5 Signs You Need Brake Repair

5 Signs You Need Brake Repair

Not only do you expect your brakes to work, you NEED them to work any time you operate your car. And, you need them working at their best at all times. It only takes one mishap or one miscalculation to end up in a bad situation.

As silly as it sounds, it can be easy to forget about our brakes over time; It’s not often (hopefully) that you have to slam on your brakes and stop suddenly. During normal driving, most braking involves slow, gradual stopping at intersections or into a parking spot. After months of use, it might be hard to notice the slow and inevitable deterioration of performance. There are signs that you can look out for to tell you that its time for a brake repair.

Noise

Many brakes come equipped with a small piece of metal that is designed to make a loud, terrible sound when you use them. This is done on purpose to alert drivers that they have worn to a certain point. Grinding will soon follow if that squealing sound is ignored. The grinding sound is caused by the bolts holding the brakes together that are now grinding into the rotor. If you cause enough damage to your rotors, a simple brake repair can turn into a full brake and rotor replacement (a much more expensive repair.)

Pulsation

Rotors need to stay flat and free from damage to offer effective braking. Without this, pads have less surface area to clamp down on. Uneven rotors can be caused by damage, such as gouging from worn out brakes or from warping, which often happens in the winter. Braking creates a lot of friction and therefore heat. Snow and puddles can cool off rotors in a hurry and the constant fluctuation from hot to cold can cause the warping.

In either scenario, your car can jolt and pulsate when braking, and it shouldn’t be ignored. Whatever is causing it is damaging your brakes and rotors.

Dashboard Light

Modern cars come equipped with certain features like stopping assist, anti-lock braking, etc. If your dashboard light is on, you should get your car checked out right away to avoid a dangerous situation.

“Squishy” Brakes

If your brakes are slow to respond and the pedal more or less ‘sticks’ to the floor, it could mean that you have a leak in your brake line. Similar to hydraulic fluid, virtually all cars have lines filled with fluid which transfers the pressure from your pedal to the brake itself. Without this system in operating condition, your brakes will simply not work or work well enough to drive the car safely.

Instead, you should seriously consider getting your car towed.

Hot Brakes

As previously mentioned, friction creates heat and hot brakes don’t respond nearly as well as cooler brakes. The more worn out they are, the quicker they are to heat up and stay hot.

Hard driving also caused hot brakes. City driving, high speed braking and other high demand conditions contribute to hotter brakes. If you notice a drop in performance during the course of driving it could be that they aren’t cooling well enough.

Bonus Tips to Extend the Life of Your Brakes

Pay attention to your driving. If your an aggressive driver, chances are you are putting higher demand on your brakes. Distracted driving also contributes to shorter lifespan since distracted drivers are more likely stop short. Give yourself plenty of time to brake and come to a rolling stop, rather than trying to stop within a short distance.

Also, have your brakes checked often. A simple visual check while your tires are being rotated or your car is in for scheduled service is a great way to keep on top of maintenance issues and keep costs down.

If you need a brake repair or just want to have them visually inspected, come in to BBack Care Care. We will be glad to inspect them and offer our recommendation.

Need your brakes looked at? Request an appointment online or give us a call today.