ASE A5 Questions and Answers
1. On a car with disc/drum brakes, the front brakes grab
quickly when light pedal pressure is applied. This problem
could be caused by a bad:
A. proportioning valve
B. pressure safety switch
C. metering valve
D. residual check valve - 1. The correct answer is C. The metering valve delays
the flow of brake fluid to the front calipers until the pressure
in the system rises to a point where the wheel cylinder can
overcome the tension of the brake shoe return springs. The
purpose is to have both front and rear brakes apply simultaneously.
This prevents the front brakes from locking up during
light brake applications.
2. The driver of a vehicle with power disc/drum brakes
says that the brake pedal moves slowly to the floor while
maintaining pedal pressure at a stoplight. What could
cause this problem?
A. leaking primary piston cup in master cylinder
B. leaking power brake booster
C. leaking residual check valve in master cylinder
D. internal leak in the combination valve - 2. The correct answer is A. If the primary
piston cup in
the master cylinder is leaking, pressure will not build up ahead
of the primary piston to increase pressure to the rear brakes.
The piston will then move forward until the spring is compressed
enough to move the secondary piston. Consequently,
this internal leak will cause the brake pedal to slowly drop to
the floor.
3. Which of the following would MOST LIKELY happen
if the measurements taken from the check shown above
varied from the manufacturer's specifications?
A. noisy brake operation
B. brake grab or pull
C. pulsating brake pedal
D. low brake pedal - 3. The correct answer is C. Poor rotor parallelism (thickness
variation) will cause a pulsating brake pedal. This is due
to the caliper piston movement that occurs as the pad rides
over the alternating high and low areas on the disc. This action
forces brake fluid to flow back and forth from the caliper to
the master cylinder, creating the pulsating pedal feedback.
,4. What is the purpose of the master cylinder residual
check valve(s) on vehicles equipped with drum brakes?
A. allows the driver to pump up the brakes
B. prevents air from entering the hydraulic system
C. prevents wheel lockup by reducing the hydraulic
pressure
D. reduces pedal pulsation by controlling hydraulic
pressure - 4. The correct answer is B. Residual check valve(s) are
used on drum brakes to keep residual low pressure (slight
static pressure) in the brake system at all times even when the
brake pedal is released. This pressure (5-20 psi) keeps the lips
of the wheel cylinder piston cups tight against the cylinder
walls to prevent air from entering the system when at rest
(brakes released).
5. A technician has just overhauled the front brakes on a
vehicle with front disc and rear drum brakes. However, when
he attaches a pressure bleeder (pressurized to about 25
psi) to the master cylinder, he cannot get any fluid to come
out of the disc brake caliper bleeder screws. Which of the
following is MOST LIKELY the cause?
A. bad proportioning valve
B. bad pressure differential valve
C. proportioning valve release button not activated
D. metering valve release button not activated - 5. The correct answer is D. A metering
valve requires a
minimum pressure (typically between 75-125 psi) to open. At
this point pressurized fluid flows to the front calipers. Since
the bleeder tank is only pressurized to 25 psi, fluid pressure
is too low to open the metering valve during this procedure.
Therefore, when you use a pressure bleeder on a system with
a metering valve, you must manually keep the valve open by
either pushing the button in on the end of the valve, or pulling
the stem outward on the end of the valve.
6. On a vehicle with single piston floating caliper front disc
brakes, the brake pads on the left side of the vehicle are
almost completely worn while the right side is almost new.
Technician A says that too much rotor runout could be
the cause. Technician B says that a binding caliper piston
could be the cause. Who is right?
A. Technician A only
B. Technician B only
C. Both A and B
D. Neither A or B - 6. The correct answer is B. Excessive rotor runout would
cause a pulsating brake pedal, but not uneven side-to-side pad
, wear. A frozen caliper piston on the other hand, will keep both
inner and outer brake pads equally applied against the rotor
even when the brake pedal is released. This constant friction
will cause rapid pad wear in the affected caliper as well as a
front-end pull.
7. What is the purpose of the bar that is being removed
from the brake assembly shown below?
A. to equalize the braking force between the shoes
during normal braking
B. to center the shoes after each brake application
C. to force the shoes into the drum when the parking
brakes are applied
D. to reduce the distance between the shoes and the
drum - 7. The correct answer is C. The parking brake strut bar
forces the brake shoes into the drum when the parking brake
is applied.
8. A hydraulic brake line is leaking. Which of the following is
the correct repair procedure?
A. Cut out the bad section and replace with new steel
tubing using compression fittings.
B. Replace the leaking line with double-flared, seamless
copper tubing.
C. Cut out the bad section and replace with single-flared
steel tubing using flare nuts and unions.
D. Replace the leaking line with double-flared steel
tubing. - 8. The correct answer is D. Steel tubing of the same size,
type, and length with double flared ends must be used when
replacing a traditional SAE double inverted flare style hydraulic
brake line.
9. The set-up shown above is used to check: (dial indicator on rotor face)
A. rotor parallelism
B. wheel bearing adjustment
C. rotor lateral runout
D. rotor face wear - 9. The correct answer is C. Lateral runout is the movement
of the rotor from side to side as it rotates on the steering
knuckle spindle. The dial-indicator set-up shown in the illustration
is used to make this measurement once the wheel bearing
nut has been tightened (bearing play removed).
10. Which of the following problems would be caused by
using a residual check valve in a disc brake master cylinder?
