Does your brake pedal feel hard? Have you noticed that it takes longer to stop your vehicle and sometimes you worry it isn't going to stop in time? There are a couple reasons your brake pedal could feel hard.
A hard brake pedal can be a sign of failure in your brake booster. Your brake booster uses either engine vacuum or power steering pressure to multiply the force put on the brake pedal to stop your vehicle. If there is a problem with the boosters ability to hold pressure or with the pump or engine vacuum supplied to the booster it could create a hard brake pedal and the sensation that your vehicle is not able to stop. Leaking engine vacuum can cause a brake pedal to feel hard. Some vehicles use a Vacuum pump to create vacuum for the booster and a failed pump can cause a hard brake pedal. On brake systems that use power steering fluid to create pressure, a leak or failure in the power steering system can cause a brake pedal to feel hard.
Another reason your brake pedal may feel hard is a binding brake caliper. If the piston in the brake caliper is bound and not able to travel in and out with brake application it can often make the brakes feel hard. Most of the time the vehicle will also pull or steer itself in one direction and have the brakes on one of the four wheels significantly hotter than the others. Regular brake fluid exchanges are the best way to ensure trouble free operation and to keep contaminants out of your calipers.
Of course we would have to look at your vehicle before we can determine what’s going on with your brakes. Since your safety is our first priority, we will inspect your entire vehicle including the braking system every time we service your vehicle. Our goal is to keep you fully informed about your vehicle so that you can make the best decisions to help keep you in safe and reliable transportation. If you are having a problem with the braking system of your vehicle it is very important to start with an accurate diagnosis, let our pro staff diagnose the cause of your concern so that your vehicle can be safely and accurately repaired. At Tim’s we offer a 3-year 36,000 mile warranty on everything we do, BRAKES INCLUDED!