The brake system in a car is one of your car’s responsive things that leads to different accidents and not proper driving, which is why it needs constant check-ups and you should always be aware of what is going on around there.
I have dealt with lots of problems with the cars I have used, especially at the time I started driving for the first time and the reason was brakes. Sometimes, when driving, the brake pedal goes to the floor, and in moments of panic, you surely don’t know what to do!
In this article, you will find everything related to brakes going to the floor such as the reasons and some ways how to fix it!
Why Does the Brake Pedal Go to the Floor?
I am well aware that the worst thing that could happen to a driver is to press on the brakes and notice that there is no pressure of any kind, but instead, the brakes go directly to the floor without any contact with anything else.
Well, there are reasons that lead to this issue such as the brake fluid, air, master cylinder, brake booster, and the age of your car as well.
How are the things I mentioned responsible for pedals going to the floor? Let’s find out!
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Brake Fluid Leak
A common reason that makes a brake pedal go to the floor is the brake fluid found in your car! Basically, your car may be going low on fluid or there is a leak in any part.
Brake fluid may leak because of different damages to overall brake components as well as rusting. So, if you notice that your pedal is going down, the fault is on the brake fluid.
Air on Brake Lines
Another reason that your brake pedal may go to the floor is because of the air that is gathered in the brake lines of your car.
The brake lines are the parts of your car that transfer the pressure you give to the pedal onto the brakes in the wheels.
If these lines are filled with air, the pressure won’t be there anymore and you will be having problems with the pedal.
Failing Master Cylinder
The master cylinder is one of the most important components in a car when it comes to the brakes! A master cylinder’s job is to pump the brake fluid into the brake lines and once it is failing, there is no doubt that the whole brake system will not be as it should be.
Bad Brake Booster
Hence its name, a brake booster is a device that boosts the whole performance of the brakes and it increases the force that you apply on the pedal and takes it to the master cylinder.
When there is a bad brake booster in a car, there is no force and the pedal is very light and goes directly to the floor.
How to Fix Brake Pedals that Go to the Floor?
When you the reasons that cause any problem with your car or anything else you use on a daily basis, surely you check for solutions, and based on the reasons above, I will mention things that you can do in order to get rid of brake pedals that go to the floor.
Constantly Checking Fluid Level
When you notice that the problem is found on the brake fluid, the best thing to do is to check it out as much as you can and refill it when it is going low.
Check for any Leak
Once again, related to the fluid, your car can be broken somewhere and it allows fluid to come out.
After you start your car make sure to check out the place it was parked in order to see whether there is any leakage.
Replace Master Cylinder and Brake Booster
When it comes to the master cylinder and the brake booster, being devices put in the car, the best thing to do is to change them and replace them with new ones.
It is basically a mechanics’ job, as not everybody owns pieces of a car hanging around!
Things to Do – Noticing the Brake Pedal Isn’t OK
Now that you know everything related to the brakes pedal going to the floor, I want to share some advice while including the things you should have in mind when you notice that the brakes of your car aren’t doing well.
- No Panic – the rule of thumb for drivers in general whenever they encounter any problem with the brakes on the road, is the rule of no panic! I know how scared you may be but it isn’t the time for panic.
- Get Off the Road – Another thing you should have in mind is that you should get off the road in the most careful way possible.
- Try Brakes Again – After changing the route, try to use the brakes again, but not with too much pressure.
- Use of Emergency Brake – After you see that your brakes can’t become better and the pedal keeps going down to the floor, you can use the emergency brake, but again, super carefully.
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Final Words
Even though throughout the whole article I mentioned that the first one not working brakes is not to panic in any way I know how scared everybody may be, especially if you drive at a higher speed.
So, the brake pedal of your car going down to the floor is a common problem among drivers but there are a few things that lead to it and there are solutions as well.
I hope you liked what you read this far and also found everything you needed to know! Good luck!