2024 Author: Erin Ralphs | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-19 11:42
When training in driving schools, future drivers are told little about critical and emergency situations that may arise. Hence the huge number of accidents with sad consequences that could have been avoided. Let's see what to do when the brakes fail in the car. With a little practice, even beginners will be able to stop the car in an emergency.
Causes of brake system failure
The main reason is a break in the line through which the working brake fluid circulates. Such cliffs occur due to strong impacts with stones, due to collisions with curbs, due to heavy wear. As you can see, there are many possible causes of this problem, but the effect is the same - the brakes failed. Due to a broken pipeline, the working fluid will flow out of the system, and the cylinder will not be able to compress the pads.
Also, the brake master cylinder often fails. Whatever the reason, the main thing in such a situation is not to panic and not lose your temper. There are effective ways to stop the car in an emergencycases.
General recommendations
Let's look at what to do if the brakes fail at speed. This is necessary and important information. There are several options for reducing speed without the need to use the parking brake. Many in this situation grab the handbrake, but in a panic, few people think that this can lead to a skid or even a rollover.
Before starting the emergency braking action, it is recommended to press the pedal hard and sharply several times. If the car does not have a standard ABS, then these actions will create the necessary pressure in the system. This will help when the brakes fail due to something other than a broken pipe. Maybe air just got into the system. It is also not uncommon for an object to fall under the brake pedal - it can block pressing.
Experts recommend not turning off the engine in such situations. If you need to stop immediately, and the road section is small, then you can enter the car into a skid up to the exit into a ditch or hitting an obstacle. This can be justified when there are pedestrians or various dangerous objects in front of the car.
Starting the engine
If the car's brakes fail, you can try to stop it using the transmission system. This is one of the most popular and safest speed reduction methods. This procedure is performed by engaging lower gears. Engine braking is not only as safe as possible under all road conditions, but when done correctly, it is notwill cause a drift. When performing this operation, you need to remember a few basic nuances.
Don't downshift too hard. Doing so can cause the drive wheels to spin and increase the risk of skidding. The lower the gear, the sharper the dive of the car will be.
How to brake with a manual transmission engine
If the brakes fail, but there is a manual transmission, you can stop effectively enough. But you need to use the engine correctly. To reduce the risk of skidding, it is necessary to shift only one gear down. It is not necessary to include the third from the fifth gear at once. When driving in fifth, turn on the fourth and wait for the moment when the car will twitch and then turn on the third. When the car begins to twitch on the first, only then you can turn off the engine. If the truck's brakes failed, then this approach will not help. A loaded car spins the engine very well, and there will be no reduction in speed.
There is also a "regasification" - this should be remembered by the owners of Soviet cars. In normal situations, when downshifting, the driver waits for the speed to decrease before engaging the lower gear. But in emergency situations, there is no time to wait. Therefore, after disengaging the gear, it is necessary to press the gas to equalize the speed and then shift the gear. So we will reduce the "peck", which is very harmful to the elements of the motor and transmission.
Engine braking and automatic transmission
On vehicles equipped with automatic transmissions, you canperform the same actions. To do this, the automatic transmission is switched to manual control mode. If it is not available in this automatic transmission model, then the lever is moved to the third or second gear position. This is to force the car, albeit slowly, but to reduce the speed of movement. You can also install an automatic transmission in the parking lot. But if the brakes fail, this approach will only be effective when the distance is short, and you need to slow down at all costs.
In this case, the automatic transmission will be blocked. There is a serious possibility that the car will skid, and the automatic transmission mechanism will be broken and it will have to be thrown away. But it's much better and cheaper than someone's life.
How to brake in reverse gear
This is another way to make emergency deceleration to a complete stop. This is braking by engaging reverse gear. In real life, this method cannot be used - the method is fraught with a complete replacement of the clutch kit and other transmission parts. However, this method is not always suitable if the brakes fail. Efficiency largely depends on the condition of the gearbox and its type. Some modern gearboxes are equipped with special locking mechanisms that prevent reverse gear from being engaged while the car is moving forward.
On simpler gearboxes, you can turn on reverse gear. To do this, release the clutch and press the gas. The effectiveness of braking depends on the speed of the machine, as well as the power of the engine. Often after thisyou have to change not only the clutch, but the entire power unit - the gearbox and the engine. Also, this braking can cause accidents. The car can bring to the side of the road or into the center of the roadway, into the oncoming lane. In addition, vehicles coming from behind will not be able to stop as quickly as you.
This method provides for the creation of an emergency on the road, after the application, the engine and gearbox become unusable. What to do if the brakes fail at speed? Let's consider all the nuances in more detail.
How to emergency engine brake
In the case of automatic transmission and manual transmission, you can turn off the engine along with the transmission. However, this method is recommended to be used only in the most difficult cases. If you try to brake in this way, the car can get into a skid. The method also involves turning on as low a gear as possible.
Use handbrake
Also, along with the methods already described, there is one more. It involves the use of a handbrake. If the reason why the brakes failed did not lead to the handbrake failure, then you can use it. But you need to remember that there is a certain risk of getting into a skid.
The best result, which allows you to stop as quickly as possible, is a combination of engine braking with the use of the so-called handbrake. When the car starts to slow down due to the downshift, apply the parking brake and drive to a complete stop. It is important to press the mechanism button before the whole procedure and do notlet her go. If the wheels lock up, this will prevent the car from skidding.
How to brake against obstacles
What to do if the brakes fail and the car does not want to stop, and you are moving in the stream? If there is not enough space for braking, then you should try to slow down on some obstacle. This is the most extreme case.
Most professional drivers recommend stopping not with a direct frontal impact, but at a tangent to this obstacle. This will make it possible to reduce the speed, and the damage will be minimal. At high speed, this method can save a life.
Don't slow down on an obstacle next to which there are people. In an imminent collision, the car is directed so as to hit the front car with a bumper. This allows you to cancel the speed, as well as reduce damage for both cars.
How to brake on mountain roads
In the mountains it is worth remembering that there are special pockets for an emergency stop before sharp turns. It is worth saying that it is often in such places that beginners have an accident. They think that the brakes will not fail on the descent, but with their active use, it is on the descent that the whole system fails. Usually beginners brake with the pedal instead of the transmission. As a result, the pads are jammed on one of the axles. Therefore, in such cases, we definitely use a lower gear and, if necessary, we stop at the "catching" pocket. This is the only way to safely stop without seriousdamage.
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