The brake booster is an enhanced master cylinder portion that has the main function of reducing the necessary pressure from the driver on the pedal to efficiently brake, slow down, and stop the car. Typically, this mechanism uses a vacuum from the engine to increase the mechanical force from the pedal into the master cylinder.
Since this is such an important part of the braking system and your car in general, you might expect high brake boosters prices – and sometimes you would be right. The average brake boosters prices come in at between $300 and $700 to have the booster replaced. Labor costs generally range between $100 and $150, while the cost of the parts can range drastically between $150 and $500 on average.
What are brake boosters?
Brake boosters are key parts that are very important in your vehicle that are responsible for providing some additional braking power in your car to slow down effectively and efficiently. Braking systems depend on the mechanical leverage to transmit hydraulic fluid with enough force and power to push the drum cylinders to both the front and rear wheels.
The movement of the brake pedal when you press it down with your foot is then transferred into the cylinder’s piston and changes the distance of the brake calipers. If your pistons or brake calipers are not working correctly, this can enhance the brake boosters prices.
Today in almost all modern cars on the market, brakes use power assistance to make sure that fluid is moved properly to the pistons or the drum brake cylinders to safely break and stop your car. The pistons are typically composed of one or two large diameter pistons within the floating caliper on either side of the brake rotor, which draws pads toward the disc to slow down the car.
The most common type of brake boosters are vacuum boosters. A vacuum booster uses the power that has been generated by the gasoline and uses it to create a vacuum inside of the brake booster for extra power. When you press down the brake pedal as the driver with your foot and use mechanical power, the shaft moves through the boosters to push the piston into the master cylinder. If the master cylinder or pistons are not working properly, brake boosters prices will be much higher than normal.
This process also opens up the valves inside of the brake boosters, letting air come through on just one side of the boosters. The difference in pressure within the brake boosters increases the extra force and power to the master cylinder piston. The master cylinder absorbs the mechanical pressure placed on the brake pedal by your foot and converts it into hydraulic pressure to stop the car and keep the brake boosters prices at a normal level for the car owner.
This process of increasing the braking force of your car and brakes without putting too much effort on the driver or stress on the leg is what makes the brake boosters so crucial to the safety of the passengers and the safety of the car.
The valve inside of the brake boosters keep the vacuum seal secured even when you turn the car off, making sure that the driver does not lose the additional assistance while braking in the off chance that your vehicle stalls or dies on the road. If your vehicle stalls or dies, you need to immediately look into new brake boosters prices.
It is also important for a driver to pay attention to the diesel cars, since diesel cars do not generate a vacuum, they need a separate pump to operate the booster and aid in the braking. Electric vacuum pumps are sometimes used in gasoline vehicles to make sure there is a constant vacuum for the brakes and the brake boosters.
Symptoms of a Failing Brake Booster
If you are guessing that you have bad brake boosters in your car that increase to higher brake boosters prices, you will want to fix this issue quickly and as soon as possible to save money and time. This could be a very severe and harmful problem if you do not take action as soon as possible, as your car will not be able to stop. Let’s mention some of the common signs and symptoms of faulty brake boosters so you will know how much you will have to pay for a repair or replacement and the brake boosters prices.
Brake Pedal Difficult to Press Down
The most common sign or symptom that your brake boosters are bad is that the brake pedal will be difficult to press down, which is generally very obvious for the driver to notice. This can happen over time, meaning that you will find after extended periods of driving that it has become harder to push down with the same braking effect. In addition, not only will it be harder to press, but the brake pedal might not bounce back up.
If you continue to drive your car with bad brake boosters, then your car could begin rolling at speeds that are too high to maintain. This could lead to bad accidents, and other issues with your braking system, which could increase the overall repair for the brake boosters prices.
Longer Braking Distance
If your car has been taking a much longer time to come to a complete stop than is normal for your vehicle, you might have bad brake boosters and should look into the brake boosters prices in your area. This stopping problem is due to air bubbles located within the brake lines, which reduce the pressure placed on your braking system. These air bubbles reduce the pressure needed to stop your car, and increase the braking distance – and the overall price for a replacement of the brake boosters prices.
Engine Stalling
When your engine first stalls or has trouble starting, drivers commonly assume that the root cause of the problem is something other than bad brake boosters. However, they do relate to one another, since the diaphragm inside of the brake booster can cause too much air to enter the braking system, leading to the engine stalling while driving, or even completely dying while you are trying to move. This engine failure leads to engine repair and replacement, and much higher brake boosters prices.
