Brake pedal goes to floor is a phenomenon that happens to your car for many reasons such as a leak in the sealed hydraulic system, a loss of brake fluid, a bad brake master cylinder… It seems scary that you have no control over the brakes but indeed you can solve this problem. By following a few steps, it is possible to deal with the brake failure.
But firstly, let’s dig in deep into the reason behind “brake pedal goes to floor intermittently”
Why Does My Brake Pedal Go To The Floor?
Leaking brake fluid
The brake system in your car is a sealed hydraulic system. It relies on close tolerances between the brake pads and rotors or the brake shoes and drums. Therefore, if there is a leak which occurs in the system it will be unable to build pressure due to the lack of fluid. Finding and fixing this leak should be your top priority.
A bad brake master cylinder
Another reason for the “brake pedal goes to floor after changing pads” is the bad brake master cylinder allowing fluid to bypass seals internally. This master cylinder plays an important role in increasing the brake fluid pressure. There are two possibilities if the cylinder does not work properly: the brake system won’t be as powerful as it usually is or the brakes won’t work at all.
How Do You Use The Brake Pedal?
Usually, the endurance of things in general and cars in specific depends on the way users operate them. Bad driving habits can cause brakes goes all the way to the floor. If the brake fluid is full, the master cylinder needs less force to pressurize it to operate the brakes. With a thinner liquid, much more force is needed. Therefore, the more the brakes are used, the hotter the components in the braking system, including the brake fluid. When the brake fluid gets hotter, it turns from a thicker liquid to a thinner, runny liquid.
There is always at least one solution to this problem. What you should do is read this article and get ready to deal with the “brakes go all the way to the floor” with some steps that are easy as a pie.
Basic Steps To Do When Brake Pedal Goes To Floor
1. Downshift
This is the proven strategy of car repair tips to downshift whenever the brake problem arises. The reason behind doing this is that in every gear, the diffusion of the car is capable of high speed, only. There are chances that your vehicle may go slow down very quickly. If the transmission is manual in your car, it is preferred to downshift one break at a time only if there is enough space ahead of you, otherwise skip the gears. In contrast, if the transmission is automatic, going from Drive to either second or low two is optional.
2. Pump the brake pedal
Brake failure is very common and anybody can face this situation. So, if you are stuck in a situation when the brake pedal goes to floor but still stops, just pump the brake pedal. Normally, when you push the brake pedal, a piston is automatically pushed as well. This forces the fluid to trigger the brake through lines. The break is the result of leakage. However, pumping the brake pedal will prevent all the leaked fluid to run away at once. This is the best way to handle the situation right away when brake pedal goes to floor.
3. Engage the emergency brake
Another formula to deal with failed brakes is to engage with the emergency brake. But, be careful, don’t just mess with the pedal by jerking over the brake handle. It gets easy when you engage the emergency with the hands and pushes down the pedal after pushing the button and lifting the handle, slowly.
Read more:
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Be careful! Avoid blocking the brakes completely as this can lead you to lose control over the rear end.
4. Shut down the engine
Turning engines off works better with a manual transmission but it can work with automatic as well. Shutting down the engine doesn’t require much strategic plans, what you need is just turning the keys off and leaving the car in the gear. It will stop when the transmission, gearing differential, and the engine work together. Therefore, when you have reached a slow down, stop the car with the help of emergency brake.
Watch this video to know what to do if brakes go all the way to the floor !
Conclusion
When your brake pedal goes to floor remember to stay calm as getting panic can result in more problems such as damage to your car as your life though. A calm mind and a strong belief in yourself is able to think clearly so, how worse the situation gets, stay calm and remember the steps to deal with the brake failure.
When you are successful to stop the car, call the mechanic immediately. Let your car in that situation for one more day, your life will be at risk for another day. And do not forget to follow UsedCars.co.ke for updating information about available used cars and tips for car drivers.
