A vehicle’s braking system is a very important part a car. If they’re not in good condition it means you car’s ability to slow down or stop when you’re driving can be compromised. Moreover, your family, other motorists and your own safety could also be at risk!
Don’t wait for that to happen before you realize the importance ensuring your brakes are always working properly. Here are the signs that could mean they’re not.
1. Temperamental Pedal
Once your pedals becomes mushy where one goes to the floor before you even engage the brake, that’s a big red flag! This could mean your pads are already worn out or your car’s hydraulic system is malfunctioning. However, if your brakes tend to grab immediately at the slightest touch it can still pose a problem. Possible reasons for these are uneven worn rotor, dirty brake fluid or contamination of the fluid by moisture. Either way, you shouldn’t take this for granted and take your car to the car repair shop right away.
2. Vibrations
A vibrating brake pedal even under normal braking circumstances is bad news. This usually happens when you have warped rotors from a lot of driving down steep mountains or by stopping frequently while towing something heavy. While those two naturally occur over time, it doesn’t mean that such vibrations are normal especially since it can also happen when your wheels are misaligned. So, to be safe just have a mechanic check and fix it before you drive it again.
3. Pulling
A stuck caliper, unevenly inflated tires or worn tires, poor alignment, or a problem with your car’s suspension can make your car make right or left turns when you’re actually just trying to drive straight ahead or are hitting the brake. Since there are a lot of possible causes of pulling, don’t attempt to drive your car or immediately stop to the nearest car repair shop once this happens to you because this can be very dangerous on the road.
4. Strange Sounds
This is the reason why you shouldn’t turn the music so loud while driving or better yet don’t listen to any and just focus on driving. Sometimes the only indication that there might be a problem with your brakes is some strange sounds. It could be a high-pitched squeal which means you need to replace your pads or harsh grinding sound that indicates you’ve completely gone through your brake pads and the metal of the calipers is already grinding against the metal of your rotors. Do not delay car repair once you hear any of these sounds otherwise you’d be faced with a bigger damage and cost.
5. Worn Pads
Due to the constant friction the brake pads deal with when you’re driving, they become thin over time. When this happen it can no longer slow or stop your car effectively. Good thing you can easily check your vehicle’s brake pads on your own. If they’re thinner than one-quarter of an inch, time to have them replaced.
6. Leaks
A leak in the braking system is usually a hydraulic issue. If the brake pedal goes to the floor, it can usually be traced back to a leak. A leak in the brake line will result in a loss of brake fluid, and eventually the brake system may fail altogether. Leaks should be addressed immediately, a pool of brake fluid on the garage floor or a low brake pedal are all symptoms of this problem.
7. Brake light
If the brake light on the dash illuminates it can indicate a serious issue with the braking system. In most cases it indicates a problem with the hydraulics and the vehicle should be inspected and repaired as soon as possible. It is never safe to drive if the brake light is illuminated. The light also doubles duty to let you know the parking brake is on in some vehicles.
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