What is the brake booster?
A
brake booster looks like a round black cannister which is located at the back of the engine compartment.
Brake boosters are only necessary on vehicles with
disc brakes. As most vehicles are equipped with disc brakes today, they will all have a brake booster, at least on the front wheels.
The brake booster works thanks to vacuum in the engine. The vacuum is then used to multiply the braking force you use onto the
master cylinder via the brake pedal. When you press the brake pedal, inside the brake booster, a rod and a valve allow air to enter the booster on one side while on the other side a vacuum is maintained thereby creating pressure. The pressure is then used onto the piston of the master cylinder. When you then release the brake pedal, the vacuum is restored on both sides of the valve inside the brake booster. Your brakes return to their original position and you can continue driving.