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You're driving without a care in the world when you see a yellow light ahead.

You step on the brake pedal to slow your car to a gradual stop, no different than the many other times you've taken this action on your commutes around town.

But something's different. This time, your brake pedal is hard to push down.

You overcome this resistance and bring your car to a stop, but you know something isn't right.

Why is this happening?

Reasons Why it's Difficult to Press Down on the Brake Pedal

It'd be great if every car issue had a single cause, but that's not often the case. There are so many interconnected systems and parts that, well, you could talk shop all day with your mechanic. Perhaps one day cars will be engineered to provide immediate and straightforward information to the driver about what is causing a change in their operation and performance. Until that time, there are several possibilities for your brake pedal resistance issue, including:

1.  Malfunctioning brake booster: The brake booster amplifies the force applied to the brake pedal, making it easier to stop the car. If the brake booster fails, it results in increased resistance when pressing down on the pedal, as well as increased stopping distances.

2. Worn bake pads: Brake pads come with a certain amount of material. Whenever you come to a stop, the brake pads squeeze against the rotors. This creates friction and slows the vehicle, but it also causes the brake pads to lose a bit of material. If you were to never change your brake pads, each would get so low that the backing plate would contact the rotor. In this scenario, slowing down and stopping would result in metal on metal contact (and there's no surprise to anyone that this isn't good). In addition to the brake pedal becoming harder to push down, you'll hear grinding noises when this happens.

3. Low or contaminated brake fluid: Your car's brake fluid may also be the source of a hard brake pedal. Brake fluid transmits the force from the pedal to the brakes. If the brake fluid is contaminated, degraded, or low, it will add resistance.

Does a Stiff Brake Pedal Require Immediate Repairs?

You need to prioritize your brakes. Full stop. You don't want to prolong repairs involving how quickly you can stop. The word safety gets thrown around a lot when talking about cars, but the brake system has a direct impact on safety every time you need to stop, whether gradually or quickly. We're not talking about an interior light that stopped working or the oil being a hundred miles past due (also not a great habit and you should resolve that, but suffice to say, the brakes not functioning correctly is a high-level service item).

If you're having difficulty pressing the brake pad down, get to a mechanic and have your brakes inspected.

Find Out Why Your Brake Pedal is Difficult to Press Down

At the end of the day, you can't resolve the issue until you know why it is happening, and for that information, you need someone who knows cars. Should you need a brake repair in Batavia, IL, we invite you to visit Batavia Avenue Mobil. Our team is well-equipped to provide the brake maintenance and repair services you require. Whether you have a brake fluid leak, air in the brake lines, a failing booster, or another issue, you can count on us to find out what's going on and get it repaired.