Why spongy brakes

They might identify one or more of the following causes that require maintenance. If air gets into the brake lines, it can prevent brake fluid from flowing properly, causing the brake pedal to feel spongy or soft. If the brakes are soft or spongy, this is a good time to change or flush the brake fluid. Flushing the brake fluid, commonly called bleeding the brakes, gets rid of the air.

Bleeding the brakes uses fluid to push air out of the brake system. Over time, brake fluid absorbs moisture. Flushing the brake fluid prevents old fluid from boiling, which can cause a low brake pedal. Clean, fresh fluid protects and preserves other brake components such as the master cylinder and ABS anti-lock brake system for long, trouble-free operation.

Since brake lines are made of steel tubing, they can become corroded by rust. Over time, rust can cause small holes to develop, allowing brake fluid to leak out. The loss of brake fluid leads to a loss of hydraulic pressure, so the brake pedal will feel soft or low and go to the floor. Like brake lines, disc brake calipers the component that clamps the brake pad down against the rotors to slow or stop the vehicle can also become corroded with rust causing the internal piston seal to leak brake fluid.

Damage from a car crash can also cause brake lines to bend and collapse, weakening them and making them more susceptible to problems down the road. And how about low brake fluid?

Time might be the key suspect here. Brake fluid converts the energy you apply to the brake pedal into the force required to bring your car to a stop.

Just as your brake pads wear thin over time, so can your brake fluid. As the brake pads wear and become thinner with use, the caliper piston moves further away from its housing, causing more brake fluid to be stored inside the caliper. This excess brake fluid can lead to low brake fluid in the master cylinder overtime with no signs of a leak. Or, the low fluid could be due to a leak. The master cylinder plays an important role in distributing the hydraulic pressure mentioned in 1.

It pushes the brake fluid where it needs to be to help bring your car to a stop. Over time, seals within the cylinder can break or leak. If you have to press the brake pedal all the way to the floor to bring your vehicle to a stop, this might be why. Braking creates a great deal of heat.

Phone: Fax: Email: service tommyht. Phone: Email: service tommyseuro. Denton, TX. Plano, TX. About Tommy's. Our Team. All Services. Air Conditioning. Oil Change. State Inspection. Cooling System Flush. Brake fluid is the key ingredient needed to bring your car to a stop. But just like brake pads, brake fluid can wear thin over time. Can't remember the last time you had a brake service? Then it could be that old brake fluid is causing the poor brake performance. Or, you could have a possible leak causing your fluid to be low.

Either way, get it checked out! This is one of the most common causes of spongy brakes. Unevenly distributed hydraulic air pressure causes the system to become out of balance, which causes a soft brake pedaling issue. When your braking system isn't working as well as it once was, it could be the master cylinder is malfunctioning.

Its job is to distribute hydraulic pressure see above-Air in Brake Lines which distributes the brake fluid where it's needed to stop your vehicle.