Hydraulic Brake System

WARNING: This page is about a different car, the 2006 Mercury Grand Marquis and 2006 Ford Crown Victoria. However, it is still accessible from the selected car via links, so may be relevant.

Applying the brake pedal uses lever action to push a rod into the brake booster, which through the use of vacuum, boosts the force of the rod and then transmits this force into the master cylinder. This produces hydraulic pressure in the master cylinder. On vehicles not equipped with anti-lock brake systems (ABS), the hydraulic pressure is transmitted by brake fluid through the brake hoses/tubes to the individual brake calipers or wheel cylinders. On vehicles equipped with ABS, the hydraulic pressure is transmitted by brake fluid through the brake hoses/tubes to the ABS hydraulic control unit (HCU), which then distributes that pressure to the individual brake calipers or wheel cylinders. The brake calipers or wheel cylinders use hydraulic pressure to apply the pads or shoes. The application of the brake pads or shoes will cause the rotation of the wheels to slow or stop depending on how much brake pressure is applied. The parking brakes carry out the same function except that they are mechanically actuated by a cable that connects only to the rear brakes.