For a safe and more relaxed car ride, update your car’s power brake boosters @Partsavatar auto parts!

Buy power brake boosters with confidence at Partsavatar because trust and product assurance is here! ~ Parts avatar Auto Brake parts !

Power brake boosters provide assistance to the car’s braking system. So you won’t have to put in extra force for the brakes to engage. The brake booster is generally located between the brake pedal and master cylinder of car and it uses vacuum to overcome brake pressure.

Brakes are very important for your safety on the road. Any tempering with the brakes or its functionality will result in accident because you won’t be able to stop the car at right moment.

So if you notice that your car is taking more than enough time to stall, brake pedal is difficult to push, power brake booster is definitely failing. Don’t play with your safety. You will find almost everything you need to know about Power brake boosters here.

What is a power Brake booster?

Power brake booster is the device that is used to assist the car’s brake system as it reduces the amount of force it takes to apply the hydraulic brakes. Mostly power brake booster uses vacuum but some may use hydraulic pressure and use power brake hydraulic motor pump of car to accomplish this task of braking.

 Combined with the power of your foot pressing the brake pedal, the shaft (which is pushed forward when the brake is depressed) helps push a piston inside your brake master cylinder which in turn displaces brake fluid through your braking system.

In a typical power brake booster, the brake pedal is attached to the booster via mechanical linkage (in case of vacuum) and brake master cylinder is bolted directly to its other side. When the pedal is depressed, vacuum actuated plunger activates the master cylinder.

How do they work?

As you depress the brake pedal, your pedal linkage causes a shaft to move forward in response to your foot. As this shaft moves forward, it gets in touch with the master cylinder and brake booster. The diaphragm in the brake booster divides it into two parts with both in a partial vacuum.

When the brake pedal is depressed, it causes the valve inside the booster to open which in turn makes way for the air to enter one side of the booster. This difference of pressure on one side helps to push the piston inside the brake master cylinder in response to the brake pedal which in turn slows down the vehicle.

Without brake booster, even simple act of slowing your car would require substantially higher amounts of effort and incur greater amount of fatigue. So brake booster is a helping hand for you.

There are auto remanufactured power brake boosters and new auto power brake boosters in aftermarket stores like parts avatar Canada. Choose your specifications and buy one if you have worn power brake boosters.

Symptoms of Failing Power brake boosters

It isn’t really a good idea to drive a car with failed power brake booster. Though it is possible to drive the car without properly working brake boosters but mind you it’s not at all safe. It becomes very difficult and you will need to press the brake pedal way too hard to stall your car.

It is wise not to drive the vehicle with damaged power brake boosters. Following symptoms can alert you if there is any problem with power brake booster of your car.

Hard Pedal

It is the most common sign of a failing power brake booster. If it is becoming hard to push the brake pedal, brake booster is certainly a problem. The most obvious cause for the hard brake pedal is simply not enough vacuum.

Do not drive a car with hard pedal, as it would become too hard for you to halt your car with such pedal condition and troubleshoot auto hard pedal problem. Call your mechanic, and get your car’s brake system inspected thoroughly.

Replace your ruined power brake boosters with new power brake boosters or even better you can use remanufactured power brake boosterwith master cylinder of car or remanufactured auto power brake without master cylinder after consulting with your mechanic and friends.

Remanufactured items are fully inspected of their warranties before they are added into the product catalog at parts avatar by expert technicians. So if you want to buy remanufactured products then do choose partsavatar.ca as your auto store.

Engine Stalls

Not enough vacuum will obviously result in hard pedal as read above. Failing power brake booster can draw excess vacuum from the engine. If the diaphragm inside the brake booster starts malfunctioning and allows the air to bypass the seal, the engine will stall when the brakes are applied.

This is quite dangerous as stalling engine can cause grave problems and there are various other causes of a stalled auto engine. Avoid driving that car with such issues and waste no time in calling a professional technician.

Longer Stopping distances

As it becomes hard to pedal, you won’t be able to get power assistance from failing power brake boosters to stop your car.  So, it will take longer than usual to stop your car with much force and fatigue on your side. It is dangerous if you are driving on highways or you are stuck in bad weather.

As always, look for your mechanic as soon as you discover this symptom.

