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.

What are Anti Lock Braking Systems? Will they help me brake faster or safer??PartsAvatar simplifies this for you!

Do you know what ABS stands for in a car? Take a look at some facts about ABS Brakes. –by Partsavatar Auto Parts.

Introduction of AntiLock Brake system of car was one of best decision taken by auto makers for driver’s safety. Though many of us think that ABS Is 21 century innovation, but no, they have been around since 1950s introduced in Europe. ABS was first developed for aircrafts in 1929. Jensen Ferguson Formula, a four wheel drive car unveiled ABS in 1966 as the first building step towards the evolution of ABS.

ABS is now fitted in every new car and is used to stabilize the car while cornering and as a crude aid to traction.Let us know some important facts and uses of ABS other than braking.

What is ABS?

The ABS is a four wheel system that prevents wheel lock up by automatically modulating the brake pressure during an emergency stop. Under most conditions, it enables the driver to maintain control of the steering wheel and maintain certain distance with its immediate vehicle by preventing the wheels from locking. During normal ride, when you apply brakes, you will feel no difference in ABS or Non ABS brakes. But during any condition that requires interference of ABS brakes, a certain pulsation can be felt in the brake pedal accompanied by fall and rise in the brake pedal along with clicking noise.

This advanced driving technique is useful on non ABS cars, as the driver exerts pressure on the brake pedal to regain steering control while providing maximum braking. Vehicles with ABS are equipped with dual brake system. The main components of ABS are:

·        Hydraulic control unit

·        Anti lock brake control module

·        Automotive Front anti- lock brake sensors / Auto Rear anti lock brake sensors.

How does ABS work?

ABS uses sensors which are connected via car's ABS connectors to detect when one wheel is rotating at different rate than other. If the sensor notices that wheel is turning more slowly while braking, then it’s a sign that the wheel is probably locked or is about to get locked. The system thus reduces the brake pressure accordingly by activating a relief valve, until that pressure is equal with the other wheels.

If the wheel begins to lock again, the process is repeated in the same way as pumping the brake pedal pad of car.

However if the brake pressure is momentarily released the brakes are freed and tires can revolve again.The intervention of ABS happens many times. By releasing and reapplying the brakes, the car’s ABS prevents it from going into a brake induced skid.

Does ABS help be Brake Faster?

It is not the job of ABS to make you stop faster. But ABS’s job is to allow the driver to maintain the control of car under hard braking conditions.

ABS will either lock the four wheels to prevent the car from skidding or it will allow you to continue to steer the car helping you to avoid the object that is causing you to apply brake so hard.

ABS as Traction Control

In most situations especially in a low friction environment we often use traction control feature in our car to gain easy traction. Traction control in cars monitor wheel speed using ABS wheel speed sensors.In severe cases traction control can also apply brakes to the slipping wheel. For example,Modern Range rover uses in built anti lock braking system to restore the traction and grip of the slipping wheel by applying brake.

ABS in Side winds

Most modern auto vehicles are immune to deceptive effects of cross winds on highways or fast roads. But, in windy conditions Lorries, vans and other high sided vehicles drive the best as the bulk sails effectively in winds.But in extreme circumstances like cyclonic winds, they can be blown over but even a moderate breeze can blow them over with major road hazards.

Mercedes Benz uses the ABS fitted to its vans to control this movement by impartially applying the brakes to wheel to help steady it and stop the lateral movements due to strong winds.

So ABS can be helpful in disastrous conditions.

ABS can help in quick cornering

Now you can take turn at corners more safely by using ABS. keeping in mind the safe cornering , car manufacturers advise using car’s ABS as Traction control and chassis stability aid in such situation.

The car gently applies brakes on one or more wheels when it detects the danger of losing control on the corner. This effect can be straightforward or dramatic.

For example if you want to take a left turn on a corner, you can feel the left hand rear brake grabbing to help you steer into the left hand turn more easily. Sports car like McLaren use this principle of lightly applying brake on inside rear wheel to help kill under steer and provide sharper turn in.

Self Braking Using ABS

The emergence of self braking system is increasing in modern cars. In terms of safety it is great.The system links radar or forward facing camera to the car’s braking system. This system will alert you in case its camera detects a stationary or slow moving object in front of your car. If you do not apply brakes, the ABS will take the charge and the brakes will be applied judicially before any collision can happen.

It’s very good safety feature in cars as sometimes, we are so distracted on the road due to certain reasons that there are chances of head on collision with other immediate vehicle. Or even if you are conscious on road, you can’t guarantee if the other drivers are conscious as much as you are. So, you can ensure your safety even if you are spacing out while driving by deploying this collision avoidance system in car.

ABS Issues

If you are driving on loose surfaces like mud, dirt or snow ABS will become confused and the stopping distance will extend due to interference of ABS. that is why many off roaders prefer cars equipped with special off road mode so that effect of ABS can be reduced or in some cases eliminated.

Common problems with ABS can be damaged sensors and blocked released valves. The orange light on your dashboard will start illuminating if the ABS goes faulty.

In this situation don’t panic. You can still apply brakes normally. Check your brake fluid level in the reservoir. If still the light comes on, then for the sake of your safety, visit a professional.

Hope this article will help you give enough information about ABS and its benefits.

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