alessandro also says a defective ABS does not make the braking system useless. The system works normally, without the ABS function stopping the wheels from locking. If the system fails, a warning light flashes on the dashboard. Air bags andABS are a concern because theymay increasemaintenance costs andmeanmore time spent inworkshops. There are risks, but a specialist at CESVI says they are small. hatch; e de R$ 10 mil a R$ 15 mil para um sedã médio”. O preço varia de acordo com o que tem deser trocado: seumaouduasbolsas, painel, cintos pré-tensionadores... O tempo para realização do serviço gira em torno de 4 horas. Quanto ao ABS, eventualmente pode haver necessidade de trocar um chicote ou reparar um sensor, “oqueé realizadocom rapidezaumcusto baixo”. AlessandroRubio ressalta ainda queumdefeitonoABSnãoneutralizao freio.Osistema funciona normalmente, porém, sem a função do ABS, queéadeevitar o travamentodas rodas. Emcaso de defeito do sistema, uma luz específica acende de imediato no painel do carro.
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