The anti-lock braking system (ABS) is designed to prevent the wheels from locking up during braking. Even under emergency braking conditions, the car remains in control, which means the driver can avoid an obstacle without having to release the brakes first.

The system incorporates wheel sensors to monitor the speed of all wheels on the vehicle. Should a wheel threaten to lock, a solenoid valve reduces brake force until the wheels runs freely and brake force up to the lock-limit can be reapplied. The vehicle remains stable and in control.

Volkswagen’s ABS system is further enhanced with electronic brake-force distribution (EBD). EBD ensures maximum braking performance and under normal conditions it prevents the rear-end from sliding out due to over-braking. It also eliminates ‘brake fading’,which often results from overheating.

The Hydraulic Braking Assistant (HBA) comes into play in emergency stops or panicky braking manoeuvres when drivers brake rapidly, but ineffectively. The HBA sensors recognise the attempt at full braking and transmit a signal calling for full brake pressure from the new, two-stage hydraulic booster. The result is a slow, strong application of the full brake force from a short pedal travel movement and a significantly reduced braking distance.

In two years, Volvo will introduce their City Safety system that promises benefits to both drivers and passengers when faced with sticky driving situations.

According to Ingrid Skogsmo, director of the Volvo Cars Safety Center, “The system offers benefits to all involved. For the occupants of the car in front, the risk of whiplash injuries is avoided or reduced. What is more, the system can help reduce or sometimes even eliminate the cost of repairs to both vehicles.”

If the vehicle in front suddenly brakes and the City Safety senses that a collision is likely to happen it will pre-charge the brakes to help the driver to avoid an accident by braking or let the driver steer away from a potential collision. However, when the system senses that a collision is imminent, the car will brake automatically through hydraulic pump activation.

The system keeps a watchful eye on traffic in front of the car with the help of an optical radar system integrated into the upper part of the windscreen at the height of the interior rear-view mirror. It can monitor vehicles that are up to 6 metres in front of the car. City Safety operates at speeds of up to 30 km/h and the system is programmed to respond if the vehicle in front is either at a standstill or is moving in the same direction as the car itself.

Based on the distance to the object in front and the car’s own speed, the system runs a calculation 50 times per second to determine what braking speed is needed to avoid a collision. If the calculated braking force exceeds a given level without the driver responding, the danger of a collision is considered imminent. In such a case, City Safety helps avoid or reduce the consequences of a collision by automatically activating the car’s brakes or by auto braking and switching off the throttle.

“It is important to emphasise that the system does not absolve the driver from driving with adequate safety margins in order to avoid collisions. The automatic braking function is only activated when the system assesses that a collision is imminent. The system then steps in to limit the consequences of – or in some cases totally avoid – the imminent collision,” explains Skogsmo.

Volvo Cars has previously presented active safety systems that help the driver avoid and reduce damage and injuries from collisions. One example is the current Volvo S80’s Collision Warning and Brake Support that alerts the driver via audible and visual signals if the gap to the car in front is being reduced so quickly that an impact is likely. At the same time, the braking system is prepared so that braking is as effective as possible in this emergency situation.

8. Vacuum Pedal Drop: after exhausting the reserve vacuum in step 7, hold the pedal down firmly and start the engine. The pedal should drop slightly as vacuum is applied to the booster.

9. Master Cylinder Inspection: Check the outside of the cylinder for signs of leakage. Wipe dirt away from the cylinder and remove the cover. The fluid level should well be within one-fourth inch of the top of the reservoir, and the fluid should be clear with no sign of contamination.

Watch the fluid in the reservoir as an assistant depresses the pedal one-fourth to one-half inch. A spurt or agitation indicates that the compensating port is closing correctly. This occurs only in the front reservoir in dual-chamber cylinders. Be sure the vent holes in the cylinder cover or cap are open and that the diaphragm, if used, is not torn or deteriorated.

10. Power booster connections: check the vacuum line at the booster and at th engine for signs of leakage. With the engine running, listen for hissing sounds, indicating a vacuum leak. On vehicles with Hydro-Boost hydraulic boosters, check the lines at the booster and the power steering pump for leakage.

11. Hoses, Lines and Fittings: inspect all hoses, lines and fittings for damage, chassis interference, or leakage. Do not overlook the rear hose, or hoses. Metal lines and fitting must be free from leakage. Be vigilant in your inspection so you don’t miss anything.

