New-age vehicles are designed with safety in mind. Be it collision prevention features or rear-view cameras to assist you in navigating your vehicle, cars have become safer. However, one component that will always be your first defence against accidents is your brakes. Since brakes are quite durable, a good number of motorists do not pay keen attention to their condition. Additionally, newbie drivers may not even know the signs of declining brakes, and this puts both them and other motorists at risk of injury because their brakes might fail on the road. But brakes do not malfunction overnight. Here are a few of the signals you should be wary of that are indicative of the need for brake repairs.
Squealing and other weird noises
One of the first symptoms that will manifest once your brakes start declining is a strange noise that was not present before. A typical sound that you will start to hear spontaneously is squealing. This noise usually indicates that the brake pads are on the fritz and that they will need replacement as soon as possible. Failure to do the replacement will lead to aggravating damage to your brakes so it is best to see your mechanic posthaste. Additional noises that you should deem weird and seek brake repairs after hearing include scraping, squeaking and so on.
Sunken or sticky brakes
When your brakes are at optimum condition, they should be quite rigid. For instance, when you press down on the pedal to slow down or come to a halt, the pad should rise immediately the moment you take your foot off it. When your brakes start to stick, it could be a sign of an undetected leak. When the brake fluid is insufficient, it manifests as a lack of response from your brake pedal, and this can lead to fading. The moment that you notice your brake pedal remains sunken or that you are not receiving any response from this auto part, it is critical to seek brake repairs.
Braking makes the car pull to one side
Pulling to one side is a symptom that usually manifests when your tyres need aligning. Thus, some motorists overlook this sign under the presumption that they will simply wait until their next service. However, your brakes can also cause pulling. When the linings of the brakes have acquired uneven wear, it could lead to pulling when you push down on your brakes. For your safety, you should see your mechanic if you detect any pulling of the vehicle.
For more information on brake repairs, contact a mechanic.
Share14 August 2019
I love to take my car down to the track on the weekend. Running a race car is an expensive exercise so I need to be smart about how I spend my limited car budget. I do some of my auto servicing myself, but I don't have the equipment to some of the more complex jobs. I have put a lot of time and energy into my car so it's quite a commitment to trust someone else with my car, even for a few days, so I've found a trustworthy car service centre with a lot of experience in high performance vehicles. This blog has some tips on finding car servicing for racing cars.