Test the booster at home

You can test your car’s power brake boosters at home too. This will not be as risky as it is on the road. With the engine off, all you need to do is to pump the brakes about five to six times. This depletes the stored vacuum. Turn the engine on while pushing down lightly on the brake pedal. If the brake booster is failing, nothing will happen in this case and brake pedal will push back against your foot.

DIY – Replace Brake Boosters

Replacing brake booster is an easy task. You can take extra help while replacing old brake boosters with new power brake boosters.

1. First step is to disconnect the brake lines. Entire brake system is quite complex so start with removing brake lines from master cylinder. Use the tube nut wrench to slowly remove each line and mark it for easy identification when you are placing them back.

2. After disconnecting the brake lines, take out the master cylinder. You can also check the master cylinder for any sign of damage.

3. The brake booster is connected to the brake pedal. Using wrench unfasten the bolts that attach the brake booster to the engine and remove it completely.

4. Place the new brake booster to its place and secure it with bolts. Reconnect it with diaphragm, engine and brake pedal. Now in the reverse order, reconnect the master cylinder and then the brake lines.

So never ignore any symptom that alerts you for failing power brake booster. And do yourself a favor and use other safe means of transport other than the one with failed power brake booster for your safety.

Visit parts avatar aftermarket auto replacement parts for a better deal in auto parts across Canada.

Stay Safe !! learn how to handle Grave Brake failure Situations at Parts Avatar Aftermarket Car Parts.

Learn how to tackle the brake failure problem in your car – Parts avatar Care for your car parts

Did you ever get into the terrifying situation where your vehicle did not stop? It’s probably the brake failure. We love to upgrade car’s parts and accessories. Being able to stop is more important than being able to drive at fast speed.

Brakes produce noises like screeching, grinding, clicking and squealing when they are malfunctioning. It is very important to understand what each noise is referring to. But still what causes brake failure? It’s very important to provide proper maintenance to our car’s brake system parts for their proper functionality and also for our own safety!

The easiest way to avoid brake failure is by maintaining the car regularly and being attentive to any changes in the car’s performance.

What causes the brake failure? What are types of brake failure? How to handle Brake failure under different circumstances? Parts avatar answers your queries so you need not worry!

Symptoms of Brake failure

The brakes should work noiselessly. If there is a screeching sound, each time you halt, there is probably something wrong with your car’s brakes. Disc brake caliper has a warning tab, when the brake pads become too thin, the tab connects to the disc and starts screaming. It’s a warning signal stating that you are out of brakes. Call your mechanic without wasting time and get your car’s brake system inspected. You will probably be asked to replace the car's brake pads.

Luckily you can get rid of car's screeching sound yourself and it’s a DIY thing. Note that not every sound or noise means you need to replace brake pads. It can be any other brake part so inspect thoroughly or ask your mechanic.

While pressing the brake pedal if it gives you the feeling of being too hard or too spongy, it could mean that the fluid is leaking. Leaky brake fluid results in sponginess while pressing brake pedal. On the other hand, if the brake pedal feels too hard it means there is air/water in the line as the brake fluid has the ability to absorb water from its surroundings.

 It is very important to bleed the brakes properly at proper time intervals depending on your car’s specification. You can refer to your car’s manual for more information. Check your car’s master cylinder , front and rear brake hose, brake booster and valves properly for any sign of leakage or wear. So, make your brake pedals are firm and solid.

Do you feel as if you are receiving a foot message while pressing brake pedal? It might sound comforting but it’s not a good sign for your brakes. Vibrations while braking means the brake discs have been warped. The brakes have been grabbing/ not grabbing and this happens when the brake discs suffer a lot of stress and heat. Get the brake discs checked by your trusted mechanic.

Testing the brakes

Get the habit of testing and checking your car’s brake yourself and believe me its very easy and takes only few seconds. There are two checks as Static and Rolling.

Static Brake Test

It’s just the matter of few seconds as all you have to do is to press your car’s brake pedal. There should be resistance from the pedal. If the pedal feels soft and pushy to the floor you have probably got a automotive brake fluid leak and your car’s brakes need bleeding.

Rolling Brake test

Rolling brake test can be performed by pressing the brake pedal gently after moving off while driving slowly. You need to feel the brakes at different intervals, to reassure yourself that your car’s brakes are ok.

Now let us read about the types of brake failure and what to do in such situations.

