Common causes
Loss of brake fluid pressure
The car brake system works based on brake fluid pressure, in case the car loses brake fluid pressure, it will cause the brakes to slow down, the braking distance is long, or even the brakes will be lost. Normally, if the brake fluid pressure is low, the brake fault light on the car will come on to alert the driver.
The cause of the car's loss of brake fluid pressure is mostly because the car lacks brake fluid, the reason may be that the car has an oil leak or has not been added for a long time. You need to check the brake fluid reservoir regularly, especially before long trips. If the oil level is too low, add more oil. However, after adding oil, if the brake failure still occurs, there is a high possibility that the car is leaking oil.
There is air entering the brake fluid pipeline
If you try to step on the brake, but the brake is weak or ineffective, the brake fluid pipe is likely trapped in the air, the gas entering the oil pipe will clog the pipeline, causing the vehicle not to create enough pressure. for the brake system to work. To handle the car losing brakes in this case, you need to vent the brake system to remove air bubbles in the oil pipe.
The Master cylinder is broken
The master cylinder takes on the role of creating brake fluid pressure for the car's brake system to work, so if the main cylinder has a problem, severe damage, it will cause the vehicle to lose brake fluid pressure, resulting in the vehicle being lost. win.
Defective ABS brake
ABS brake is an anti-lock braking support system, helping to ensure safety when the car brakes suddenly. Nowadays, ABS is equipped on most modern cars. However, the ABS anti-lock braking system sometimes has an error that prevents the intake/exhaust valve from opening/closing, causing the vehicle to lose its brakes.
Bad habits from the driver
The car's brake failure can also be caused by the driver's fault because in the process of using the vehicle, especially when the vehicle is heavy, downhill... if the driver continuously presses the brake pedal for a long distance, creating great pressure On the brake, it is easy to cause the brake pads to burn, leading to a situation where the brakes do not work, the brakes are weak or the car loses its brakes.
How to handle when the car loses the brake?
You have to be very calm to handle this case, do not panic, and do not focus on decelerating the car. Instead, the first thing to do is to observe what is going on ahead to avoid causing a collision. Immediately turn on the emergency lights, flash the headlights, use the seals continuously to let the vehicles in traffic pay attention and give way.
Reduce/release the accelerator pedal depending on the situation
A vehicle that loses its brakes is a case where the brake cannot be used to control the vehicle's speed. The most recommended way to handle when the car loses the brake is to release the accelerator or reduce the accelerator. However, if you are moving on a busy road or going downhill, the driver should not release the accelerator but simply reduce the throttle. Because releasing the accelerator lets the car run freely, the car is more likely to collide with other vehicles, causing serious consequences.
Do not turn off the car engine
When a car loses its brakes, do not turn off the engine. In many cases, because of losing his temper, the driver turns off the car engine as soon as he detects that the car has lost the brakes, please note that this action is extremely dangerous because turning off the car engine will cause the car to lose power steering, making the driver very angry. difficult to control the car to avoid the obstacles on the road.
Moreover, turning off the car means that the car is no longer braked by the engine and transmission, the car will fall into a free-running state under the force of inertia, which makes the situation worse.
Shift the car to low gear
The driver can take advantage of the engine brake by shifting the car to a low gear, this is the most effective and safest method of handling when the vehicle loses braking. For automatic transmission cars, the driver only needs to switch to semi-automatic mode, low gear mode, or shift gears through the gearshift paddles on the steering wheel. For manual transmission vehicles, the driver only needs to shift the gear lever to 1st or 2nd gear.
However, a problem is that if the car is running at high speed, suddenly being forced to a low gear can cause the car to break down, destroy the transmission system, this is even more dangerous. Therefore, when handling a car that has lost its brakes, it is advisable not to put the car in low gear from the beginning. Instead, shift gears by increments or 2 levels. For example, the car is in 5th gear, it can be in 4th or 3rd gear, after feeling the speed is more stable, continue to go to 2nd or 1st gear.
The method of handling when the car loses its brake effectively is to shift the car to a low gear to break the engine
Press the brake pedal continuously
Even if the car loses its brakes, try to press the brake pedal continuously, because the car may lose the brake just because the vehicle has only temporarily lost brake fluid pressure and the continuous pressing of the brake can help regain brake fluid pressure. When pressing the brake pedal feels soft and the brake pedal is low, the car will likely lose the brakes due to a problem with the oil pipeline, at this time, try to apply the brake several times.
Use the handbrake
In addition to the foot brake, there is another brake system on cars that is the handbrake. But in an emergency, the handbrake can also be used to create braking force.
However, if you use the handbrake, you should only use the handbrake to brake when the vehicle is running at as low a speed as possible. Because using the handbrake when the vehicle is running at high speed, it can cause the vehicle to lock, lose grip, and slip on the road, leading to dangerous situations such as the car being thrown, the car losing control.
Use the handbrake at as low a speed as possible
When pulling the handbrake, you also need to pay attention to use enough force, not too fast or too strong. When braking, you should brake according to the threshold, both brake and release, pay attention to feel the condition of the vehicle, if you see that the car shows signs of losing control, you need to release the handbrake immediately.
Active collision to stop the car
When the car loses the brake, the driver should try to put the car on empty roads, rough roads, lots of stones, etc. to slow down. Can be combined using the hammock method. In the event of force majeure, the driver should choose the last way to handle the vehicle when the brakes are lost, which is to actively let the vehicle crash into an obstacle to stop the vehicle. Should choose obstacles that can be moved to reduce the impact force such as medians, bushes, forests, or driving the vehicle into the field.
A brake failure is extremely dangerous, so anyone must learn the necessary driving knowledge and skills to be able to somewhat handle it more safely while driving on the road.
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