Learning About Auto Services

The braking system in your vehicle is important for your safety. It is important to maintain your brakes regularly by getting them checked by your mechanic for wear and tear and replacing them as necessary. If you are driving along and you hit your brake in anticipation for the vehicle to come to a stop, yet it does not, you will need to act fast in taking the proper action to get your vehicle to slow and eventually stop without injuring yourself or others. Here are some methods you can use to get your vehicle to come to a stop when the brakes are faulty.

Use Pumping Action

Pumping your brake pedal in an up-and-down motion may be helpful in getting it to work. There may be an air bubble stuck within the brake lines, making it impossible for the brake fluid to get to the brakes to do their job. Pumping the brake will help dislodge any air in the lines. If you have an automatic braking system in your vehicle, push down on the pedal instead. You will feel resistance against the pedal after a moment, indicating that the computer is attempting to pump the brakes for you. Release your foot and reapply after a few seconds to try stopping once again after the air may have been eliminated from the brake lines.

Try The Emergency Brake

The emergency brake is usually located to the left of your steering wheel, either on the bottom of the dashboard or the floor. It may be in the middle console in some vehicle models. Pull firmly yet slowly to stop your vehicle. If you pull the emergency brake too quickly, it can make your vehicle fishtail, possibly causing an accident with another vehicle. 

Downshift To Slow

Try downshifting your vehicle from drive to a lower gear. Low gears one or two are usually used when driving up hills where there is a risk of the wheels slipping. These gears offer more traction with a slower speed. Shift to one of these to see if the vehicle responds positively in slowing. If you drive to an area with an incline, you may be able to slow your vehicle from a lower gear to neutral without using the brakes. Do this along the shoulder so you are out of the way of traffic that may pull up behind you. When you put your vehicle into neutral, it will roll back down the hill, so do this where the incline is not very steep.

Remember that prevention is the safest method to avoid faulty brakes. Be sure to look for trustworthy auto repair services to keep your brakes in top condition.