You’re driving along and you need to stop, so you press on the brake pedal. But instead of slowing down, your car dies. If this sounds like a familiar situation, it’s because there are several reasons why this may happen.
5 Reasons why does car die when brakes applied
1. The engine is too hot or too cold
If your engine is running very hot or cold, it may not be able to produce as much power as usual. This can cause electrical problems that will affect fuel injection and other components such as fans and sensors during braking. One problem that could arise is that the alternator could temporarily overcharge causing even more heat in the cylinder head – which will make things worse until the coolant temperature rises enough to match the charging rate.
2. The fuel system is not compatible with regular gas/fuel additives
If you use regular gasoline but your car requires premium, it could cause problems when you step on the brakes. This would be why after running out of premium gas you notice that your engine bogs down or won’t run at all upon braking. Check your owner’s manual for what type of fuel your engine needs.
3. Low brake fluid level
Do you have low brake fluid? If it gets too low, the pads may engage closer to the rotors, which can make them overheat more quickly and lead to warped discs. You’ll need to change them far than usual if this happens.
4. Too much air in the brake lines
If you’ve installed a brake kit or changed your brake pads, then there might be too much room for the fluid to travel in the brake lines. The extra space could allow air into the system. If it’s not enough to affect braking feel, when you step on the brakes it will cause them to release completely because of all that excess air in the line. This means you’ll skid out of control if in traffic or crash if driving at high speeds.
5. Faulty spark plug wires
Did your engine die while braking but starts up again immediately when you off the ignition? It could be that one of your spark plug wires are broken, causing the engine to stall.
