Vehicle manufacturers have continued to upgrade the safety systems of their brands by adding different features. The emergency brake assist is another important safety system aside from traction control, StabiliTrak, and the anti-lock braking system.
This braking system is intended to enhance the regular braking system, especially during emergencies.
Sadly, a failure in the system can illuminate the dashboard’s service brake assist warning light. So, let’s find the meaning of the feature and how to resolve the service brake assist light whenever it appears.
What is Brake Assist?
Brake assist is a driver-assist safety feature that comes to a car’s aid to aid in stopping faster during emergency braking.
The system senses when a driver applies the car’s brake so heavily without a proportionate brake response. Thus, it releases extra brakes to shorten the car’s braking distance, thus preventing an unexpected crash.
You’ll find this feature in most modern cars as part of the innovations aimed at improving their safety, especially in emergencies. However, some drivers complain about the performance and efficiency of brake assist.
Some say that the feature interferes with the normal braking system; others think that the system makes it impossible to take full control of your car without unnecessary disruptions as you are driving on the road.
Thus, many car owners think it’s better to deactivate the feature and have a normal driving experience with the normal braking system that gives you full control. But studies have proven that the brake assist system has averted many road crashes in recent times.
So, understanding how the brake assist works will enable you appreciate the feature more and affect what you think of how the feature operates.
How Brake Assist Works?
This system monitors the driver’s normal driving style, especially the pressing of the brake system, and so it releases extra braking force if the sensor detects that the brake pedal was suddenly pressed against the foot.
Simply put, this is a system that saves the driver from himself in the case of emergency braking without an appropriate response, while it works with the anti-lock braking system to fully engage the brake in an emergency.
The programming ability of the brake assist system is a unique operation that allows it to learn how the driver engages the brake. If it notices any irregularity in that operation, it will release more force to affect the braking and so reduce the distance of the braking.
What Does Service Brake Assist Mean?
The service brake assist light is another one of the warning lights you’ll find on the dashboard in most cars out there on the road. Other brake warning lights include the ABS light, service StabiliTrak light, and so on.
Chances are high that you’ll stumble on this warning light at least once while your car is still working and driving around—especially if you drive a new-age car with all the electronic-assist feature stars included. Deciphering the service brake assist message is not harder than saying ABC.
The service brake assists light means that you have a bad brake sensor. It can also indicate an ungenuine winning signature from the brake pedal that doesn’t fully engage the braking system.
Please know that the service brake assist Equinox is the same as the service brake assist Chevy Tahoe. So when you see it, leap into urgent action to correct the issue.
It is good to contact your breakdown service line if you’re struggling with this problem at the moment. Just also visit the nearest benevolent auto mechanic and let him/her figure out what’s gone wrong and scramble to get it sorted out for you.
Is Brake Assist The Same As ABS?
Brake assist is somewhat different from ABS (Anti-lock Braking System), although the two systems dovetail in ensuring your car’s brakes offer the best possible performance under pressure.
The brake assist system adds extra force to your brake pedal so that it can be more easily pressed down to bring on the brakes in an emergency.
On the other hand, the anti-lock braking system (ABS) works to help you maintain traction on your car’s tires while the vehicle is slowing down to stop. You therefore have good control of your steering wheel.
In most cases, the ABS allows your car’s wheels to avoid a nasty, sudden lock-up while you gently make your way to safety in steering. And though their operations run close to each other, brake assist and anti-lock braking are two different systems that work together to ensure safe driving.
How to Fix the Service Brake Assist?
Do not panic if your GMC service brake assist warning signal suddenly illuminates. But ensure to take any one or all of these solutions recommended below.
Reset the service brake assist light
First, understand that there are cases where dashboard lights can come on erroneously, due to a slight glitch in their connections, for instance. So, before anything else, first know how to reset the service brake assist light.
So, having spotted the light, find a safe place to park and switch off the car’s engine. Thereafter, detach the battery’s positive terminal cable, and press the brake pedal for a couple of minutes to drain off the stored electricity (when the pedal is pressed, it releases the stored electricity).
Now, you may reconnect the battery cable and restart the car. And see if that clears off the brake assist light.
Replace brake boosters
Replacing the brake boosters of the car is another remedy for a service brake assist warning signal. Get the two components at around $100 – $150. I would personally fix the component that would help save the labor costs for you.
Now, if you cannot fix the components yourself, that’s extra labor costs on your part of around $100 – $300. But, depending on your vehicle’s make and model, parts and labor costs may vary. Others are relatively cheap, while some are over the board.
Replace the bad brake sensor
This is a major trigger of the service brake assist light illumination, a bad brake sensor. So, you will do well to change the sensor too to rectify the problem.
