Re: The reason that the Max series need MCAS
big_D "...was on an icy road..."
My neighbourhood includes a small hill which can be perfectly icy. My car (W211) is 4Matic and I use Nokian studded tires.
Sometimes the slippery ice is covered with fluffy snow, and that can result in the tires 'rafting' (or 'tobogganing') on the compressed snow, so the tire studs fail to reach the ice. Under these conditions, the ABS is the worst pssoble thing because it keeps regenerating endless new rafts of compressed snow under the tires.
Thankfully, the ABS on my car allow me to press the brake pedal harder and lock up the wheels. Yes, it's true.
I presume that this obscure ABS override feature is only available under certain conditions, such as very slow speed.
With the wheels locked up for a couple of seconds, the snow rafts are ground away and the studs can then bite into the ice. It's possible to creep down the hill safely.
This whole process of getting safely down the hill under these conditions is highly obscure. Without the ABS override it would be much worse.
(Going up the hill is easy as momentum is your friend.)
Biting the hand that feeds IT
