Does your car seem to be getting older and breaking down? Knowing the signs and symptoms of when this happens is very important. If you are aware of some of the warning signs, you may avoid a costly repair.
Have you have had problems with your braking system? If the braking system is beginning to fail, then it may be that you are experiencing a bad brake booster. The brake booster is a component of the braking system that helps your car to come to a complete stop. If this is beginning to fail, you could have some major problems.
Anytime you think you may have a problem with the braking system, see a mechanic for a proper diagnosis. You do not want to drive far with a defective braking system or a bad brake booster.
This could be potentially very unsafe, not just for you, but for other people on the road. It is crucial to identify whether you have a bad brake booster, that way you can avoid failing brakes altogether. Let’s take a look at the different symptoms that a bad brake booster may exhibit.
What Is A Brake Booster?
A brake booster helps the whole braking system apply force and work properly. This means you would not have to put much force on your brake pedal to engage it properly.
Knowing where this part is located can help you find problems with it. The brake booster is located between the brake pedal and the master cylinder.
So, how does it apply force to your brake? It uses a vacuum to overcome fluid pressure in the system to engage and activate the braking system with ease.
The brake booster won’t work when operating inside of a vacuum source. The brake booster is only powered by the vacuum that is produced from the engine. This is an important part for the entire braking system to work properly.
When you step on the brakes you have a rod that is going to open up a valve in the brake booster allowing air to travel into the brake booster from its diaphragm and seal off the vacuum.
This will increase system pressure and push the rod more. Now that you have let go of the brakes you can see that outside air cannot get into the brake booster. This process is important for proper operation.
When you can see that operates with several parts involved and if any of those parts fail then the whole system is compromised.
So, the brake booster is therefore used to engage your vehicle and amplify your brake pedal from input.
That is the way you can safely drive your car (in short). Like any part of your car, the brake booster can take a lot of wear and tear over time. This is why it is crucial to notice the symptoms early on so you can enhance your ability to diagnose the problems.
Symptoms Of A bad Brake Booster
If you suspect your brake booster is bad, you need to take action immediately! This can be very dangerous if allowed to persist.
You should understand what a bad brake booster feels like so you can identify any issues as soon as possible. The list below contains many of the symptoms of a bad brake booster.
#1. The brake pedal is hard to push.
The most obvious symptom of a bad brake booster is a brake pedal that is harder to push down than normal. This could happen over an extended period of time and you would not notice it until it is too late.
Many times, a stick brake pedal that won’t unwind is another sign you have a bad brake booster.
If you find yourself forcing down on your brake pedal, or you notice your brake pedal does not return straight up as it used to, you should consult a professional mechanic.
You should get your vehicle immediately to a mechanic to get your brake boosters looked at. It would not be safe to drive a vehicle like this.
If you allow a bad brake booster to exist, you may not gain control of the speed of the vehicle. For example, you could rear end someone at 70 MPH because your car may not get slowed down as you expect. Additionally, you car could slow down slower than original intention.
There are many other mechanics within the brake system at play so you must call a professional mechanic as soon as possible. It is critical a trained professional examine the brake system immediately to ascertain the source of your issue first.
#2. Increased Stopping Distance.
Your car has been taking longer to stop completely, possibly you have a bad brake booster. This is happening because air bubbles get into the brake line. But how do they get into the brake line? They get into your brake line through the master cylinder.
What do these air bubbles do? These air bubbles cause a decrease in pressure to your brakes which make them apply very soft. This means you will have a longer braking distance.
As you can imagine, this can be very dangerous because you won’t know how long it will take you to stop. Add that to stop and go traffic and you have a needing time for your brakes to apply.
For this reason, it is crucial to get your brake system inspected as soon as possible if you suspect you have a brake booster problem. A mechanic will be able to diagnose the exact problem as well as repair it.
#3. Higher Brake Pedal.
