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A Car’s Braking System and How to Inspect Problems

Car’s Braking System

It does not matter how much horsepower and torque your car has, if there is any problem regarding the car braking system, you may end up in a fatal accident. Yes, brakes are that crucial. Car enthusiasts all over the world focus a lot on gaining horsepower and torque but do not pay necessary heed to brakes, unfortunately.

If your car has power but less effective brakes, then it is a serious matter undoubtedly. It is recommended that when you have your wheels for servicing, your brakes also need to be checked.

The purpose of the braking system

The Purpose of the Braking System

The braking system of your car is used to ensure safety. Your engine produces power. On the other hand, the braking system works so that car speed can be reduced when necessary. Without a proper braking system, you may fall into a tragic accident. For this reason, car manufacturers have put a lot of effort into improving the braking system used in modern cars.

How the Disc Braking System Works

The braking system of automobiles is based on Pascal’s Law. The criteria of the disc braking system are represented here briefly:

  • The braking system has many components. Some of them are brake pedal, brake booster, master cylinder, brake fluid, brake caliper, brake pads. There are other compartments too.
  • When the brake pedal is pressed, the brake booster starts its functions.
  • There is a brake fluid reservoir tank on the master cylinder. After pressing the brake pedal, the master cylinder receives high pressure from the brake booster.
  • Then the master cylinder passes the highly pressurized fluid to the brake calipers.
  •  The brake pistons then get forced by the fluid. As a result, it squeezes the inner brake pads against the discs. After that, the outer brake pads get forced by the calipers’ frames. Therefore, the outer pads get squeezed against the discs.

Inspecting Abnormalities

Because of regular usage, your brake pads and discs may become worn. Also, the lifetime of brake fluid may also expire. Here are some signs that will help you to know if there is anything wrong with the braking system of your car:

  • Flames coming out from discs
  • Car not stopping immediately like before
  • Hearing abnormal sounds when the brake pedal is pressed
  • Car vibrating

Here are some other signs that your braking system may have big problems:

  • The brake pedal keeps on vibrating
  • The brake pedal became hard to press
  • The brake pedal got down fully

These problems may be related to the brake accumulator, brake booster, and brake master cylinder respectively.

Maintenance

If you have taken your car for regular wheel servicing and other periodic maintenance work, then your brake pads and other components related to this also need to be checked properly. The condition of brake pads, brake calipers, and brake fluid should be inspected. Also, it is important to see if there is any leakage. If needed, your brake pads, fluid, and other necessary items should be changed. Get brake servicing work done after every 15000 to 20000 kilometers at least.

A Piece of Advice

Never take your braking system lightly!

Article related to braking system:

Service and repair tips from Bosch: Brake pads