Raise the vehicle on a hoist and turn the steering from lock to lock. Brake hoses must not hit the chassis or wheels in any wheel position. Rub rings may contact the chassis as long as the body of the hose is not worn.

Inspect the brake lines for use of copper tubing in place of steel lines. Copper tubing is inferior in material and thus, is unacceptable for brake system use.

12. Parking Brake: inspect the parking brake linkage and cables for damage and fraying. Cables should move freely in conduits. Apply the parking brake and attempt to move the vehicle. On pre-1967 cars, the parking brake should hold the vehicle securely at two-thirds lever or pedal travel. Many 1976 cars as well as later models have a ratchet-type parking brake linkage that provides a greater mechanical advantage but which must be pumped up during application.

13. Drum Brake Components: remove the brake drums and inspect the drums, shoes, linings, wheel cylinders and all hardware. Brake drums wear in normal use. Some of the common wear patterns are:

Scoring—grooves worn in the drum surface by contact with the lining. If the lining is worn down to the rivets, or shoe surface, deep scoring will result

Bellmouthed—tapered wear which will also be seen as uneven lining wear.

Concave or convex—concave wear is occurs when there is greater wear in the center of the drum than at either edge. Convex wear is when there is greater wear at the edges than in the center.

Heat checks—hairline cracks in the braking surface caused by overheating from severe use.

Out of Round—an out of round condition may exist with any of the other wear patterns. This condition is verified by measuring the drum diameter in several places with a micrometer.

A slight amount of any of these wear conditions can be corrected by turning the drum on a lathe to restore a uniform surface finish and diameter.

As an aside, remember to check the lining for cracks or breaks that impair attachment, loose mounting, contamination with grease and oil or brake fluid. One must also be on the lookout for wire backing visible through lining material, bent shoes or broken welds and badly deformed slots or holes for springs, anchors, or pushrods.

Brake system service begins with thorough testing and inspection. The following 15-step checklist will help you evaluate all brake systems with greater accuracy and efficiency.

1. Service Brake Performance: A service brake performance test or test of overall stopping ability, is a good way to begin a brake inspection and is essential for evaluating completed brake services. Brake performance can be tested on a brake dynamometer or platform analyzer or by a simple road test.

On a dynamometer, the braking forces at the front and rear axles are tested separately. On a platform analyzer, the braking forces at all four wheels are tested simultaneously. Generally, the total braking force of the vehicle weight, and the braking force at the wheel must be within 20 percent of the force on the opposite wheel of the same axle.

When brake performance is evaluated by a road test, the vehicle should stop smoothly within 25 feet from 20 mph without swerving out of a 12-foot-wide lane.

2. Brake Warning Light: on 1967 and later vehicles with split hydraulic systems, check the warning light by momentarily turning the ignition switch to the Start position. But, do not start the engine. See if the warning light illuminates because it should. Some imported cars have press-to-test warning lights, which are checked by pressing on the indicator lamp. Again, the lamp should light.

3. Stop lamps: Check the stop lamps by depressing the brake pedal and watching for both lamps to light.

4. Pedal and Linkage Installation: Apply and release the pedal several times. Move the linkage from side to side. Check for noise, binding and excessive looseness. Troubles will soon follow these signs so better fix them right away.

5. Pedal Reserve: Pedal reserve is the distance from the pedal to the floor when the brakes are applied. To check pedal reserve, release the parking brakes and for cars with power brakes, start the engine. Measure the distance from the pedal free height to the floor. Depress the pedal and measure the distance from the brake-applied position to the floor.

Pedal travel from the released to the applied position should be 80 percent or less of its total height from the floor. Pedal reserve must be 20 percent or more. Another general guideline is that the pedals should be at least two inches from the floor for manual brakes and one inch for power brakes.

While checking pedal reserve, pump the pedal several times at a rapid pace. If the brake-applied pedal height rises with repeated exertions, or if the pedal feels rather spongy, there may be air in the hydraulic lines or the drum brakes of the car may need adjustment.

6. Hydraulic Leakage: check for hydraulic leakage by applying the brake pedal firmly and holding it for 10 seconds. If the peal drops under pressure after the initial application, or if the warning light turns on, the hydraulic system is leaking.

7. Vacuum Reserve: on a car with vacuum-operated power brakes, run the engine at a fast idle for several seconds an then turn it off. Wait 90 seconds and apply the brakes several times. Two or more applications should be power assisted. The pedal should get firmer with four or five applications.

