# Any way to fix brakes not working in the cold? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 10, 2014, 6:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-to-fix-brakes-not-working-in-the-cold/680954 "2014-02-10T06:52:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Nobody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2014, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-to-fix-brakes-not-working-in-the-cold/680954/21 "2014-02-10T22:08:35Z")
> [@GreasyJack](#): > > Does the pedal feel more or less normal when the car is stopped? If so, that would lend more credence to the theory that this is just the ABS kicking in. > > Of course, unless the roads are _really_ bad, the ABS shouldn’t be kicking on every time you brake. You may have a wheel speed sensor that’s starting to go in cold weather, but isn’t reading so far out of spec that it’s tripping an ABS computer code. Once I’ve come to a complete stop brake pedal goes all the way down just fine. I had to use my car to drive to work today. Everything was good. I slowed down to a little under 10mph drove over some snow, pressed on the break and felt it acting up. So maybe it’s a little over sensitive. ---
**Author:** ![Nobody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2014, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-to-fix-brakes-not-working-in-the-cold/680954/22 "2014-02-10T22:10:26Z")
> [@HipGnosis](#): > > You talked to a mechanic or had your brakes inspected? > If talked, go SOMEWHERE and get them INSPECTED ASAP! As soon as I get the money. ---
**Author:** ![Nobody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2014, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-to-fix-brakes-not-working-in-the-cold/680954/23 "2014-02-10T22:13:30Z")
> [@The\_Second\_Stone](#): > > This sounds like the ABS is working correctly. What it seems is going on is that you expect the car to stop the same way as in the not ice and snow. That ain’t going to happen. You must drive a lot slower in ice and snow to be safe. If you drive the same way you do when it is dry, especially speed, you will be sliding off the road and hitting things. I think 20mph is pretty slow. Hell, I almost wasn’t able to stop at 10mph earlier today. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2014, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-to-fix-brakes-not-working-in-the-cold/680954/24 "2014-02-10T22:18:22Z")
That’s what driving in snow is like. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2014, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-to-fix-brakes-not-working-in-the-cold/680954/25 "2014-02-10T22:32:53Z")
> [@Nobody](#): > > I think 20mph is pretty slow. Hell, I almost wasn’t able to stop at 10mph earlier today. Speed is all relative. If you are sliding, you’re sliding. It’s easy enough to do at slow speeds. I think you should get your ABS checked out - it’s really not safe if you have problems braking. While you might be willing to take the risk for yourself, everyone else on the road is at risk. It also may be lousy tires. They’re new but they may be useless in snow. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2014, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-to-fix-brakes-not-working-in-the-cold/680954/26 "2014-02-10T23:13:46Z")
> [@Nobody](#): > > …if I go to step on the break most of the time it only goes halfway down… > [@Nobody](#): > > Once I’ve come to a complete stop brake pedal goes all the way down… Are you talking about halfway down to the floor and all the way down to the floor, or halfway down to what you recall as normal applied pedal height and all the way down to normal applied pedal height? ---
**Author:** ![Nobody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2014, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-to-fix-brakes-not-working-in-the-cold/680954/27 "2014-02-10T23:37:07Z")
> [@Gary\_T](#): > > Are you talking about halfway down to the floor and all the way down to the floor, or halfway down to what you recall as normal applied pedal height and all the way down to normal applied pedal height? When the car is perfectly still I can push the brake pedal down all the way. When I’m driving and I have this problem I go to stop, but the pedal only goes down about halfway between normal height and pressed to the floor. I thought something was locking up unintentionally, but from what everybody is saying it sounds like the ABS is purposely keeping me from applying the brakes fully. That’s good information to know when I bring it in to be looked at. ---
**Author:** ![JerrySTL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e274bd/32.png) [@JerrySTL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JerrySTL)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2014, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-to-fix-brakes-not-working-in-the-cold/680954/28 "2014-02-10T23:51:16Z")
> [@Nobody](#): > > As soon as I get the money. If your brakes are actually defective, you’ll be needing the money for hospital bills or funeral first. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2014, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-to-fix-brakes-not-working-in-the-cold/680954/29 "2014-02-11T05:00:17Z")
