The Easy Way to Do a Brake Booster Replacement

A brake booster is a vacuum-powered machine that increases the pressure applied to the brakes. It works by deriving power from the vehicle’s vacuum system and helping the ABS system to put the right amount of pressure on the brakes to make them function correctly. You need brake booster replacement when the brakes of your car don’t appear to work properly.

How to Find out If Brake Booster Repair Is Necessary?

The easy way to know is to check whether your car’s brakes are working appropriately. Do you need to put more than usual pressure to stop the car? Does your vehicle take a longer time to stop after pushing the brake pedal? If yes, you probably need to replace the brake booster.

A faulty brake booster can lead to serious accidents. So, you should address the problem as soon as possible. Check out the process of replacing the faulty booster with a new one:

brake booster repair tools

Photo Credit: Performance Online

Brake Booster Replacement: Tools and Supplies

  • Screwdrivers
  • A socket wrench
  • A tube nut wrench
  • Brake fluid
  • A floor jack
  • A new brake booster

Brake Booster Replacement: Directions

The brake booster is positioned behind the firewall of the brake master cylinder. So, lift the car to that side with a floor jack and remove the tires.

Remove master cylinder. Open the metal cover of the brakes with a socket wrench to reach the master cylinder. Use the tube nut wrench to loosen the tube nuts of the brake lines that are connected to the master cylinder. Disconnect the cylinder from the brake lines with an open-ended wrench.

Check the master cylinder to see if it has any leakage or fault in it. Proceed to the next step after the inspection.

Remove the faulty brake booster. You’ll see the brake booster after removing the master cylinder. Disconnect it from the brake pedal and vacuum hose by removing the nuts connecting it to the brake pedal. Then, remove the bolts that keep it attached to the firewall. This way, you’ll be able to disconnect it from the master cylinder completely.

brake booster replacement

Photo Credit: Pelican Parts

Attach the new brake booster. Position the new brake booster to the place where the old one was. Secure it to the firewall by turning and fastening the bolts and nuts. Then, attach it to the brake pedal.

Reconnect everything. In this step, you’ll have to re-attach the brake lines and master cylinder to the booster. You’ll need to fill up the master cylinder’s brake fluid in case if it’s empty. Attach the tires, remove the floor jack, and switch the engine on to check if the brake system is working properly.

The Cost of Brake Booster Repair

If you go to an auto repair shop to do the job, the average cost for a brake booster replacement will be approximately between $420 and $760. The price of the parts is likely to be between $170 and $440 while the average labor cost will be somewhere between $250 and $320. However, the cost can be more of less depending on the nature of the damage and the fee of the repair shop. You can contact your local repair shop to get an estimation.