This is a very common problem that lots of drivers are facing. The brake pedal suddenly sinks to the floor and does not come back. And probably you will feel you lost brake power after that incident. Here, we will explain the general causes of this problem and solutions.
The brake Pedal Suddenly Sinks to the Floor, What is the Problem?
First of all, this incident can happen while you are driving your car. So, you need to stay calm. Your brake pedal can sink and your brakes do not work. You need to open the emergency signal of your car which makes people know there is a problem with your car. And other drivers will be more cautious around you.
Use Engine Brake
If the brake suddenly stops working, you need to use the engine brake. While you are doing it, you need to decrease shift gradually. And the engine will shop your car. You need to hold the steering wheel tightly to prevent any control loss of the car.
Use the Emergency Brake
Maybe you are not experienced enough to make an engine brake. Do not panic. You can use the emergency brake. If the speed of your car is high, you need to apply the emergency brake gradually. If you suddenly apply the emergency brake, you will lose control. Hold the steering wheel tightly and slowly take the emergency brake to stop the car.
What Causes the Brake Pedal to Suddenly Sinks to the Floor Problem?
There are different kinds of causes of this problem. You can have this problem generally because of the brake oil and the air entrapped to the brake system.
Air in Brake System
Aİr in the brake system is one of the most common causes of this problem. Your brake system is a hydraulic system that includes hydraulic compoınetns and hydraulic fluid. The fluid transmits the force that you apply to your pedal to the brake pads. If there is air inside the brake system and hydraulic fluid, you will have this problem.
What you need to do is, pump the brake pedal. This will help the entrapped air go out. But if it does not work, you need to take your car to a mechanic. The mechanic will bleed to brake line air from the bleed line valve. This is also a very important thing that you need to apply periodically.
Brake Fluid Leak
A brake fluid leak is also a very common cause of the problem brake pedal suddenly sinking to the floor. You need to solve this problem with a mechanic. The brake fluid leak can cause by the different sections of the brake system. The brake hoses can be damaged, the master cylinder can leak fluid. Even the valves can leak fluid. So, the mechanic will find the leakage problem and apply a possible solution for it.
If the brake fluid leak from your system, the brake pedal will be fizzled. And it will not come to t its natural position. You need to solve this problem as much as possible.
Brake Booster Fail
Also, you have a brake booster system in your brakes. The brake booster is responsible to the increase the total power of your brakes. So, the pad will apply much higher force on the brake rotors thanks to the brake boosters.
If the brake booster fails, the brake mechanism will not work. And this may cause the problem of the stuck pedal. Also, you need to take a touring car to a mechanic to solve this problem.
Master Cylinder Fail
This is also a very common cause of the brake pedal suddenly sinking to the floor problem. The master cylinder is the mechanism that makes it possible to separate the hydraulic fluid into the two pads in the same way. So, if this part fails, the separation of the hydraulic fluid will not work efficiently. You need to take your car to a mechanic.
How to Prevent this Problem?
The brake pedal suddenly sinks to the floor problem generally arise from the old parts and fluid. You need to make regular maintenance of your brakes to prevent this problem happen. These are the general brake maintenance rules for you.
Check the Brake Rotor and Pad Systems
In a brake system, these are the parts that are responsible to slow down the vehicle. They rub against each other to slow down your vehicle. Because of that, they are the parts that get the most worn out. You need to regularly check these systems.
And you will feel a decrease in the brake performance because of the wear-outs on these systems.
Change Brake Fluid
The quality and the performance of the brake fluid also decrease over time. So, you need to regularly change the brake fluid every 15-20.000 miles.
Check, Brake Hoses, Master Cylinder and Brake Booster Systems
These are the other parts that lead this brake pedal suddenly sinks into floor problems. So, you need to regularly control these parts of your brake system.
Last Words on Brake Suddenly Sinks to Floor Problem
As you see above it is a very serious problem that you can face with your car. To prevent this problem regular checks for your brake system are very important. If you have further questions and comments about this topic, please leave them below!
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