The brake system is one important safety assembly in the car. But that only holds true if each and every part of the system is working ideally well. One aspect of the system that needs regular inspections is that which involves the car’s brake fluid. The hydraulic brake fluid, after all, must have certain important qualities for safe braking at all times. Thus, better to be equipped with a check list and see if there are any woes to consider:

The following make up a few of the cardinal rules that one must observe when watching out for brake fluid performance:

It must not boil or otherwise be affected by the high temperatures or braking.
It must lubricate the master cylinder as well as wheel cylinders
It must attack the metal and rubber parts of the system.
It must be chemically inert, in addition to being stable, under all operating conditions.
It must remain free flowing at all temperatures. This essentially means that it must not thicken or freeze at the lowest operating temperatures.

Water, mineral, oil or any fluids other tan brake fluid cannot be used in a brake system. Water would boil and rust the cylinders. Oil would destroy the rubber parts. Brake fluid will absorb water and may be contaminated, they system must be completely flushed as well as refilled with approved brake fluid. Grades of brake fluid are duly and wholly specified by the U.S. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard by the Society of Automotive engineers.

And while you are at it, you may as well know a few things on a number of neglected parts in the system to enrich your knowledge on such matters.

First, there are disc brake friction pads. The friction pads used with disc brakes do the same job as the brake shoes and linings used with drum brakes. Each pad assembly consists of a steel plate to which lining material is bonded or riveted. The lining is a composite material similar to that used on drum brakes.

Brake pads come in various shapes as well as sizes, depending on the design of the caliper. Pads are held in the caliper by clips, pins, or locating lugs. Many brakes use anti-rattle springs on the pads. Some fixed caliper brakes are designed to allow pad removal without any need to demount the caliper.

Pads on fixed caliper brakes usually wear evenly over the entire surface. However, the inboard or piston-side pad on some floating caliper designs may tend to wear more than the outboard pad. The pads on some floating caliper brakes may also end up with wears that flow into a tapered pattern. This is due to the methods used to mount the caliper and the torque generated during braking. A tapered wear pattern on floating caliper brakes, though, is no cause for concern so long as the taper does not exceed one eighth inch across the pad surface. Tapered wear on a fixed caliper pad may indicate a frozen caliper piston that needs repair.

Late model GM cars have audible wear indicators on the brake pads. These are small spring-steel tabs that rub against the rotor and make a high-pitched squeal to warn the driver when the pads have worn to their minimum safe thickness. If the driver allows the pads to continue to wear beyond the replacement point, the scrapper may wear away, and the sound may disappear.

In addition to these, when it comes to neglected parts, caliper mounting bolts, pins, clips and pad retainers top the list like no other. All disc brakes use various bolts as well as fasteners to mount the calipers and to hold the pads in the calipers securely. Fixed calipers are bolted to the caliper support. All bolts must be tight. Lockwire must be installed, if it is called for. Floating calipers move on guide pins or slide on specially designated pathways on the caliper support. Guide pins, bushings, clips, keys and other mounting hardware must be correctly installed and free from excessive wear.

So for a brake system that’s high on road performance, keep yourself keen on safety matters and learn as much as you can about the braking system of the car you have at hand.

How much do you know about the applications that go on in your car? What forces are at work when you press your foot hard onto that pedal?

Braking force begins with the driver foot on the brake pedal. The mechanical linkage and hydraulic parts of the system multiply the pedal force and transfer it to the brake shoes or pads.

After which, the mechanical linkage from the brake pedal to the hydraulic master cylinder uses leverage to increase the pedal force as it is applied to the master cylinder. For example, a pedal force of 35 pounds may be increased to something like 210 pounds at the master cylinder pushrod. The master cylinder, in effect, applies the force to the hydraulic fluid in the system. When force is applied to a confined fluid, pressure builds up and is transmitted equally throughout the fluid. Fluid pressure transmits braking force equally from the brake pedal to all four wheels.

As further information on the matter, hydraulic pressure is measured in pounds per square inch or psi. Pressure acting on the wheel cylinder or caliper pistons can be used to multiply as well as to transmit braking force. If the pressure is applied to a wheel cylinder or caliper piston, the output force is increased.

