Are You Pumping Your Brakes
To Stop Your Vehicle?

If you are pumping your brakes to slow down or stop your vehicle, you have a problem that needs to be fixed right away. There are many different causes for this condition, so be sure to properly identify the problem.

Caused by: Damaged pad or oil/grease contamination on brake pad or shoe.

Solution: Inspect and clean as necessary. Find cause of oil/grease if applicable.

Caused by: Defective caliper piston, wheel cylinder or caliper sliding mechanism.

Solution: Inspect sliding pins and caliper piston for damage, binding or stuck components. Caliper replacement may be necessary if parts can’t fixed.

Caused by: Excessively worn pads or shoes.

Solution: Replace worn pads or shoes.

Caused by: New brakes are not fully bedded in.

Solution: Follow brake pad or shoe manufacturer’s recommendation for proper bedding in procedure.

Caused by: Faulty power brake booster or loose vacuum fittings.

Solution: Inspect booster fittings and replace power brake booster if necessary.

Caused by: Low fluid level/leak. The hydraulic brake system is a closed type system, meaning that if the brake fluid is low, there is a leak somewhere.

Solution: Find and repair leak, bleed the system of any air in the fluid.

Caused by: Air in the brake fluid. Brakes may have overheated.

Solution: Inspect brake system for leaks. Replace faulty components and bleed brakes. Consider brake upgrades that will resist overheating.

Caused by: Worn master cylinder seals can’t create enough pressure to activate brakes.

Solution: Replace master cylinder and bleed brakes.

Caused by: Rear drum brakes aren’t adjusted properly.

Solution: See page on adjusting drum brakes

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