Hydraulic, Assist, Parking
43%of exam
Master CylinderLines and HosesValvesPower AssistParking Brake
Drum Brakes
11%of exam
ShoesDrumsWheel CylindersHardwareAdjusters
Disc Brakes
24%of exam
PadsRotorsCalipersSlidesRunout
Electronic Brake Controls
22%of exam
ABSTCSESCWheel SpeedHCU
Quick Facts
- Test
- A5 Brakes
- Scored questions
- 45
- Total questions
- 55 with research
- Time allowed
- 75 minutes
- Largest domain
- Hydraulics: 43%
- Certification term
- Five years
- Testing focus
- Diagnosis and repair
- Recertification
- 23 questions, 30 minutes
Diagnosis Loop
Verify, inspect, measure, test, verify.
Cause firstRepair proof
Spongy vs Hard Pedal
Spongy
- Excess pedal compliance
- Check hydraulic condition
Hard
- High pedal effort
- Check power assist
Pedal feel guides testing
Pedal Symptom Picker
- Pedal feels spongy→Check hydraulic condition(Air or fluid)
- Pedal feels hard→Check power assist(Booster inputs)
- Pedal travels low→Inspect system travel(Use specifications)
- Vehicle pulls→Compare brake forces(Inspect affected side)
- Brake drags→Check release path(Hydraulic or mechanical)
- Fluid is low→Find leak source(Do not just refill)
- Warning lamp on→Retrieve system data(Follow service information)
- Repair completed→Verify brake operation(Confirm original concern)
Pedal and Pressure
- Low pedal
- Check hydraulic travel
- Spongy pedal
- Check compressible air
- Hard pedal
- Check power assist
- Pedal fade
- Check heat-related loss
- Master cylinder
- Creates hydraulic pressure
- Pushrod length
- Measure before adjustment
- External fluid leak
- Inspect source first
Pedal Clue
Soft seeks hydraulics; hard seeks assist.
SpongyBooster
Lines, Valves, Switches
- Brake line
- Inspect routing and support
- Flexible hose
- Inspect kinks and bulges
- Fittings
- Inspect leaks and damage
- Proportioning valve
- Manage axle pressure
- Metering valve
- Control brake application
- Warning indicator
- Test circuit operation
- Brake switch
- Verify signal and adjustment
Assist and Parking
- Vacuum booster
- Reduces pedal effort
- Hydraulic booster
- Uses fluid assistance
- Booster check valve
- Preserves assist vacuum
- Parking brake
- Holds stationary vehicle
- Parking cable
- Inspect routing and operation
- Electronic parking brake
- Diagnose control operation
- Brake fluid
- Use specified type
Diagnostic Method
- Verify concern
- Confirm symptom first
- Visual inspection
- Find leaks and damage
- Compare sides
- Spot abnormal differences
- Measure
- Use manufacturer specifications
- Test circuit
- Confirm cause before repair
- Repair verification
- Confirm corrected operation
- Documentation
- Record findings and repair
Drum vs Disc
Drum
- Shoes contact drum
- Wheel cylinder applies
Disc
- Pads contact rotor
- Caliper applies
Identify the friction design
Drum Components
- Brake shoes
- Create drum friction
- Wheel cylinder
- Applies shoe force
- Return springs
- Retract brake shoes
- Adjuster
- Maintains shoe clearance
- Backing plate
- Supports shoe hardware
- Brake drum
- Inspect friction surface
- Parking linkage
- Apply and release
Pull vs Pulsation
Pull
- Uneven brake force
- Compare side operation
Pulsation
- Cyclic pedal response
- Measure rotor condition
Match symptom to measurement
Disc Components
- Brake pads
- Inspect wear pattern
- Caliper piston
- Applies pad force
- Caliper slides
- Allow caliper movement
- Rotor thickness
- Measure against specification
- Rotor runout
- Measure lateral variation
- Rotor surface
- Inspect condition
- Pad hardware
- Control pad movement
Electronic Order
Codes, inputs, circuits, controls, confirmation.
Scan dataService information
ABS vs TCS
ABS
- Braking wheel-lock control
- Uses wheel-speed inputs
TCS
- Acceleration slip control
- Targets drive wheels
Brake versus traction event
ABS Complaint Picker
- ABS lamp illuminated→Read DTCs(Record before clearing)
- Wheel data differs→Inspect sensor circuit(Sensor and ring)
- Signal missing→Check wiring condition(Use specifications)
- ESC concern→Check input data(Yaw and steering)
- TCS concern→Check wheel speeds(Compare drive wheels)
- HCU suspected→Follow test procedure(Avoid guessing)
- Component replaced→Perform required setup(Vehicle procedure)
- Codes return→Continue root-cause diagnosis(Do not repeat parts)
Electronic Inputs
- Wheel-speed sensor
- Reports wheel rotation
- Reluctor ring
- Creates sensor signal
- Brake pedal sensor
- Reports driver request
- Yaw sensor
- Reports vehicle rotation
- Steering-angle sensor
- Reports steering intent
- Scan data
- Compare reported inputs
- DTC
- Start directed diagnosis
DTC vs Diagnosis
DTC
- Points toward circuit
- Start testing path
Diagnosis
- Confirms actual cause
- Uses tests and data
Code is not proof
Electronic Controls
- ABS
- Limits wheel lockup
- TCS
- Limits drive-wheel slip
- ESC
- Supports directional stability
- Hydraulic control unit
- Modulates brake pressure
- Control module
- Interprets system inputs
- Warning lamp
- Verify concern and codes
- Service information
- Use vehicle procedure
Common Traps
55 ≠ Scored Count
45 scored questions ≠ 10 research questions
DTC ≠ Failed Part
Code starts diagnosis ≠ Test before replacement
Hard ≠ Spongy
Hard suggests assist ≠ Spongy suggests compliance
ABS ≠ TCS
ABS limits lockup ≠ TCS limits slip
Specification ≠ Guess
Measure actual condition ≠ Use vehicle information
Last Minute
- 1.Prioritize hydraulic diagnosis
- 2.Read all symptom qualifiers
- 3.Inspect before replacing parts
- 4.Measure against vehicle specifications
- 5.Compare left and right
- 6.Separate drum from disc
- 7.Read codes before clearing
- 8.Check electronic system inputs
- 9.Follow required service procedures
- 10.Answer all 55 questions
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