Warning Signs For Brake Failure
Most of us take the brakes on our cars for granted, but an outright failure – although rare – could cost us our lives. Brakes that work but are not at peak efficiency put us in danger by increasing stopping distances.
On average a driver uses their brakes more than 75,000 times a year, and if you live in a city or have a crowded commute, you’re even more reliant on good brakes than other people. Typical closing speeds on narrow country roads can be 100mph, and all the times we touch our brakes when in heavy traffic on suburban roads and motorways.
If your brakes fail?
Although total brake failure is unlikely, especially with modern dual-circuit brake systems, it is worth knowing how to cope with the situation.
If your brakes fail when you’re driving, try to stay calm. Keep your foot away from the accelerator and leave the car in gear, steer to avoid other cars and obstacles. Turn off your cruise control if you have one and it’s on.
If the brakes feel soft and the pedal has gone to the floor, try pumping it. It may be possible to regain some brake pressure and slow the car safely. Slow down the car using engine braking by shifting in to a lower gear, but be careful. If your car is still going very fast, this can cause damage to the gearbox. Change down gradually, if you use an automatic take note of the gear settings.
Applying the handbrake carefully can also help – it is usually cable-operated, separately from the main braking circuits, so may well still be operational. Be careful to keep control of the vehicle, though, while you’re pulling on the handbrake.
If you are on a multi-lane road, move over in to the slow lane when possible, then when your car has slowed move to the hard shoulder if there is one. Once your car has slowed down, change into neutral and allow it to come to a stop – try to find a safe place, out of the main flow of traffic. Then put on your handbrake and get out of the car and to a safe place. Call your recovery company to get your car to a garage, but only once you’re physically safe.
What can make your brakes fail?
A wide range of factors can lead to poor brake performance or complete failure. These include design and manufacturing faults, sloppy servicing, infrequent maintenance and even vandalism. Old brake fluid, worn pads or shoes and discs or drums, or leaky brake pipes are some of the most common issues.
However the brake problem has been caused, a car with issues is a serious accident waiting to happen.
Sorting out your brake problems
Thankfully, it is easy to spot most problems and careful DIY is often an option to fix brakes. Take notice of unusual noises, vibration of the car or brake pedal, sponginess or slow response when braking, and get them checked by your garage. Remember, you and your family’s lives could be at stake.
If your dashboard shows a brake warning light, damage has probably already been done. Either you have missed warnings when driving, or your maintenance intervals have become too long. Take immediate action to rectify the fault, and make some changes to the way you inspect your brakes and the intervals at which they are inspected.
Pascal’s Law and Hydraulic Brake System
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Tags: affmage source=, brake system, brake warning light, hydraulic brake system, leaky brake pipes, main braking circuits, modern dual-circuit brake, old brake fluid, poor brake performance, total brake failure