Total Brake failure

Total brake failure is quite risky as well as a rare phenomenon of brake failure. In 2010, Popular Auto Giant Honda recalled 412000 SUVS at the risk of brake failure and this step was imitated by many other auto makers like Toyota, Volvo and Chrysler.

If you ever get into a situation of total brake failure follow these tips:

1. Use the hand operated parking brakes in on-off pumping motion and keep the release button pressed as you do so.

2. Change the gear and bring the clutch up gently if you have enough time and then use parking brake to stop. In automatic transmission mode shift to “low” and in manual transmission change one gear at a time.

3. Alternatively you can change to a low gear and switch off the engine. Take caution as power steering will fail as soon as the engine is turned off so make sure you have space to stop without any risk. Another risk that can emerge while switching off the engine is enabling of steering lock.

It is very important to know how the steering lock operates before its too late as sometimes steering locks engage even if the ignition switch had been turned off.

Absolute Extreme

In this you will need to crash your car in such a way that you don’t get harm, but that’s quite hypothetical, isn’t it? In my view, it’s the last resort and mostly not recommended. But the thing is brake failure is not always normal so while keeping in mind the extreme risk possibility certain steps can be taken to reduce the damage to you and your car.

If unfortunately, you have no other option than crashing, one thing you must do is avoid deceleration as it will lead to total loss of control. It is essential to control the car as much as possible and then crash it. The main idea is to drag the car to the halt state.

When the car has slowed down using above method, you can crash by running parallel along a crash barrier or a wall. 

Note that this practice will do extensive damage to your car. The main idea in such situations is to save yourself. Sometimes hitting a kerb straight can cause your vehicle to flip and severe accident could happen. Make sure to never crash head on into any other vehicle or object in front of you.

Brake Fade

Brake fade is a situation when the brake loses its efficiency to operate completely in other words brake failure has happened. Modern automakers design car brakes in such a way that this situation is very rare to happen. In old models, overheated brake pads often caused the brakes to malfunction and eventually brake failure happened.

To prevent such a failure in modern cars, regular servicing and bleeding the brakes are two important things that can save your life. Check and replace Car’s Brake drums, Brake pads, Brake rotors, brake calipers and replace them if they show any sign of aging. It is advised to check the leakage in the brake and bleed them every 48000 miles at least.

Parking Brake Failure

If your car’s parking brakes fail, leave the car in first or reverse gear when you park and chock your front wheels against the kerb. Don’t leave your car on the hills if your parking brakes fail.

How to handle Brake failure?

The most important action in such situations to take is to stay calm. Do not panic and follow the instructions.

1. Lift the foot from accelerator. Notice the traffic and pedestrians and find a safe place to pull over.

2. Apply engine braking by down shifting to a lower gear. As the vehicle slows down, keep shifting to the lower gears.

3. Try engaging the parking brake once the speed slows down.

4. As a final resort put the car in reverse. It could ruin your car so just keep it for grave situations and as a last option.

5. Try to maneuver the car off the road if possible as you come to a complete stop. Call 911 and wait for the help.

6. Get your cars equipped with anti lock braking system  for such situations.

Parts avatar at last advises you to stay calm and stay safe. Replace performance auto parts at cheap prices here.

Infographic- Brake bleeding is a repair job that must be done throughout. So you must learn how to bleed car brakes.

Know how to Bleed your car's brakes @PartsAvatar Canada

Brake bleeding is a repair job that must be done throughout the life span of a car. Parts avatar advises to bleed your car’s brakes every two or three years.

Whenever our mechanic advises to bleed the car’s brakes, we often ignore it. It is not like we are waiting for our car to break down. So why not give it a go now rather waiting for the damage to occur. Most automobile manufacturers advise to bleed your vehicle’s brakes every three years. As the fluid’s heat resistance reduces by time, it can cause brake system to corrode. So it is necessary to bleed the brakes to get optimum performance out of brake system.

Before moving further, let’s know what is bleeding of brakes and why it is necessary.

Basically, when we are bleeding the brakes, we are actually removing air out of hydraulic brake lines of car. Air makes its way through leaks in brake system components. Brake fluid’s heating resistance decreases by time as over the period of time it absorbs water from atmosphere. Due to friction, caused by heavy braking, fluid heats up thus turning water into steam. Air leaking in the brake lines makes the pedal spongy, and in worst cases the brakes may fail completely.

