If your brake pedal suddenly sinks to the floor, you should first:
- Try to pump it to build up the pressure ✓
- Shift into neutral and shut the engine off
- Try to raise it by hooking your toe under it
- Apply the parking brake hard to stop the car
Answer: A. Try to pump it to build up the pressure
Try pumping the brake pedal to build up pressure.
Why this is the answer
New York's manual says that when the brake pedal drops all the way down, your first move is to pump it to build pressure. Only if pumping does not help should you use the parking or emergency brake, and then you should apply it gradually rather than sharply. The manual lists the other actions for different emergencies, so they do not fit a brake pedal that has sunk.
Why the other answers are wrong
- B. Shift into neutral and shut the engine off — Shifting into neutral and shutting off the engine is not the manual's brake-failure step; neutral shifting appears in the stuck gas pedal guidance instead.
- C. Try to raise it by hooking your toe under it — Hooking your toe under the pedal is the manual's advice for a stuck gas pedal, not for a brake pedal that has sunk.
- D. Apply the parking brake hard to stop the car — The manual says to use the parking or emergency brake only if pumping does not help, and to apply it gradually and gently, not hard as a first move.
Remember it
Think pump first, gentle parking brake second, not toe hooks or engine shutdown.