Excessive heat caused by overuse of the service brakes can cause the brakes to?

Excessive heat caused by overuse of the service brakes can cause the brakes to?

• A. The brakes to fail catastrophically
• B. The brakes to seize
• C. The brakes to fade
• D. The brakes to over-harden

Answer: (C)

Excessive heat from heavy or prolonged use of the service brakes reduces their effectiveness, a condition called brake fade. When brakes overheat, the friction material can glaze, and the pads may lose their bite, so the brakes don’t grip as well and stopping distance grows. In hydraulic systems, heat can even cause the brake fluid to boil, creating vapor and further reducing braking power. This is why on long descents drivers use engine braking and apply the brakes intermittently to let them cool. The other outcomes—seizing, catastrophic failure, or over-hardening—aren’t the typical result of normal overuse and heat buildup in brakes.

Excessive heat from heavy or prolonged use of the service brakes reduces their effectiveness, a condition called brake fade. When brakes overheat, the friction material can glaze, and the pads may lose their bite, so the brakes don’t grip as well and stopping distance grows. In hydraulic systems, heat can even cause the brake fluid to boil, creating vapor and further reducing braking power. This is why on long descents drivers use engine braking and apply the brakes intermittently to let them cool. The other outcomes—seizing, catastrophic failure, or over-hardening—aren’t the typical result of normal overuse and heat buildup in brakes.