One of the most terrifying feelings as a driver is when you go to brake and you do not stop. You are at the mercy of your car and can only hope that there are no other drivers around so that you can find a way to come to a stop safely. To avoid instances like this happening, regular servicing will ensure your brakes are in good working order. Sudden brake failure in well-maintained cars is possible but you are probably more likely to be hit by lightning. Another way to keep yourself safe is getting in the habit of checking your brakes every time you get behind the wheel. That way you won’t have to worry about this situation happening. Brake testing only takes a few seconds to do and will become habit after a while. There are two checks that you can make – Static and Rolling.
Brake Tests You Can Do:Static brake test: The static brake test is just a matter of pressing the brake pedal when you get into the car. There should be resistance from the pedal; if there isn’t and the pedal feels soft or easily pushes to the floor you have probably got a fluid leak and should not drive the car.
Rolling brake test: Also pretty self explanatory, you perform this test by pressing the brake pedal gently as soon as possible after moving off and while driving slowly. It’s a surefire way to make sure that your brakes are OK before you need them. To be clear, I’m not saying floor it and brake. I’m saying start slow, like normal, then stop(at like 5-10mph).
Symptoms of impending brake failureIn addition to performing these tests regularly, what are some of the signals that your brakes are about to fail? To know that you’ll need to understand how your brakes work. Your brakes use a hydraulic system; for the system to work effectively there must be fluid in the hydraulic pipes. If the fluid starts to leak, the brake pedal will feel ‘softer’ and will often travel further when pressed. If your brake pedal feels soft or ‘spongy’ stop immediately and get a breakdown mechanic to check the car.
In an EMERGENCY SITUATION ONLY you might be able to build up brake pressure by repeatedly pumping it, however, this is only an ’emergency’ measure to stop the car once. This is definitely not a I-guess-this-is-just-how-I-brake-now solution. Driving with a ‘soft’ brake pedal is extremely dangerous because your brakes could fail at any moment. Even if they don’t fail, you definitely won’t be able to stop as quickly as you may need to and it could lead to an accident.
If your brake pedal feels hard and the brakes are not working or are inefficient, something might have broken in the braking system OR it could just be that something is jammed under the brake pedal. I found a chapstick stuck under there once, so really try to keep the floor area of your vehicle free of litter and other stuff that could slide under the pedals.
Your brakes are not something to take lightly, so make sure that you are really keeping up on their maintenance. If you need to get your brakes checked, you can stop by Harchelroad Motors of Imperial and Wauneta and we’ll be happy to check your vehicle out and get you back on the road!
Connect with us