On matters of weight transfer as well as balanced braking, hydraulic multiplication is used in order to ensure balance the existing braking effort between the front and rear wheels. The inertia of the moving car tends to keep the car moving as the brakes are applied. This causes the center of gravity or weight of the car to shift forward and the front of the car to dip during braking—which is quite a precarious position to be in, actually. Because of this weight transfer during deceleration, the front brakes are designed to provide more braking effort than the rear brakes. This ultimately demands that a greater amount of force be supplied onto them. With hydraulic multiplication, this is made possible and the balance is kept as well as maintained so as to allow the car to function competently.

Hydraulic systems are, after all, one of the major parts of the braking systems in your car. Knowing all about these allows you to gain a greater perspective on things. Hopefully, this information will inform a number of your future choices when it comes to managing your braking system. Which of course, makes it important for you to know about braking applications like this one. After all, it is admittedly true that before you can care about something in particular, you first have to know what it is and what it is about.

So the next time you mull over another braking purchase, particularly from the extensive brake products available online, you’ll know what they’re about and you won’t have to blunder about the sites, looking for information on this or that because you already know. This kind of knowledge will make things a whole lot simpler and faster to see to from time to time on car matters so you can bet that it won’t be a waste knowing what a hydraulic system from a brake pad is.

Rains of late are certain to render the roads slick and wet once again. And a number of drivers, along with car owners, are starting to get antsy over certain things that have to do with their cars, in one way or another. These concerns as well as issues not only have to do with the engines, the accessories, the tires of the car but with a great deal more. It’s enough to make one’s head swim.

Still, fretting over a car simply because the rainy season has started is very much welcome since the downpours bring trouble for one’s car. More so than usual, particularly for the brake system.

For one, we all know automotive brakes are responsible for stopping a vehicle through friction. Friction, then, is the crucial element in the mix.

This brand of friction comes in different forms. There’s the friction within as well as outside the automotive system. The friction within is generated by the brake shoes—or in some cases, brake pads—pressing against the brake drums or rotors that are located on the rotating wheel.

And then, there’s the friction generated by the contact of the tires against the road. A wheel set, no matter how well made, is going to have a difficult time navigating slick and wet roads because there is less friction on hand—less traction produced.

Even the contact of brake pads against brake rotors are affected by rain. Because if some portion of the engine were sprayed with water, in one form or another, the water—when it begins to dry out—will inevitably leave the area quite moist. This has the potential of attracting particles, grime and other unnecessary materials into the system. While some may take the grime and dust for granted, some materials may prove effectively damaging as to merit one’s attention right away. Some debris that prove hard may abrade sensitive, even critical parts and ultimately bring the car to its knees.

One has to remember that in one’s car parts, especially if one has the brake system in mind, care must be taken to ensure that all the parts are working as they should. If water gets to a number of locations inside the assembly, extensive damage can be the result. Thus, to prevent against such mishaps, one has to be keen on a range of brake system matters.

For cars that employ the hydraulic system, one must be aware, at the very least, of the fact that the entire assembly is full of liquid at any and all times. If air or vapor of any sort succeeds in entering the system, its ability to generate pressure will be greatly reduced. This, in turns, will limit the resulting braking force at the wheels of the machine. Thus, even a water droplet, when placed unerringly over any critical point of the car, can create an unsafe wheel arrangement and thus undermine the whole system.

Air will also enter the system if fluid leaks out and vapor will form if water contaminated fluid boils from the heat of braking. Thus, one must take care of the brake system whenever it rains. To help matters further, go with EBC products on inventory like EBC brake pads or EBC rotors. With the way the rains are coming, they’re certain to be needed in days to come.

Yes, much as a number of us would wish to resort to such tactics in order to ward off the gray afternoons and windy weather that comes along with the rainy season, nothing would come of it. One cannot deny the inevitability of the inevitable after all. Thus, what we can do, in the least, is to make it a whole lot easier on us.

As each and every one who owns a car or knows how to drive one is aware of, the rain results into a bevy of constant problems and one of them are slick roads. When it rains, the roads get wet and they take their sweet time in drying up. This makes driving a wee bit difficult than it has to be.

There is always the possibility that one may end up skittering on the road, skidding and brakes certainly won’t be of any help at that point.

Of course, there are ways to circumvent this. Employing safe driving measures when the rains are at full force or when snow starts to fall, can keep one from ending up in an unfortunate road accident.

