Brake Basics
What two major factors determine the amount of energy required to slow or stop a vehicle?
Vehicle weight and vehicle speed.
What are the two rotor types students identify during the component-identification lab?
Vented and solid.
What color warning light is associated with ABS in the lab sheet?
Amber
What component contains the brake fluid level that students check during hydraulic diagnosis?
The master cylinder.
What two pieces of PPE are specified throughout the Unit 1 brake labs?
Safety glasses and gloves.
When calculating vehicle weight in the lab, how much weight is assigned to each possible passenger?
150 pounds.
What are the two basic caliper designs listed in the lab?
Fixed and floating/sliding.
Name three brake complaints a customer might report that students must verify
Any three: braking noise, pulling, low brake pedal, pulsating pedal, red brake warning light, or amber ABS warning light.
Name one brake-fluid contamination test listed in the lab.
Visual inspection, Styrofoam-cup test, test strip, or brake-fluid boiling-temperature tester.
What is the maximum brake pedal travel specified by the lab?
2.0–2.5 inches.
What is the formula used in the lab to calculate kinetic energy?
Weight × speed² ÷ 29.9
Name the three parking-brake application methods listed in the lab.
Hand operated, foot operated, and electric.
During a brake inspection, why does the lab have students inspect tire brand, size, inflation, and condition?
Tire condition can be important when diagnosing a brake concern.
Why does the lab have students check brake fluid boiling temperature?
Because boiling point relates to brake performance.
How is brake pedal travel calculated during the lab?
Subtract the pedal-height measurement with the brakes applied from the initial pedal-height measurement.
If vehicle speed doubles, what part of the kinetic-energy formula causes the energy to increase significantly?
Speed is squared (speed²)
A rear disc brake system has a small, separate drum brake used only for the parking brake. What configuration is this?
Disc brake with an auxiliary parking drum brake (Drum in Hat).
A vehicle pulls right during braking. According to the lab procedure, which caliper should you check?
The left caliper.
The fluid level is higher in the front than the rear and the brake pedal is lower than normal. According to the lab, what has happened?
The master cylinder is leaking internally and must be replaced.
Name three brake bleeding methods listed in Unit 1.
Any three: normal/single-stroke, pressure, vacuum, or gravity bleeding.
Name the three things added together in the lab to determine total vehicle weight.
Vehicle weight, passenger weight, and luggage/cargo weight.
What four front disc-brake caliper configurations are students asked to identify?
Single piston, four- or six-piston, fixed-type, and floating/sliding-type.
A vehicle’s brakes are not releasing completely. What two components does the lab tell you to inspect?
The flexible brake hose and the caliper piston.
An assistant depresses the brake pedal, but you see no brake-fluid movement in the reservoir, and a braking problem exists. According to the lab, what two areas may be faulty?
The master cylinder or linkage adjustment.
Besides performing the bleeding/flushing procedure, what electronic tool might be required or suggested during certain brake bleeding procedures?
A scan tool.