All About Your Brake Master Cylinder

Learn What It Does And What You Need To Look Out For

Your car's brake system is intricate, but it's a critically important one. Any part of the brake system that needs repair or has gone bad can disrupt the whole operation and prevent you from bringing your car to a full, quick stop you need to prevent an accident or even any injuries or fatalities. One of the most important parts of the brake system is the brake master cylinder. It's important to identify what it does, how it can go bad, and what you can look out for to know if it's time for it to be looked at or repaired. 

What Is The Brake Master Cylinder?

If you've ever hit the brake especially hard and had your car immediately stop, you can thank your brake master cylinder for that. The bark master cylinder is the part of the vehicle that converts the force applied on the brake pedal into pressure that activates brake calipers. The brake calipers then convert the hydraulic pressure into the force that presses the brake pads against the disc brake and causes the car to stop. 

How Can The Master Cylinder Go Bad?

Brake master cylinders will typically last between 70,000 to 100,00 miles. While many can last for the car's entire lifetime, the rubber seals that come with them will wear out over time with continuous use. Eventually, the wear and tear could ruin the vehicle's ability to come to a full stop. And when the rubber seals break down, the brake fluid can become contaminated. With intact seals, the cylinder will hold the brake fluid needed for the hydraulic system to work, and the pedal can become too soft. A car technician will be able to look at the brake system and the brake master cylinder to check its condition and advise further on if it needs work or if it has a certain number of miles to go on it. 

Signs Your Brake Master Cylinder Has Gone Bad

The first sign that brakes are going bad is if they're making noise when you put your car to a stop. If the noise you hear when you hit the brakes is grinding, that's one sign that the brake master cylinder is going bad. You could also notice that your car pulls more to one side when you hit the brakes. Leakage of brake fluid is an alarming sign that should never be ignored—don't simply top off the fluids if you notice that the brake fluid reservoir has gotten low. Bring your car into the shop the second you get a second so you don't find your brakes failing when you need it the most.