SOME COMMON BRAKES PROBLEMS

LOW BRAKE PEDAL-- This happens when shoe adjusters on rear drum brakes are rusted or sticking and can no longer make up for normal lining wear. Adjusting the rear drum brakes may restore a full pedal but a more lasting solution would be to clean or replace the adjusters. Fluid leakage and worn out brake linings could also lead to low brake pedals

SPONGY OR SOFT BRAKE PEDAL-- When air gets inside your brake system a spongy or soft brake pedal is what results. This often happens due to improper bleeding, fluid loss or a very low fluid level. To fix this you have to bleed all your brake line using only a recommended sequence

EXCESSIVE BRAKE PEDAL TRAVEL-- If you experience excessive brake pedal travel, it could be that your brake linings are worn out or your drum brakes are misadjusted or your rear is getting worn out or there could be air inside the brake lines. It could also be any combination of both. This can be dangerous because the brake pedal may run out of travel before the brakes are fully applied. Pumping the pedal when you apply the brakes usually helps, but you need to diagnose and fix the problem right away

PEDAL SINKS TO FLOOR-- You get to traffic light and to place your leg on the pedal to stop your car but it goes slowly down, this means the master cylinder is not holding pressure. This is a very critical and potentially dangerous condition because a worn master cylinder or a leak in the hydraulic system may cause the brakes to fail

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CHECKING ELECTRICAL CIRCUITS

The electrical system of a car is a closed circuit with an independent power source 'the battery' Apart from the main charging, starting and ignition circuits, there are other circuits that power lights, electric motors, the sensors and gauges of electrical instruments, heating elements, magnetically operated locks, the radio and so on All Circuits are opened and closed either by switches or by relays - remote switches operated by electromagnets Circuits have components connected to them, and to operate these components they require voltage so, no voltage no function' which makes the first order of business when diagnosing electrical problems is to check the circuit's load point(bulb, wiper motor, any element the circuit is suppose to power) for the presence of voltage. If you find no voltage at the load point, you just uncovered the first clue about what a problem might be. Then you can check the fuse, fuse link, circuit breaker and also the relay supplying volt

HOW TO RECONGNISE A FAULTY CAR THERMOSTAT

A bad car thermostat can ruin the car’s engine if you’re not if it not properly diagnose and fixed immediately. Ignoring a faulty thermostat will lead to a much more expensive damage. Here are some of the ways you can recognize a defective thermostat 1. Overheating engine Once the thermostat becomes defective, it can cause over heating in your engine. This is usually the result of a stuck thermostat that won't allow antifreeze to flow from the radiator and so halts heat regulation in the engine as it begins to overheat. Before deciding on whether to replace your thermostat, check your hoses to make sure there is no leakage of coolant. 2. Under Heating engine This problem occurs when the thermostat allows continuous flow of coolant into the engine or has lost it's ability to regulate the flow of coolant into the engine. When this happen the engine will too cool and lose it's ability to function properly 3. Fluctuating temperature readings Once you start noticin

BRAKE WARNING LIGHT

When your brake warning light is on, it could mean a number of things, i. If the light is on all the time, it could mean you simply forgot to release the parking brake ii. If the brake warning light remains on when the parking brake is released, it could be that the switch on the parking brake pedal or lever is misadjusted, a simple adjustment should fix the problem iii. If the light is intermittent and seems to come on and off depending on whether the vehicle is turning, it may mean that the brake fluid level is getting low iv. If the brake warning light is on continuously, it means that hydraulic pressure has been lost in one side of the brake system or that the fluid level in the master cylinder is dangerously low most likely due to leakage. The fluid level in the master cylinder should be checked. Adding brake fluid to the master cylinder reservoir may temporarily solve the problem but if the culprit is as a result of leakage, the new fluid will soon be lost and the warni

AUTO REPAIR GUIDE

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