if the brakes fail on an automatic car, what is the safest, fastest way of sucsessfully stopping it ??

Question

unlike a manual that can be changed down through the gears to slow it down ----
how can this happen in a automatic? i cannot see its possible to slow down quickly ever at all !! please help !

Answer 1

1st, with a question like this one I think for your peace of mind you should have a mechanic check your breaks.
2nd, I concure, apply your emergency break slowly, don't shut off the engine as someone may suggest unless you have manual steering. (who does anymore?)
3rd, get out of the lane of traffic and go to the shoulder, should be something there like gravel or a median to slow you down.
4th, if you're going downhill try to get on somebodys tail and use them to slow you down. ie..run into them as slowly as possible.

Answer 2

Even an automatic transmission has several manual settings.
The ones I have seen are P (park) R (reverse) D (drive) D is the fully automatic setting that allows automatic shifting of gears up and down. Then you have usually a 1, 2, 3 setting.
So if you are cruising along at 60 mph and go to use the brakes, find no brake pressure, simply lower the gearshift into 3 keep shifting down through the gears as your speed decreases. Apply the emergency brake when at a safe speed.
Should you need an emergency stop, i.e, you're going to run into a train or something, do the above aggressively.

Answer 3

All automatic cars have some means of manually selecting a lower gear. Newer ones may have paddle-shifts or "tiptronic" type actions on the lever. More traditionally you'll find that after "D" the selector offers "3" "2" and "1" positions, which force the transmission into these lower gears. A CVT-type transmission will probably instead have a "l" (for low) position, which forces it to use the lower ratios only.

Otherwise, use neutral and the handbrake (also known as the emergency brake or parking brake) but this is difficult to modulate to prevent the wheels locking up.

Answer 4

Well crashing works every time as a way of stopping but total brake failiure will either happen as a result of crash damage, or more likely brake fade on a downgrade, there is a parking brake on most cars but since the late 70s when dual circuit brakes became compulsory , the required efficiency of the hand brake has been reduced from 0.25G to about 0.08G wwhich is nothing.so it wont even balance your speed let alone slow you, so pull the handbrake as hard as possible, select 1 on the gear selector and steer. pumping the brake pedal as fast and hard as you can,
I have had brake fade/failure with dual line brakes in a Metro so this is not hypothetical.
Incidentally the auto will only downshift on the overrun at very low revs so little or no engine braking is available, but even this little would be lost if the advice given above to put it in neutral is followed.
If the brakes fail in a manual be bloody brutal changing down, like into 2nd at 60 and 1st at 40, engine braking is most effective at high revs.

Answer 5

If the brakes fail it's unlikely your handbrake will be of any use .... I suppose you would be better turning off the ignition and let it roll to a stop , if you need power steering leave the ignition on but pop it into neutral , again rolling to a stop .... if you need an emergency stop I guess all you could do is get the car sideways and let friction on the tyres stop you ( not really an emergency stop ) , but if you definitely need a reduction in speed quickly slam it into reverse and hit the accelerator .....

I'm actually quite surprised that no one has "inbuilt" an effective stopping method into an auto should the brakes fail ... some coaches have a magnet that spins backwards to normal rotation on their propshafts , this is to accompany the brakes , or assist slowing should the brakes fail . Maybe this could be the answer ?

Answer 6

Lift off the gas and apply the handbrake. You may be best off shifting into neutral at around 10 mph. And use the brake pedal, push it as far down as it will go, even if it feels totally wrong. Complete brake failure is very rare on any car made after 1966.

But your best option is to treat any sign that the brakes are feeling funny as a full scale emergency and have them fixed immediately. I learned that mistake the hard way when I had the brakes in my car fail when I was backing down a steep driveway. Good thing the neighbor's driveway was exactly across the street and he wasn't backing out.

Answer 7

OK, First remove your foot from gas peddle, second put shifter into next lower gear, slowly move to the side of the road, when you slow a little more move shifter into low. keep on the side of the road as the rough area will slow you best. you may apply the emergency break slowly keeping the lock button from being applied, add and remove as needed. This works if you have room to do it and the road is clear. If not go thorough this faster, getting to the brake sooner.
Then Pray!

Answer 8

This question I love ..because it gives me a chance to blow of a little steam about something that sticks in my craw.

You know in the movies..when a cars brakes fail ..(inevatively going downhill) ..so that the car is always gaining speed and the driver is wrestling with the wheel and is stressing out to the point of almost insanity.....I am screaming at the movie APPLY THE HANDBRAKE YOOOOU DORK.

As the handbrake is a mechanical cable link separate from the hydraulic braking system it will always bring the vehicle to a stop.

Thankyou thankyou thankyou.. Ive needed that off my chest for years........the relief you will not believe.

THANKYOU again.

Answer 9

No, typical braking makes use of all your brakes. in case you have a motor vehicle with an anti-grab braking equipment, pulling on the emergency brake might routinely neutralize the ABS equipment to the rear brakes(some luxury autos negate this with a various kind e-brake.) Your typical brakes are activated by ability of hydraulic rigidity utilized by way of lines on your front and rear brakes. That hydraulic rigidity is approx. one thousand psi while the emergency brake cable pulling the two brake shoes or pads they swap on might have a entire universal mechanical rigidity of in keeping with risk 300psi (i'm close right here, its been approximately 25 years considering that I studied this however the technologies is the comparable for the e- brake.) The emergency brake is meant in hassle-free terms to maintain your motor vehicle from shifting while that's parked or that may assist you in battling in the experience that your significant brakes have failed. that's solid to apply your parking brake on a customary foundation because it keeps the cable from freezing up and facilitates your brakes self adjusting function to function correct.

Answer 10

Find the nicest car on the street and scrap down the side of it, continue finding nice cars until you come to a complete stand-still, when you may then remove your seat-belt, switch off the engine, step out and amire your handy work, then call the insurance company and calmy explina that their company has just gone bust! Hope this helps!