When it comes to car safety, nothing tops the brake system in your vehicle. A failure in this system may lead to a serious accident, therefore, it is important to know when you are having a brake problem before it is too late. Sometimes a malfunction in this area is obvious, other times it is not. Here we will learn how to decipher some of the most common brake problem symptoms you might encounter. Read over the situations described below or test drive your car in a safe and non-traffic area near your home and compare the results.
Assess the situation. Can you hear a slight or loud noise every time you step on the brakes? Grinding, squeaking or some other abnormal noises may indicate worn break shoes or pads, hardened or contaminated linings, lack of lubrication or a lose mechanical part in the brake assembly.
Step on the brake pedal. Do you need to apply much pressure to activate the pedal? You might have a problem on the brake booster; a leak of break fluid or grease on the break linings or a possible mechanical problem on one of the wheel brake assemblies.
Apply the brakes as you normally do. As soon as the car comes to a complete stop, release the brake and begin to accelerate. Do you feel the brakes still holding onto the wheels momentarily? This dragging symptom might be caused by a stuck brake cylinder piston, a contaminated brake shoe or pad or a failure in the master cylinder or parking brake.
Move your right foot to the brake pedal and start applying pressure. Does the pedal travel too fast to the floor before the brake mechanism activates and the car begins to stop? Air might have leaked into the brake system or the brake shoes are poorly adjusted or a pressure check valve is failing.
Step on the brake pedal. Do you feel the car swerving slightly to one side? You might have a frozen brake caliper or wheel cylinder piston or a contaminated break shoe or drum.
Pay attention to your hands and foot when you step on the brake pedal. Do you feel a slight or strong vibration apparently coming from the steering wheel or pedal? The most likely cause is a warped break disc, an out-of-round brake drum or some other unusual condition on the disc or drums.
Apply pressure to the brake pedal. Does it almost reach the floor before the vehicle begins to slow down or comes to a full stop? There might be several reasons: the caliper piston or wheel cylinder is stuck; one of the break hoses might be clogged; a vacuum line going to the break booster is loose or the break booster itself is failing; the master cylinder needs service or lining pads or shoes are contaminated.