What is a brake booster replacement?
The brake boosters usually need to be replaced or changed as soon as you notice the above signs, as these are clear symptoms that something is wrong with your braking system and you need to look into the price of the average brake booster prices. In this case, since the brakes are crucial parts to the safety of the driver and passengers and other cars on the road, make sure you do not drive your car to a mechanic. Instead, call for a towing company to remove your car from wherever it is so that you do not endanger any other car on the road.
The good news about this fix with the brake boosters is that it shouldn’t take the mechanic a long time to figure out if this is the real issue with your car, since the brake booster can be easy to locate and determine if this is the root cause of the problems with the braking system.
However, more than just the bad brake boosters may need to be replaced if they have also damaged other parts in the engine or braking system, or if other mechanisms located within the braking system are not working as they should be. You might need to get the brake pads checked to see if they need replacing, which can increase the overall brake boosters prices instead of just the normal repair cost.
Brake Boosters Replacement Process
To figure out the brake boosters issues happening in your vehicle, the mechanic will be in charge of diagnosing the problem, the root cause of the issue, and how to fix the problem in your vehicle to keep the brake booster prices as low as possible. The root cause of the problem can influence the total brake boosters prices.
Vacuum boosters work in a different manner than hydraulic brake boosters, meaning they can be much higher on the spectrum of brake boosters since it takes longer to diagnose this root cause, leading to a higher labor cost. Since these types of brake boosters are mechanically different and function in different ways, they are also different values in terms of brake booster prices.
To replace the brake boosters, the mechanic will need to remove the master cylinder from the car, the hydraulic lines, and the booster vacuum if you are using the vacuum booster. Once the brake boosters are removed, he can reinstall new brake boosters and reattach the removed parts to keep the entire mechanism set up in the correct way to ensure the brake boosters prices stay low and affordable.
Brake Boosters Replacement Cost Comparison
When figuring out how much you might have to spend on the brake boosters prices in your car, it is key to know how much you might spend when compared to other locations so that you can get the best deal for your car and your wallet. We have included a cost comparison for the various brake boosters prices at differing shops so that you can make the best choice for you.
At your local mechanic, the brake boosters prices for the replacement come in at between $210 and $1313, including a 12 month warranty for the parts and labor work. If you are more interested in going to a chain shop instead of your local mechanic, the store Midas charges between $245 and $1265 for the entire brake booster replacement, while Mr. Tire charges between $230 and $1399 with a 12 month warranty.
The last chain shop that you could bring your car to for a parts and labor price for the brake boosters prices is the NAPA store, charging the owner between $211 and $1359 for the complete brake booster replacement.
If you are more interested in just getting the parts so you can do the brake booster replacement on your own, or save some money by providing the mechanic with the parts to use, you can buy the parts at Walmart or Amazon, costing you between $!8 and $699 for the former and between $99 and $742 at Amazon for the parts.
Sample Brake Booster Replacement costs
Furthermore, to give you an even better idea of how much you might spend on the brake boosters prices, we have included a list of the most common cars on the market today and how much it costs for the brake booster replacement in each one of these vehicles.
The least expensive option for the brake boosters prices includes the Ford F-Series and the Nissan Altima, with both of these options ranging between $219 and $385 for the total brake boosters prices, while the labor costs between $81 and $113 and the parts range between $138 and $282.
The next cheapest options come in at the Chevrolet Silverado and the Honda Accord, with the Silverado earning between $366 and $714 for the total brake booster replacement, with the labor between $108 and $138 on average and the part between $258 and $576. The Accord runs between $397 and $485, with the parts between $127 and $141 on average and the labor being between $270 and $344.
The middle of the road options for the brake booster replacement come in at $419 for the Toyota Camry and $430 for the Honda Civic, with the Camry labor costs coming in between $243 and $310, while the parts range between $175 and $956. The Civic has a total labor cost average of between $207 and $264, while the parts range between $223 and $618.
A little bit on the more expensive side, the Ford Fusion and the Honda CR-V are the next in line in terms of brake boosters prices. The Fusion has an average brake booster replacement cost of between $462 and $645, with the labor between $360 and $459, and the parts between $102 and $186. The total price for the Honda CR-V comes in at between $531 and $882, with the labor costs between $207 and $264, and the parts between $315 and $617.
Lastly, the most expensive options in terms of brake booster prices for the brake booster replacement costs deal with the Toyota Corolla, coming in at between $580 and $997 total for the service. The labor costs for this car range between $250 and $321, while the cost of the parts comes in between $328 and $676.