The National Safety Council thus puts forward a few suggestions on the matter. First, one has to drive in a slow and careful manner, particularly when there are curves up ahead. One must also remember to leave ample space between cars so as to provide space for movement and driving adjustments. Third, when one has to stop or slow down a bit, one has to do it slowly. Gently, now. Gently. Stepping down hard on the brakes may result into a skid and that’s always something that any driver will wish to wholeheartedly avoid. Skids often happen when in wet roads.

However, if you do happen to find the car skidding, slowly, bit by bit, take your foot of the pedal before turning in the direction you wish the front of the car to head to. And of course, don’t forget to keep away from puddles.

A number of these features will, of course, only be effective if one has a great brake system and brake system components to back it up. Thus, one has to ensure that the brake system is working well and good before one attempts to face out the roads during fierce rains.

It is for this reason why auto parts the likes of EBC brakes are made available in the market. With the onset of the rainy season, having an engine braking control system or EBC system that works exceptionally well and can withstand the rigors and wear of driving in bad to awful weather is important. Now, more than ever.

One cannot simply take chances when it comes to safety. Thus, instead of inviting trouble along by driving a car that has a brake system that’s already a bit on the unreliable side, you can be sure of your safety by going for brake system components that do the job well. Work with what works. Work with EBC brakes

There are degrees in maintenance sessions, of course. There’s the routinary or regular kind that requires having your vehicle’s braking system looked over by professionals at least once a year. A complete inspection should cover a good looking over of the brake lining of the system, of the extent of the wear, the brake fluid level to see if it is still sufficient or if you already need a new batch, the rotor thickness because if it’s too thin, replacements have to be put in place right away along with the condition of the hoses, of the brake lines, of the brake as well as dash warning lights—these have to be checked and monitored at a regular basis. Since wear and tear affects these areas more than they do any other.

In addition, subjecting the car to a test drive is not a bad idea since it is one way through which other glitches in the system may be detected. Brake problems often have a way of revealing themselves when one is in the middle of the road, going at it 170 miles or more, per hour. There is also the matter of replacing the brake fluid every two years since the fluid constantly acquires dirt and other particulates that corrode and contaminate the fluid over time.

Another good idea to follow on is to be on guard against any and all possible sources of brake problems all the time. Problems spring when one least expects them to. It always pays to be prepared than to be taken in by surprise. A great many of the brake problems that car owners bemoan can be staved off if one had had the sense to see to them in the first place before they grew and evolved into full blown drastic engine problems. Illuminated brake warning lights, brake grabbing low pedal or a soft pedal feel along with vibrations, hard pedal feel and squealing are merely some of the more obvious signs of trouble.

Thus, one way to head off a few brake aggravations is to listen with a keen ear to your brakes. Grinding noises in particular are a dead give away that something in the system needs to be checked. If your brakes is immoderately prone to throwing off brake dust on your wheels, see if there is a sudden increase or decrease in the amount of dust.

And last but never in the least, one effective way to your brake system in exemplary fashion is to go for replacements. Not replacements that sport with-the-pack standards but those replacements that can guarantee a longer run for your car and better road performance for your vehicle.

In this area, none can top the talents of EBC brake components. There are EBC brake rotors, EBC brake pads along with EBC rotors and pads that all work wonders in any brake system. Choose any to outfit your car and boost the braking technology of your machine. Brake with confidence with EBC brakes.

There is no escaping the fact that the brake system is one of the most important assemblies in a car. The greatest and widely renowned NASCAR drivers can certainly prove the truth of this statement. These drivers have relied on the talents of a good brake system to see them through numerous situations, whether off the road or on it. Tracks like the Martinsville as well as Bristol along with the road courses the likes of Watkins Glen—all these locations require the performance of a well built, if not exactly meticulously engineered brake system, if the car is expected to survive the cruise.

This is exactly the reason why a number of NASCAR drivers give careful attention to the brake components that their machines are outfitted with. Indeed, any and all who has ever had the misfortune to rely on an inferior brake part will know and understand exactly what this means. Those who have seen how an under car brake cam covers the race car’s brakes as they function in the field is immediately provided with a chance to observe, if not exactly judge the mettle of the said brake system.

Thus, a brake system inspection should not be too surprising or confounding a notion. The brake system, after all, is one of the assemblies in the automotive system that guarantees driving safety. Proper maintenance must then be a given at all times.

One good advice to follow is to go for inspections. Before you set off to fix the problems, find out what they are in the first place. No sense going off half cocked, haphazardly going about the matter of searching for brake solutions.