What are the proper response methods when the brakes of a manual transmission car suddenly fail?
2 Answers
The proper response methods when the brakes of a manual transmission car suddenly fail: The first thing to do is to stay calm. If the car is in fifth gear and traveling at high speed, and there are no vehicles in front or behind, there is no need to stop immediately. In this case, you can first press the clutch and then rev the engine to match the speed of the clutch gear and the engine gear, then shift into fourth gear to gradually reduce speed. After downshifting step by step to first gear, the car will slowly come to a stop, and you can then pull up the handbrake. If the brakes suddenly fail while the car is traveling at high speed, and the driver observes from the rearview mirror that there are vehicles behind, the first thing to do is to turn on the hazard warning lights to alert the following vehicles. Then, press the clutch and rev the engine. Since emergency braking is required at this time, it is necessary to press the accelerator pedal hard to raise the engine speed significantly. This will allow the car to shift directly from a high gear to a low gear.
The other day I was driving on the highway when I encountered spongy brakes - my heart nearly jumped out of my chest. I immediately gripped the steering wheel tightly to maintain a straight line, then stomped the brake pedal repeatedly to see if I could restore some pressure. At this point, the hazard lights must be turned on to alert surrounding vehicles. The advantage of a manual transmission is being able to use engine braking - I quickly downshifted from 5th to 4th gear, then depressed the clutch to drop to 3rd, feeling the car slow down with each gear change. Never yank the handbrake suddenly; you need to apply it gradually in stages like squeezing toothpaste, otherwise the rear wheels could lock up and skid. While scanning the surroundings, I desperately aimed for the emergency lane, ready to scrape along the guardrail if necessary - the sound of metal grinding is far better than a collision. This really highlights how crucial it is to check brake fluid and lines every month.
