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How to Test a Freshly Installed Brake Booster
A brake booster is an optional part to improve driving. Cars used to be designed with drum brakes which worked integrally with the engine to stop momentum. Today, however, most cars are loaded with disc brakes that stop momentum with the tires alone. That design made power boosters a necessity. The brake booster is a vacuum pressure that adds force when the driver steps on the brake pedal. During purchase or replacement, the type, make, model and year of your vehicle should be specified to ensure you receive the correct kind of brake booster needed for the car.
You can have a professional mechanic install it for you or you can do it yourself, since a newly installed power booster must be tested before use to ensure effective performance. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to test the booster:
Step 1: Pump the Brake Booster
Pump the brake booster by stepping on the brakes several times. The simplest way to test a freshly installed brake booster is by pumping the brakes several times while the engine is off. This procedure gathers or pumps pressure from the engine into the device.
Step 2: Start the Engine
Step on the brake pedal with full force, and hold it down as you start the engine. By pressing the pedal hard towards the floor, you are holding the pressure to the desired location in the booster.
Step 3: Check the Accumulator for Leaks
This is important. Make sure that the accumulator is not leaking. One of the parts may break while conducting the test. Search for leaks even in the pads. Otherwise, you must start again.
Step 4: Pump the Brake Again
Pump the brakes again; do this several times to test effectiveness while the engine is running. Continuously step on it until you feel a soft pressure. Repeat pumping the brake booster several times. Let the test reach its desired pressure.
Step 5: Test the Brake
Take a break and leave the car at rest for at least an hour. Allow the pressure to settle back in on its own.
Do this step a few times prior to use for the next couple of days until the brake booster works simultaneously with the brake system and it becomes smooth and easy to step on.
Conduct the test 2 to 3 times to achieve full pressure. You must pump the booster to gather the vacuum pressure from the engine. The reason that the engine must be turned off while pumping the brakes is to discharge the accumulator. The accumulator stores the pressure as an emergency backup in case pressure is lost. This happens when the engine stalls or the power steering pump belt breaks. Brake boosters last a long time. Maintain the master cylinder properly or replace it immediately upon finding a leak in it. This will extend the life of your brake boosters.
If and when you have done this simple testing technique effectively, your brake booster will work well and you will have a good brake system in your car.
