You’ve finally done it–your car is out of the garage and back on the road! You feel confident about your work. After all, you did your homework, checked and re-checked your pads, rotors, fluid and lines, and all seems just as it should be. Until one sunny afternoon when you’re out enjoying your ride and suddenly your brakes don’t respond how they usually do. Panicked, you pull to a side road and slowly run through some testing scenarios, and all seems well.

But is it?

You’ve just experienced intermittent brake failure. You probably have a million questions running through your mind.

Why’d my pedal hit the floor on that hard turn? I know my fluid level is right on.

Will it happen again? Everything seems fine at the moment.

Did I install something incorrectly? If so, how do I know what that is and how to fix it?

These types of scenarios can happen all too often. In the garage and under your watchful eye, everything appears to be fine. You don’t experience any odd smells, noises or feelings when checking your brakes. So, you rightly assume the job is done and you can move on to enjoying your ride.

Why Did I Experience Intermittent Brake Failure?

There can be a myriad of reasons for brake failure. This can include worn-out pads, improper fluid levels, hard or soft brake pedals, line leaks, vacuum levels, and a slew of other possibilities. The only way to know for certain is through good old-fashioned troubleshooting.

Download: Diagnose Hard Brake Pedal

Many times, with intermittent brake failure, a situation hasn’t occurred enough times to fully expose the problem. Just like a car battery that dies once and then works fine for two weeks before dying again, you should treat intermittent brake failure as a warning sign that something is definitely wrong, and it will happen again if not fixed.

How do I Correct Brake Failure?

The best approach is to eliminate possible errors by checking for the most common and easily detectable ones first, then going through the process of addressing them one by one and in a variety of different test scenarios until you pinpoint the source.

Brake Failure Checklist: Troubleshoot Obvious Errors

Odd Smells

Easily detected signs and symptoms include any foul odors coming from your brakes. Burning smells indicate overheating and may be indicative of brake fade, brake drag or glossing over.

Brake Noises

Different noises point to different problems. Whether your brakes are squeaking, grinding,

Driving Responsiveness and Feel

If your vehicle is pulling to the left or right when you brake or you are experiencing vibrations during braking, something isn’t quite right. Pulling or vibrations can indicate worn out or warped rotors.

Hard or Soft Brake Pedal

A hard brake pedal can mean inaccurate amounts of vacuum. If you experience a hard brake pedal, go through this checklist to correct the issue.

Soft brake pedal can mean one of several things, including air in the system, fluid leaks, or booster pin gap. Troubleshoot a soft brake pedal with this guide.

Brake Failure Checklist: Recreate Common Driving Scenarios

Once you’ve gone through troubleshooting the obvious errors in the garage, it’s time to take to the road. By taking your vehicle through as many common driving scenarios as possible, you increase your chance of recreating the situation that will expose the brake problem once again and allow you to identify and correct it.

This article from the NSRA StreetScene October 2021 issues talks about weird brake issues that pop up and cause intermittent brake failure and how you can go about diagnosing and treating the issue.

The best way to approach this type of testing is to think about your normal driving habits and driving routes. Mimic the turns, speed, and amount of brake pressure you would normally experience, but try to do so in a safer, more controlled environment if possible. Have a partner on hand to assist in case of emergencies.

If and once you successfully recreate the initial problem, you’ll have more insight and information that will help you make a more accurate assessment.

What if I Experience Brake Failure on the Road?

Don’t Panic.

If your warning lights pop on or you start to feel intermittent brake issues again, the most important thing is to NOT PANIC. Take a few breaths, calm down, and keep your focus. Panic removes all sense of judgment and reason.

Pump the Brakes.

If the pedal falls to the floor, your line may be broken. Pumping the brakes repeatedly can activate the front or rear brakes if one or the other has failed, giving you partial brakes to help stop.

Downshift.

Let the vehicle do the stopping for you. Make sure to shift down through the gears one at a time.

E-brake.

Considered a bit of an extreme measure, don’t yank or stomp the emergency brake unless you have to. E-brakes lock up the rear wheels and can send you spinning if you’re at a high speed. Downshift to the lowest gear before using the E-brake unless absolutely necessary.

Controlled Swerving

Similar to race car drivers, swerving can help you shave off speed for a controlled slow and stop.

Regularly Test Your Brakes as Part of Your Maintenance Plan

Any well thought out vehicle maintenance plan will include a regular testing of your brakes. As wear and tear accumulates on your vehicle, new issues can pop up that need to be addressed and updated, just like changing your fluids, checking your filters, and maintaining your tires.

Having a good preventive maintenance plan in place can help detect issues – such as intermittent brake failure – early enough to correct them before they develop into an emergency situation.

Remember to test in the garage and test on the road to help expose and identify any pending issues.

As always, we’re happy to be your helpful resource.

The MP Brakes Team