> [@Nobody](#): > > When the car is perfectly still I can push the brake pedal down all the way. > > When I’m driving and I have this problem I go to stop, but the pedal only goes down about halfway between normal height and pressed to the floor. This isn’t really making sense. The brake pedal going to the floor is not normal on any car. It’s a severe symptom, usually of a faulty master cylinder or a significant leak, and I would expect no braking at all with the pedal to the floor. The brake pedal feeling like it has hit a something hard and unyielding is a typical symptom of a faulty master cylinder, low fluid, or air in the system. In this case it would go farther down than the normal applied pedal height, but not to the floor. You seem to be describing normal operation as the pedal going to the floor and the brakes stopping well. I don’t see how this is possible. ---
**Author:** ![Nobody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2014, 6:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-to-fix-brakes-not-working-in-the-cold/680954/30 "2014-02-11T06:09:00Z")
> [@Gary\_T](#): > > This isn’t really making sense. > > The brake pedal going to the floor is not normal on any car. It’s a severe symptom, usually of a faulty master cylinder or a significant leak, and I would expect no braking at all with the pedal to the floor. > > The brake pedal feeling like it has hit a something hard and unyielding is a typical symptom of a faulty master cylinder, low fluid, or air in the system. In this case it would go farther down than the normal applied pedal height, but not to the floor. > > You seem to be describing normal operation as the pedal going to the floor and the brakes stopping well. I don’t see how this is possible. OK, whatever you want to call the normal depth of a brake pedal fully pushed down, in very cold whether it only goes down about half as much. ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2014, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-to-fix-brakes-not-working-in-the-cold/680954/31 "2014-02-11T06:10:45Z")
I’m a bit lost also. I think the OP is describing ABS operation in snow, but this whole bit about the pedal going to the floor and the brakes working has me stumped. ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2014, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-to-fix-brakes-not-working-in-the-cold/680954/32 "2014-02-11T15:18:27Z")
You know, I 've got a little VW golf that behaves like a hockey puck when you put it on compact snow, and a similarly sized Corolla that behaves much more responsibly. Both cars have good tires. I guess it just has something to do with weight placement & traction & science. Is it possible the Ion is just crap for snow driving? Because all of OPs descriptions sound like fairly normal brake pedal behavior, and really, what can go wrong in a brake system that would improperly block the brake pedal as described? ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2014, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-to-fix-brakes-not-working-in-the-cold/680954/33 "2014-02-11T15:30:25Z")
I had a 1998 Saturn SW2 - the previous generation of the Ion. IIRC, the ABS wasn’t the greatest on that car (my 2004 Subaru is much better) so it may just be a combination of a generally poor snow car, inadequate tires, and an early generation ABS system. ---
**Author:** ![Nobody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2014, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-to-fix-brakes-not-working-in-the-cold/680954/34 "2014-02-11T16:29:36Z")
I’ll post an update of the the mechanics say after I have it looked at. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2014, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-to-fix-brakes-not-working-in-the-cold/680954/35 "2014-02-11T16:39:09Z")
> [@Nobody](#): > > OK, whatever you want to call the normal depth of a brake pedal fully pushed down, in very cold whether it only goes down about half as much. Everything you have described so far sounds exactly like the normal operation of standard ABS brakes in icy conditions. You press the brake pedal and it seems to stop hard, there’s a gritty noise/vibration and it feels like you are skidding a little. Your stopping distance is greater than it would be in warm, dry conditions. That’s all normal. Try pressing on the brake when the car is not moving. I’m betting the pedal will go further down. ---
**Author:** ![HipGnosis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/76d3ee/32.png) [@HipGnosis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HipGnosis)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2014, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-to-fix-brakes-not-working-in-the-cold/680954/36 "2014-02-11T16:44:27Z")
> [@Nobody](#): > > As soon as I get the money. Most places do inspections for free. I know it’s free to call and ask. I’d call a Saturn mechanic - they’ll know how your ABS should work (and when). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-to-fix-brakes-not-working-in-the-cold/680954.md?page=1)