What could be causing sudden soft brakes?
Sudden soft brakes can be an annoying and dangerous issue to deal with. Your car won’t stop as fast anymore making it totally unsafe to drive both for you and other vehicles on the road. There are many reasons that could cause this issue and it is always a good idea to have it checked by a mechanic even if you manage to temporarily fix the issue.
Here are a few things you can try to solve the problem.
Pump Your Pedal to Stop on The Side of the Road
A leak in a brake line, a loss of pressure within the master cylinder, or air being introduced into the braking system could all be the reason for your soft brakes. If you are driving and find yourself in this situation, pumping your brake pedal should give you enough braking power to actually stop on the side of the road and call emergency roadside assistance.
If you find in this situation, don’t continue driving as it will be very dangerous and you could potentially end up in an accident.
Look at the Wheels for Brake Fluid
One other reason that could cause soft brakes is relatable to brake fluid. This fluid, usually yellow, is very easy to see by examining the wheels. If there is a leak in the brake fluid, your master cylinder is likely not filled.
You cannot fix a brake fluid leak yourself. You are going to require an expert mechanic to look at your car and take care of the problem for you.
Rust on the Brakes
Sometimes we might not use a car for quite some time and the brakes can create some rust. This could cause issues with the braking system and you should go to a mechanic to have it professionally looked at.
Regardless of what is causing your brakes not to work, you should engage your emergency brake by slowly pulling it. This is going to to slowly stop your car. Please keep in mind that this process is going to take longer than using the actual brakes so keep a safe distance from other cars while trying to stop your own.
Also, never put your car in neutral. You should remove the foot from the gas pedal allowing the car to shift in a lower gear. This will immediately decrease your speed. Make sure to pump your brake pedal while doing so. Please call an emergency roadside assistance company immediately after stopping the car as your vehicle certainly will be unfit and usafe to drive.