When you’re driving down the road and you step on your brake pedal, what do you expect to happen? You, of course, expect for your car to slow down before eventually coming to a complete stop. At least, that’s what you expect to happen when all of the various parts that make up your braking system are doing their jobs. But that might not be what actually happens if certain parts, like your master cylinder, aren’t working. You’ll have to pay the master cylinder cost to get them up and running like usual again. Find out more about what the master cylinder does and how much the master cylinder cost will be if you ever need to replace yours.
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What Is a Master Cylinder?
As we just alluded to a moment ago, there are a bunch of different components that make up your braking system. This includes everything from your brake lines and your brake pads to your brake rotors and your brake calipers. But it’s ultimately your master cylinder that is responsible for keeping your entire braking system going when you’re behind the wheel of your car.
Your master cylinder will spring into action the second that you start to press down on your brake pedal to slow your car down. It does this by taking the brake fluid in your car and pushing it in the direction of your brake calipers. Your brake calipers are then able to squeeze down on your brake pads and push them into your brake rotors, which is what brings your car to a crawl and stops it from moving. There are two tiny plungers in your master cylinder that do a lot of the heavy lifting during this process by creating enough pressure to keep your brake fluid moving.
Why Makes a Master Cylinder So Important?
The master cylinder in your car’s braking system is essential because, without it, none of the other things that are supposed to happen when you press down on your brake pedal will go down. Your master cylinder is the aspect of your braking system that sets off a chain reaction. So if it’s not working like it should, everything from your brake calipers to your brake rotors aren’t going to work either.
With that in mind, you’re going to want to see what the master cylinder cost is so that you can have yours replaced at the first sign of trouble. If you don’t, you could put yourself and others out on the road in danger by driving around in a car with brakes that don’t work as intended. You’ll really have no choice but to have your master cylinder fixed so that it can start controlling the rest of your braking system again.
How Long Does a Master Cylinder Last?
Although it’s very important for car owners to replace their master cylinders as necessary, the good news is that you’re not going to have to be concerned about the master cylinder cost very often. This is because master cylinders don’t need to be replaced more than once or twice throughout the lifetime of a car. In fact, most master cylinders will last for well over 100,000 miles before they’ll need to be replaced.
Master cylinders last for this long because they don’t have many moving parts inside of them. They also operate within a system that is sealed off from dirt, dust, debris, brake fluid, and even air. This extends the lifespans of master cylinders by leaps and bounds. You can also make sure that your car’s master cylinder sticks around for a long time by maintaining it. You can do this by doing things like:
- Getting your car’s brake fluid flushed every so often
- Inspecting and cleaning the components in your car’s braking system
- Replacing any components in your car’s braking system that are worn out
Your car’s master cylinder isn’t going to last forever. You will have to shoulder the master cylinder cost at some point in time. But it’s not a job that you’re going to need to do early and often throughout the course of your car’s life.
What Are the Symptoms of a Bad Master Cylinder?
With any luck, your car’s master cylinder shouldn’t present you with any major problems for almost as long as you own your car. But there are, unfortunately, some signs you’re going to want to look out for that will let you know that your master cylinder could be on its way out. If you notice any of them, you should consider taking your car in for service right away so that you can pay the master cylinder cost to have yours replaced.
One of the first things you’re going to experience when you have a bad master cylinder is that your brakes will feel spongy when you use them. You’ll have to push down on your brake pedal a little harder than usual to get a reaction out of your braking system, and even then, it won’t stop on a dime like it usually does. This is a surefire sign that you’re in need of a master cylinder replacement.
You may also start to find that your brake pedal goes all the way down to the floor when you push down on it normally when you have a bad master cylinder. This happens when the plungers that are positioned inside of your master cylinder start to leak. They’re no longer able to produce the right amount of pressure, which leads to your brakes struggling to get your car to stop.
All of these signs will let you know that you may have an issue with your car’s master cylinder. But it’s worth noting that they could also be signs of another brake-related problem. It’s smart for you to schedule service for your car right away so that a mechanic can take a closer look at it and diagnose the exact issue with it.
Can You Drive With a Bad Master Cylinder?
