Brake Pedal Hard to Push

Brake pedals have been designed to have a lot of give to give you the maximum control over the amount of pressure you apply to the brakes. In some cases, brake pedals can become stiff and sometimes while the car will continue to brake correctly, it is a very unnerving thing to experience when driving.

Brake system – How does it work?

On modern vehicles, brakes will be vacuum assisted via a brake booster. The vacuum diaphragm multiplies the force that you are applying to the pedal, allowing you to have more control and making it easier for you to brake and stop/slow down the car.

When you press down on the brake pedal, the vacuum source becomes closed off and this is to allow atmospheric pressure to enter one side of the diaphragm. This causes the master cylinder pistons to apply the brakes. By removing pressure from the pedal, vacuum returns to both sides of the diaphragm and the master cylinder pistons return to their normal position.

Common causes for stiff brakes

·Leak in vacuum hose – Either the entire hose can be broken or just one of the individual components is at fault. In some cases, the booster vacuum line hose can begin to leak, and this limits the effectiveness of the vacuum.

·Fault brake booster – This is the most common cause for a stiff brake pedal, a faulty brake booster is unable to provide vacuum assist meaning you will be trying to depress the brake without any assistance.

·Wrong-size parts – If the booster has recently been replaced but your brake pedal is still stiff, this means the parts are the wrong size.

·Check valve malfunction – The check valve allows air to exit the booster can often malfunction or break.

·Sludge – Brake fluid absorbs water, and this will cause a nasty sludge to build-up as time goes on and make your brakes feel like they’re failing, however this can be cleaned by an expert.

Have your brakes been hard to push recently? If so, you should get this checked out by a professional as soon as possible to be sure everything is in full working order. MyCarNeedsA.com is the easy way to get quotes from pre-approved garages and mechanics local to you. Saving you both time and money. Get your quote today! www.mycarneedsa.com/get-a-quote/