Why does the car only stop when the brake is fully pressed?
2 Answers
The reasons why the car only stops when the brake is fully pressed are: 1. Excessive gap between the brake pads and brake drum; air in the brake master cylinder. Worn brake pads, deteriorated brake fluid, or leaking brake fluid lines. 2. Stuck brake caliper not returning, worn master cylinder seal causing air leakage, or malfunctioning ABS pump. Braking techniques are as follows: 1. Release the brake before stopping: When braking, release the brake before the car comes to a complete stop, as continuously pressing the brake will cause a strong impact at the moment of stopping. The technique is to release the brake once before the car fully stops, then gently press the brake again until the car stops moving. 2. Braking in a curve: When braking while the car is in a curve, pressing the brake while turning the steering wheel may cause the car to lose balance. Before entering the curve, reduce the speed sufficiently by braking.
When I drove my old car, I also experienced the issue of having to press the brake pedal all the way down to stop, which felt particularly unnerving. There could be several reasons for this, such as brake pads being worn too thin and not tight enough, requiring deeper pressing to generate sufficient friction. Another common cause is insufficient or aged brake fluid leading to a drop in fluid level, making the pedal feel spongy; if air enters the system, inefficient hydraulic pressure transmission can also lengthen the brake travel. I later learned that minor leaks in the pipelines could also trigger this situation, resulting in longer stopping distances during emergencies and increased risks. So I became wiser—regularly checking brake depth, keeping the fluid fresh, and replacing pads periodically can prevent potential hazards. This experience taught me the importance of routine maintenance—don’t wait until a major issue arises to fix it.