When you first start to notice that your brakes feel a little spongier than they normally do, you might not think much of it. But when it continues to happen over and over again, it’ll become crystal-clear that you need to seek help for a bad master cylinder. Once you reach this point, you should not keep driving your car around since you run the risk of putting yourself and others at risk.
If there is ever a problem with any of the components of your braking system, including the master cylinder, it could eventually result in brake failure. That could lead to you getting into an accident. There are some people who choose to take the risk of driving around with a bad master cylinder rather than paying the master cylinder cost. They say that they’ll just use the emergency brake if need be to stop their car. But this is never, ever the right approach to take as it could end with you getting into a potentially fatal collision.
Who Should You Get to Replace a Master Cylinder?
If you have a strong suspicion that there might be something wrong with your master cylinder, the only course of action that you should take is paying the master cylinder cost to have it replaced. And you shouldn’t attempt to replace your master cylinder on your own or toss the keys for your car to someone who doesn’t have any experience working on brake systems.
Instead, you should make sure that you bring your car to a brake specialist so that they can inspect your brake system and diagnose the exact issue that you’re dealing with. They’ll be able to tell you whether or not your suspicions were correct when it comes to your master cylinder. They’ll also be able to replace your master cylinder for you right away so that your brakes started working the way that they’re supposed to work.
In a perfect world, you should look for an auto repair shop in your general area that specializes in working exclusively on brakes. They’ll be able to provide you with all the brake services you could ever want and need. They’ll also be able to keep your master cylinder cost as low as they can get it by offering you affordably priced parts for your brake system.
How Much Does a Master Cylinder Cost?
Prior to bringing your car to a brake specialist so that they can work on your car and fix your master cylinder for you, you should familiarize yourself with the master cylinder cost. Otherwise, you could be in for quite the shock when your mechanic tells you what a master cylinder will cost to replace.
Every auto repair shop operates a little differently, which means yours isn’t going to charge the same price for master cylinder replacement as the next shop. But on average, you’re typically going to have to pay between $390 and $530 to get a new master cylinder installed in your brake system. The parts alone are going to cost anywhere from $260 to $360, while the labor associated with master cylinder replacement will often run you about $130 to $160.
One thing that we should also point out is that many people need to have more than just their master cylinder replaced once a mechanic starts poking around inside their brake systems. Your mechanic might tell you that you need new brake pads and other new parts as well. You should usually heed their advice and make whatever repairs they suggest. It’ll help keep your brake system in tip-top condition and ensure that you aren’t right back in the shop in a month or two to make more corrections to it.
How Long Does It Take to Replace a Master Cylinder?
When you drive your car down to your preferred auto repair shop for master cylinder replacement, it’s nice to know how long you’re going to have to wait for a mechanic to finish working on it. It’ll help you decide whether or not to stick around while they work.
Replacing a master cylinder is not necessarily the most complicated job in the world. But it is one that’s going to take at least a couple of hours for a mechanic to finish in most cases. It could also take additional time if you’re going to be replacing other aspects of your brake system. The scope of the work is going to impact your master cylinder cost and affect how long it takes for you to get your car back.
Is the Master Cylinder Cost Worth It?
If you don’t have any plans to drive your car anytime soon, then you can, by all means, go ahead and skip having your master cylinder replaced. But if you’re going to be using your car at all, you don’t really have the option to not have master cylinder replacement performed. No matter what the master cylinder cost is going to be, you’ll have to pay it to fix your brake system up.
If you don’t replace a bad master cylinder, you’re going to be putting your own life into jeopardy every time you climb behind the wheel of your car. You’re also going to be putting the lives of others at risk, too. It’s why you need to pay the master cylinder cost to remedy the situation right away.
Can You Get Rid of a Car With a Bad Master Cylinder?
Does your car have a bad master cylinder that you don’t want to pay to fix? The master cylinder cost is too high for some of those people who have older cars that they’re not going to drive anymore. As we just said, you shouldn’t put off master cylinder replacement and continue to drive your car. But you can consider selling it for cash to avoid having to deal with the master cylinder cost.
The junk car buyers from Cash Cars Buyer would be happy to take your car off your hands, even if it’s in need of master cylinder replacement. We’ll pay you top dollar for your vehicle and tow it away so that you don’t have to do a thing. Give us a call today to get an offer for your car and to get rid of it in a hurry.