One costs about $5 – $100, while the labor cost is between $70 and $100. And if you’re a manual person, that’s better for you (the labor cost savings)
FAQs.
Is brake assist important?
Of course, the brake assist is important. It saves many drivers from crashing on the road every year. The brake assist system tracks a driver’s normal driving pattern in order to engage the brake if necessary.
The Chevy Silverado brake assist system prevents nasty crashes if the pedal is pressed all the way down in a sudden instance that you hit the brake.
Since there are situations where it can be hard to concentrate on what happens while driving on the road, the use of an emergency brake assist will help you to stay out of trouble because of unexpected crashes.
Is the brake assist automatic braking?
Not really! The brake assist is not an automatic (autonomous) braking system because it still invites human input to engage the car’s brake. However, it has proven to improve your car’s stop distance daily by 20%.
Understanding how the brake assist system works will help you maximize the efficacy of its workings. It’s not a collision-avoidance or self-sufficient braking system.
The duty of the driver is to engage the brake pedal, while the emergency brake assist system amplifies the efficiency of your brake system to avert imminent accidents.
Can you turn off the brake assist?
Many newer cars give the driver the option of taking total control of their driving habits, so they allow you to turn off some driver-assist options. But you’ll now be liable for every operation of your vehicle, including potentially avoiding surprising accidents.
The brake assist system has no button that lets you deactivate its operations. Since it will come in handy in saving a driver from unexpected dangers, manufacturers make sure it won’t come off. But it may tend to interfere with your car’s smooth driving to some degree.
So, you may have to pull the brake assist fuse to deactivate it. But then, would you rather thave he system take care of you from unforeseen dangers or take charge of your safety yourself?
How do you reset the service brake assist?
Resetting service brake assist is also quite simple. If you desire to know how to turn off service brake assist, the 3 steps below will help you reset the service brake assist indicator in your car:
- Park properly and pull out the ignition key.
- Detach the cable from the battery’s positive terminal.
- Press down the brake pedal in your car, and not until the electricity stored in it is completely.
For completing the above processes, the service brake assist light will go off by itself. Doing the procedures above can be quite easy; that is, you may not need an auto mechanic to do the job for you. However, you must be careful while performing any mechanical function in your car.
How much does it cost to service brake assist?
Roughly, it’ll cost between $100 to $150 to service a car’s brake assist if you buy the brake boosters and do the job personally. However, the service cost can rise higher depending on the make and model of your car.
Changing of brake fluid and bleeding of the brake may also be necessary during servicing of your car’s brake-assist system, and this can jack up the service brake-assist cost. So, you may have to budget for a perfect job.
But if you are not a DIYer or you know you may not be able to do a perfect job, do well to consult an expert auto technician to do it.
What does a brake assist warning mean?
Are you looking at your car’s dashboard and wondering, “What does it mean when it says service brake assist?” It means you have a faulty brake sensor; that is, the brake assist system does not get a proper signal to activate its operation.
Other times, it could mean that your car has insufficient brake pedal pressure for effective braking. Once the system detects these failures, it lights up the brake assist warning light to let the driver know there’s a problem that should be addressed.
If you find that the brake assist warning light of your car has been illuminated, contact a professional auto mechanic ASAP. Driving around with a disabled brake assist system can turn out to be very dangerous when you’re least expecting it. “Forewarned is forearmed.”
What do you do if the brake assist light comes up on your vehicle?
Contact your vehicle’s breakdown service immediately after the brake assist light comes up. Remember always that it’s cheaper and better to prevent than to cure; so taking all necessary precautions immediately is the best you can do at this moment.
The brake assist light shows that your car’s braking system is experiencing a fault, and that is not an issue to joke about. So, it’s best to carefully pull over at a safe place and call your service expert to come to your aid.
Can I drive with service brake assist?
No! It is neither ideal nor safe to drive with your car’s service brake assist warning light illuminated. In fact, it’s a dangerous thing to do because you’ll be taking the chance of driving around with either insufficient pressure from the brake pedal or a faulty brake sensor.
Whichever of these is wrong is potentially very dangerous, because it controls the braking system of your car. So, anytime you see that particular warning light, make sure to find a safe place and park, and contact a professional auto mechanic to check out the problem as soon as possible.
However, if you suspect a faulty warning light, do well to test the brake properly and reset the brake assist system for confirmation.
Final Words
The service brake assist warning signal is no less significant than any other car warning light on your dashboard. If you were unsure about this function in your car before, now you know. In fact, everything you should know about the brake assist system is found right here.
So, you should take preventive actions to ensure that the system operates in perfect condition. However, if the warning light is already looking ominously at you from your car’s dashboard, fret not. Just make the application of the remedial methods contained in this article.