Your brakes won’t just up and fail unless something unusual happens. They will give you signs that they are in trouble. The best way to avoid brake failure is to have them maintained per your vehicle’s owner’s manual. That said, if you notice any of the following signs, bring your automobile into J&S Auto Repair for a brake inspection. We’ll ensure everything is a-okay with one of the most important safety systems in your car, truck, SUV, or crossover.
Brake Issue Signs
One fail-proof sign something is wrong with your brake system is if your brake light turns on. It will turn on once you set your parking brake and not turn off until you disengage the parking brake, but it will also turn on if something isn’t right with your vehicle’s braking system. Today’s automobiles are equipped with onboard computer systems that talk to chips in each system. If something is wrong with your brakes, for example, the chip in the brake system will send an alert to the onboard computer and it will turn on the brake dashboard warning light. Hopefully, the problem is just low brake fluid.
Other signs include grinding, squeaking, squealing, burning smells, a squishy brake pedal, pulling, and wobbling. These are a lot of signs, so let’s look at them a little closer. When your brakes grind, squeak, squeal when you brake, it’s probably time to replace your brake pads. If you smell a strong chemical smell when you apply the brakes, your brakes are overheating. Stop driving immediately because this creates a dangerous situation. If your brake pedal feels squishy or soft, there might be air in your brake lines or a problem with the master cylinder. Finally, your vehicle shouldn’t pull or wobble when you brake. If it does, there’s probably something wrong with your calipers or rotors.
Preventative Maintenance
To avoid any of the above issues which could, ultimately, lead to total brake failure, have your brakes inspected regularly. Generally, brakes should be inspected every 10,000 miles, but as mentioned above, your owner’s manual will list the mileage duration recommended for your car, truck, or SUV. A brake inspection allows mechanics to assess the life left in your brake pads and determine if your vehicle is leaking brake fluid, whether the brake fluid needs to be flushed and replaced, and whether the rotors, calipers, master cylinders, and other crucial brakes parts need to be replaced.
Bring your vehicle into J&S Auto Repair in Warwick, RI, because it’s less expensive to replace your brake pads than to replace your brake system.
