Why won't the Civic start despite having power, and why is the brake pedal hard to press?

[VonBrielle]

Civic's brake pedal being hard to press and failure to start may be due to the driver pressing the brake several times after turning off the engine, causing the vacuum in the brake booster to disappear, making it difficult to press the brake pedal without assistance. Here are some precautions for using brakes: Avoid emergency braking at high speeds: While driving at low speeds, you can perform emergency braking when encountering sudden events ahead by stomping on the brake pedal. However, this should not be done at high speeds to prevent vehicle skidding or rollover. Gradual braking: During normal driving conditions, apply gradual braking by releasing the accelerator pedal while pressing the clutch pedal, shifting to a lower gear, and then pressing the brake pedal until the vehicle comes to a complete stop after the speed has decreased. Intermittent braking: On long downhill slopes in mountainous areas or during continuous braking that easily generates high temperatures, intermittent braking—alternately pressing and releasing the brake pedal—can effectively prevent the braking system from overheating.