Brake Booster Replacement
A brake pedal that has become very hard to push, often with a hiss behind it, points to a failed brake booster.
A brake pedal that has become very hard to push, often with a hiss behind it, points to a failed brake booster.
Pricing varies based on your vehicle
We test vacuum supply, the non-return valve and, on diesels, the vacuum pump, replace the booster, then check pedal effort and travel on a road test.
If the brake pedal has become very hard to push and the car takes far more effort to stop, the brake booster is the usual cause. You may also hear a hiss from behind the pedal when you press it. The brakes still work, but without assistance.
A failed booster does not stop the car braking, it makes braking much harder, which is dangerous in an emergency stop where pedal effort matters most. Drivers often adapt to it gradually and do not realise how much stopping distance they have lost.
Our mechanics test the vacuum supply and the non-return valve before condemning the booster, because a perished vacuum hose or a failed one-way valve produces identical symptoms for a fraction of the work. On diesels the vacuum pump is checked as well.
A failed booster removes the assistance that makes the brakes usable. Pedal effort rises sharply, and drivers adapt without noticing the lost stopping distance.