A. reduced brake pedal travel
B. reduced brake system pressure
1. On a car with disc/drum brakes, the front brakes grab
quickly when light pedal pressure is applied. This problem
could be caused by a bad:
A. proportioning valve
B. pressure safety switch
C. metering valve
D. residual check valve - 1. The correct answer is C. The metering valve delays
the flow of brake fluid to the front calipers until the pressure
in the system rises to a point where the wheel cylinder can
overcome the tension of the brake shoe return springs. The
purpose is to have both front and rear brakes apply simultaneously.
This prevents the front brakes from locking up during
light brake applications.
2. The driver of a vehicle with power disc/drum brakes
says that the brake pedal moves slowly to the floor while
maintaining pedal pressure at a stoplight. What could
cause this problem?
A. leaking primary piston cup in master cylinder
B. leaking power brake booster
C. leaking residual check valve in master cylinder
D. internal leak in the combination valve - 2. The correct answer is A. If the primary
piston cup in
the master cylinder is leaking, pressure will not build up ahead
of the primary piston to increase pressure to the rear brakes.
The piston will then move forward until the spring is compressed
enough to move the secondary piston. Consequently,
this internal leak will cause the brake pedal to slowly drop to
the floor.
3. Which of the following would MOST LIKELY happen
if the measurements taken from the check shown above
varied from the manufacturer's specifications?
A. noisy brake operation
B. brake grab or pull
C. pulsating brake pedal
D. low brake pedal - 3. The correct answer is C. Poor rotor parallelism (thickness
variation) will cause a pulsating brake pedal. This is due
to the caliper piston movement that occurs as the pad rides
over the alternating high and low areas on the disc. This action
forces brake fluid to flow back and forth from the caliper to
the master cylinder, creating the pulsating pedal feedback.
,4. What is the purpose of the master cylinder residual
check valve(s) on vehicles equipped with drum brakes?
A. allows the driver to pump up the brakes
B. prevents air from entering the hydraulic system
C. prevents wheel lockup by reducing the hydraulic
pressure
D. reduces pedal pulsation by controlling hydraulic
pressure - 4. The correct answer is B. Residual check valve(s) are
used on drum brakes to keep residual low pressure (slight
static pressure) in the brake system at all times even when the
brake pedal is released. This pressure (5-20 psi) keeps the lips
of the wheel cylinder piston cups tight against the cylinder
walls to prevent air from entering the system when at rest
(brakes released).
5. A technician has just overhauled the front brakes on a
vehicle with front disc and rear drum brakes. However, when
he attaches a pressure bleeder (pressurized to about 25
psi) to the master cylinder, he cannot get any fluid to come
out of the disc brake caliper bleeder screws. Which of the
following is MOST LIKELY the cause?
A. bad proportioning valve
B. bad pressure differential valve
C. proportioning valve release button not activated
D. metering valve release button not activated - 5. The correct answer is D. A metering
valve requires a
minimum pressure (typically between 75-125 psi) to open. At
this point pressurized fluid flows to the front calipers. Since
the bleeder tank is only pressurized to 25 psi, fluid pressure
is too low to open the metering valve during this procedure.
Therefore, when you use a pressure bleeder on a system with
a metering valve, you must manually keep the valve open by
either pushing the button in on the end of the valve, or pulling
the stem outward on the end of the valve.
6. On a vehicle with single piston floating caliper front disc
brakes, the brake pads on the left side of the vehicle are
almost completely worn while the right side is almost new.
Technician A says that too much rotor runout could be
the cause. Technician B says that a binding caliper piston
could be the cause. Who is right?
A. Technician A only
B. Technician B only
C. Both A and B
D. Neither A or B - 6. The correct answer is B. Excessive rotor runout would
cause a pulsating brake pedal, but not uneven side-to-side pad
, wear. A frozen caliper piston on the other hand, will keep both
inner and outer brake pads equally applied against the rotor
even when the brake pedal is released. This constant friction
will cause rapid pad wear in the affected caliper as well as a
front-end pull.
7. What is the purpose of the bar that is being removed
from the brake assembly shown below?
A. to equalize the braking force between the shoes
during normal braking
B. to center the shoes after each brake application
C. to force the shoes into the drum when the parking
brakes are applied
D. to reduce the distance between the shoes and the
drum - 7. The correct answer is C. The parking brake strut bar
forces the brake shoes into the drum when the parking brake
is applied.
8. A hydraulic brake line is leaking. Which of the following is
the correct repair procedure?
A. Cut out the bad section and replace with new steel
tubing using compression fittings.
B. Replace the leaking line with double-flared, seamless
copper tubing.
C. Cut out the bad section and replace with single-flared
steel tubing using flare nuts and unions.
D. Replace the leaking line with double-flared steel
tubing. - 8. The correct answer is D. Steel tubing of the same size,
type, and length with double flared ends must be used when
replacing a traditional SAE double inverted flare style hydraulic
brake line.
9. The set-up shown above is used to check: (dial indicator on rotor face)
A. rotor parallelism
B. wheel bearing adjustment
C. rotor lateral runout
D. rotor face wear - 9. The correct answer is C. Lateral runout is the movement
of the rotor from side to side as it rotates on the steering
knuckle spindle. The dial-indicator set-up shown in the illustration
is used to make this measurement once the wheel bearing
nut has been tightened (bearing play removed).
10. Which of the following problems would be caused by
using a residual check valve in a disc brake master cylinder?
A. reduced brake pedal travel
B. reduced brake system pressure
