Brake Systems
How brakes stop a vehicle and how they are measured, diagnosed and repaired, followed through an apprentice's work at Ridgeline Auto Service in Calgary: stopping distance and heat, brake hydraulics and leverage, master cylinders, lines, hoses and valves, brake fluid and bleeding, vacuum, hydraulic and electric boosters, disc brakes, rotor measurement and machining, drum brakes, parking and electronic parking brakes, anti-lock brakes, traction and stability control, regenerative braking and brake-by-wire, and a capstone brake diagnosis from road test to repair.
AUTO-130 12 lessons · 4 h 24 min ▶ Video lessons coming soon
Offered by HSM University · Automotive Service
This is the Canadian version of this course. See the American version.
What you'll learn
- Explain how brakes turn kinetic energy into heat, calculate stopping distance and weight transfer, and describe fade and the limit set by tire grip
- Apply Pascal's law, pedal ratio, master cylinder bore and caliper piston area to calculate line pressure, clamping force, braking torque and front-to-rear balance
- Describe tandem master cylinders, split circuits, steel lines, flares, hoses and pressure control valves, and test for leaks, bypassing and restrictions
- Select brake fluid by grade, test it by boiling point or copper content, and bleed and flush systems by manual, pressure, vacuum and scan tool methods
- Explain vacuum, hydraulic and electric boosters, allow for altitude, and test boosters and their vacuum supply
- Describe floating and fixed calipers, pad materials and rotors, read pad wear patterns, and perform a complete pad and rotor service
- Measure rotor thickness, thickness variation and lateral runout, find the cause of pulsation, and decide whether to machine or replace rotors
- Explain leading-trailing and duo-servo drum brakes and self-adjusters, measure drums against their limits, and service and adjust drum brakes
- Service and adjust mechanical parking brakes, and retract, service and calibrate electronic parking brakes with their maintenance modes
- Explain anti-lock brakes, brake force distribution, traction control and stability control, and diagnose wheel speed sensor faults with live data
- Explain regenerative braking, its limits and blended brake-by-wire systems, and service hybrid and electric vehicle brakes safely
- Diagnose a brake complaint from interview and road test through measurement, estimate, repair, verification and report
Course content
12 lessons · 4 h 24 min total · final exam
- 1 How brakes stop a vehicle 25 min · quiz
- 2 Brake hydraulics: pressure, force and leverage 23 min · quiz
- 3 Master cylinders, lines, hoses and valves 22 min · quiz
- 4 Brake fluid and bleeding 22 min · quiz
- 5 Power brake boosters: vacuum, hydraulic and electric 22 min · quiz
- 6 Disc brakes: calipers, pads and rotors 22 min · quiz
- 7 Rotor measurement and machining 21 min · quiz
- 8 Drum brakes 21 min · quiz
- 9 Parking brakes and electronic parking brakes 22 min · quiz
- 10 Anti-lock brakes, traction control and stability control 22 min · quiz
- 11 Regenerative braking and brake-by-wire 21 min · quiz
- 12 Capstone: diagnosing a brake complaint from road test to repair 21 min · quiz
- E Final exam 20 questions
Requirements
Recommended background. You can start any course at any time.
Description
How brakes stop a vehicle and how they are measured, diagnosed and repaired, followed through an apprentice's work at Ridgeline Auto Service in Calgary: stopping distance and heat, brake hydraulics and leverage, master cylinders, lines, hoses and valves, brake fluid and bleeding, vacuum, hydraulic and electric boosters, disc brakes, rotor measurement and machining, drum brakes, parking and electronic parking brakes, anti-lock brakes, traction and stability control, regenerative braking and brake-by-wire, and a capstone brake diagnosis from road test to repair.