What to Do If Brakes Go Out

When you step on your brakes and find that your vehicle is not slowing down, there are a few things you can do to stop your car. The first thing you need to remember is to not panic. When you panic, you will forget to do the right thing and could end up in a disastrous accident. When you keep yourself calm and keep your head clear, you can safely stop your car by doing the following:

• Try your brakes again - Step on your brakes again to see if these will work the second time you step on it. If it does not, try to take note of how it feels under your feet. If it is soft, it can mean that you are low on brake fluid. Try pumping your brakes a few times to help rebuild some brake pressure from what is left of your brake fluid. If it is hard, then something may have seized in your system.
• Try to shift to a lower gear – This is sometimes called engine-braking and is often used by experienced drivers when they find that their brakes are not working. This is done by removing your foot from the gas pedal and slowly shifting to the next lowest gear on your vehicle, working your way down to first gear, which will help slow down your car. If your vehicle is automatic, simply removing your foot from the gas pedal will slowly cause your vehicle to automatically shift to lower gears.
• Slowly engage your handbrake – Slowly pulling your handbrake up to slow your vehicle down can also help when your brake pedals fail. This is best used with an engine brake and is more effective if used once the vehicle is down to first gear.
• Try to get off the road and onto a shoulder – As you slow your vehicle down using the abovementioned methods, you should slowly veer to the shoulder on the road. This is to avoid any accidents that may involve you and other vehicles on the road.

These are some of the things you should remember to do when you find normal braking is not stopping your car. Another thing you need to remember is to not turn off your engine until your vehicle has come to a complete stop. Keeping your engine running while you are attempting to do an engine brake will help you better maneuver your vehicle until it has safely stopped on the side of the road.

The next thing you need to do once your vehicle has stopped and you have turned your engine off is to get out and to contact vehicle assistance and towing service. In North Texas, the company to call is Euless Wrecker. We are a company that not only helps in towing problematic vehicles but also in helping vehicle owners with cars that may be in trouble. We can help jumpstart vehicles, open cars for those who are locked out of their vehicles and help change tires for car owners.

For your vehicle assistance needs, you should have our number on speed dial so you can contact us anytime you need help. Our number is 817-857-6344.