Notice that your brake pedal is in a higher position than normal, you could be having a brake booster problem, except this time, maybe you can’t actually see the difference in the brake pedal, but you will definitely be able to feel it.
If your feet are raised higher than normal, you will likely feel very awkward and abnormal. This could cause problems while you are driving. When you aren’t used to your foot being in this position, it could cause difficulties.
If your brake pedal is raised higher up, you will not be able to stop as quickly when you need to suddenly. Your foot will likely misjudge where the brake pedal is and could possibly not hit it at all.
#4. Stalling Engine.
Has your engine stalled while recently? This could also be an indication of faulty brake boosters. When this happens, you may not initially think that this is a problem with your brake boosters.
This isn’t something that you would definitely associate with a stalling engine. But they do correlate. When there is a failure of the diaphragm in the brake booster, too much air is allowed into the brakes from the engine.
When this happens, your car will stall out when you depress the brake pedal. If you continue to drive whilst this is happening, you could be facing greater problems later on.
You could cause transmission problems over time if you let this go on. If you cause axle problems, your vehicle will not ultimately function. There could also be grinding or shaking when you shift gears.
There could also be a clunking sound when you drive. And if your car doesn’t engage while in gear, then you are looking at serious problems.
Additionally, there may be a leak in your system that could cause it to overheat and cause you to smell some burning of your brakes.
If you are having any of these problems, see a mechanic right away. These problems will only get worse and pending on the severity of the problem, they could be very costly to fix.
#5. Hissing Under the Dash.
Have you ever had a hissing sound come from under your dash? This could be a sign of bad brake boosters.
This will happen because the vacuum is released and air will escape. This will cause the hissing sound. Anytime that you hear something like this, it is trying to tell you something worse is happening.
You should try and address your brake boosters as soon as possible because this could save you some grief, and may not only affect your brakes, but also you engine and transmission!
How Can you Bleed Your Cars Brakes?
If you think your car has faulty brake boosters, then it is vital you take your car in to a certified mechanic so they can understand what the real problem is. If you want to save yourself time and effort resolving these problem, you’ll also have to learn how to bleed your brakes.
You should only do this if you have knowledge of how to properly bleed brakes and are very confident in your abilities. You don’t want to further damage your brake booster at the same time, if your not aware of proper bleeding techniques. If you mess up here, you could end up costing yourself much more the spending to fix the case..
To Bleed your brakes, there are a couple things you should have. One of them should be a brake bleeder wrench, brake fluid, clean container and an extra set of hands. After you have assembled what you need, you will need to get your car up on jacks.
Next, you will need to punch your wheels for the brake bleeder screw which is located behind each of your brakes. If it is rusted, you may want to use penetrant spray to loosen them up. Once you are confident that you have found your bleeder screws, start to loosen them to remove.
Now that the screws are off, you need to attach a hose to one end and drop the other end in an empty container. Fill your container with brake fluid, with the end of the hose submerged in the fluid.
You will need your main individual to pump the brake pedal several times, while you slowly open the bleeder screw and watch for fluid to transition out.
You will also need to keep bleeding your brakes to ensure they are working properly, until you no longer see air bubbles coming out of the brake lines.
What is the Cost of Brake Booster Replacement?
Now that you know how to detect brake booster problems, you are probably curious how much it costs to replace them.
The average car brake booster replacement will cost between $300 and $750. The parts themselves can cost from $160 to $550 and the labor to install the part can cost between $140 and $170.
The cost of the part and labor will depend on many factors like the make, model and damages and all the variables that come with that.
Newer cars usually have advanced braking systems with multiple components that can be difficult to detect bad brake boosters, as well as the higher costs associated with replacing defective brake boosters in today’s advanced vehicles.
Always get multiple quotes before settling on a mechanic! This will allow you to choose whatever your situation dictates. You want to find someone who will do excellent work and are within your price range.
Getting multiple quotes will allow you to weigh the pros and cons of the various shops.