Before starting bleeding process, it is essential to check the brake system parts for leakage. If you find a leak, replace the faulty component immediately. Entire braking system is like a closed compound so if the fluid level is low, that means there may be a leak in master cylinder. So fix the leak first. Front and rear Brake pads of car wear out frequently so they may also cause air to enter the brake system. Brake pads should also be replaced if necessary.

PRE - BRAKE BLEEDING PREPARATIONS

Have all the tools prepared beforehand. For the full replacement of the fluid in the brake system you will need at least three cans of brake fluid. 10mm box wrench for disc brakes and 8mm box wrench for drum brakes can be used if necessary. You will also need one way bleeder screws, pressure brake bleeder and vacuum brake bleeder to bleed the brakes. No matter what method for bleeding you use, same tools are used.

Before you plan to bleed the brakes, loosen the bleeder valves by applying the penetrating oil. 

When you place the vehicle on the jack stands, on the day of bleed, after removing all four wheels, tighten one lug nut against rear and front disc brake rotor of car's brake system and place a square object to keep the brake pedal from falling to the floor when you start bleeding. Mostly you have to bleed the brakes several times, so keep the equipments ready with you. 

If you see the traces of air in the system, bleed it again until there is no air and fluid is flowing clearly inside. Also the fluid to be used for bleeding should be manufacturer’s recommended. There are DOT ratings specified by the manufacturer. Not every vehicle runs on same brake fluid of car so check owner’s manual before buying any fluid.

THE BLEEDING TASK

In bleeding task you can either do it yourself or can take help of your friend.

Step 1

Jack up the car and secure with jack stands. Now remove all the four wheels.

Step 2

The next task is to locate the bleeder screw and spray them with penetrating oil. Find the proper wrench that fits the screw and loosen the screw. Using proper wrench could decrease chances of screw’s hex head going round. If the screw is stuck, you can spray penetrator like WD- 40. After doing so, retighten all the screws again.

Step 3

Now, the fluid level in the master cylinder should be checked. If the fluid level is lower, then add more fluid level up to the mark. This process should be done at frequent levels because its level drops as the old fluid is drained off. Filling it to the top is necessary because if the reservoir empties, air will get into the system and you will have to repeat the whole task to release the air out. Always use manufacturer’s recommended fluid. Using any other fluid may damage the brake system as not every fluid is compatible with every brake system. Do not spill the fluid because it penetrates easily.

Step 4

You must keep owners manual with you. The sequence of bleeding the brakes differs from one car to other. This information can be found in owner’s manual. In some cars, the most distant brake from the master cylinder of car is bled first. For example, if you ware bleeding a rear wheel drive vehicle then start with right rear wheel, then move to the left rear wheel; then move it to the right front wheel and eventually to left front wheel.

Step 5

After bleeding each brake properly and adding fluid to the master cylinder, pump the brake several times when the car’s engine is off with the help of a helper. Brake pedal should no longer feel spongy when you press it. If there is still spongy feeling coming while pressing the brake, master cylinder and bleeder screws must be checked again.

Step 6

When your helper maintains pressure on the pedal, open the bleeder screw a small amount. The fluid will pass through the clear tube and the pedal will begin dropping towards the floor. When your helper signals you for “floor”, close the bleeder screw. Also check the fluid level again.

Repeat the process of pumping the brake, opening the bleeder screw and closing it, several times until the stream of fluid flowing is free of air bubbles. After every five times the brake pedal is depressed, top off the master cylinder reservoir with fresh fluid. Do not let the air enter the master cylinder in any case.

Repeat these steps on the remaining three brake locations in the sequence instructed in your owner’s manual. If there is fluid eruption, there may be some air bubbles still trapped in the system.

Step 7

Visually inspect all the bleeder screws for any signs of leakage. Check that all the bleeder screws are tight. Put the tires back on. Test the brakes before heading out onto the road.

To test the brakes on the road, wait until there is no traffic, drive slowly and press brake pedal as you would normally. The car should pull up quickly and the pedal should not feel spongy.

Now your brakes have been properly bled.

There are several ways to bleed the brakes like pump and hold method, vacuum method and pressure method. So you can choose whatever method you want to provided you successfully the air out of the brake system. You can consult your owner’s manual if you find difficulty in locating the components of brake system.

For other brake system part’s aftermarket purchase, do not forget to visit Partsavatar.ca