What Are the Reasons for a Car Brake Pedal Being Hard to Press?
2 Answers
Car brake pedal being hard to press is due to: 1. Vacuum booster pump leaking air or malfunctioning; 2. Brake booster pump failure. The function of brakes is to reduce speed or bring the vehicle to a stop, and their working principle involves converting the kinetic energy of the moving vehicle into heat energy through friction between the brake pads and brake drum, as well as between the tires and the ground, thereby slowing down or stopping the car. Reasons for brake failure include: 1. Presence of impurities in the brake master cylinder or poor sealing; 2. Vacuum booster pump failure; 3. Brake fluid being too dirty; 4. Leakage in the brake master cylinder or wheel cylinder; 5. Air leakage in the air reservoir or pipeline connections; 6. Severe overloading; 7. Carbonization of the brake drum; 8. Lack of brake fluid in the brake master cylinder; 9. Wear of the piston in the brake master cylinder.
Last time I was driving, the brake pedal suddenly wouldn't depress, which scared me to death. The common causes are failure of the vacuum booster system - when that's broken, there's no power assist and the pedal becomes rock hard. Another reason could be insufficient brake fluid, possibly due to leaks or the fluid level being too low. Air in the system can also cause this. Other less common causes include jammed pedal mechanisms or ABS module failures. When this happens, it's extremely dangerous - you must slow down immediately and pull over, using the handbrake or engine braking to stop gradually. Never try to keep driving as an accident could happen any second. Call for a tow truck to take your car to a repair shop right away. Professional technicians will use equipment to check the vacuum booster pump, lines, and fluid levels. Don't neglect routine maintenance - change the brake fluid every two years and do regular inspections to prevent problems. That experience still makes me nervous when driving now, but safety always comes first.
