The brakes are one of the most crucial components on your car. Fortunately, it's not difficult to tell when your vehicle is in need of a professional brake inspection. There are any things that will let you know it's time to get your brakes serviced. If you observation any of these symptoms, it's best to get the vehicle looked at immediately by a professional.
Squealing of the Brakes:
One of the first symptoms you'll observation is a squeaking of the brakes when applied. Most disc brakes contain a piece called a wear indicator. It is a small piece of metal attached to the brake pad and will begin to experience the brake rotor when the brake pad is worn to a confident level. This experience of the wear indicator with the rotor is what normally happens when brakes are squealing.
Some of the other symptoms you might observation are:
1. Spongy or soft brake pedal
2. Extra hard pedal
3. Strong vibration while applying the brakes
4. Constant grist of the brakes even while not applying
5. A brake warning light that stays on
6. Pulling or grabbing to one side
7. Pulsation of the brake pedal
8. Clicking noises while braking
Any of these signs is a good indication that it's time for an inspection by a professional. Often times, brake inspections are free and can be performed while you wait. When you bring your vehicle in for an inspection, you'll want to tell the service advisory all of the symptoms you are experiencing. This extra bit of information will be helpful in determining an assessment for repairs and also to insure that all of your issues are addressed. The technician will road test the vehicle to make sure the diagnosis is accurate.
There are two kinds of brakes:
1) Disc and
2) Drum.
Disc brake will have a rotor attached to the axle. Drum brakes are common on back wheels and will have shoes instead of pads.
How a technician can help you:
Once the vehicle is in the auto repair shop, a technician will disassemble the brakes in order to explore the rotors, drums and other brake components. If the brake pads are severely worn, oftentimes the brake rotors will be damaged and will have to be replaced. If the rotors are still in decent shape, they will be machined to give the rotor a new, plane surface. Machining the rotors is normally a less costly selection than replacing them. The technician will also look at the brake lines for cracks and holes. A fault or leak in a brake line could cause a loss of brake pressure which could cause brake failure. Your service writer will recommend the best brake pads for your vehicle.
Normally brake pads should last thousands of miles without any problems. This does depend on your vehicle and your driving habits. If you think there is any problem at all with your brakes, the best advice is to get it looked at by a professional as soon as possible.
