In terms of cost-efficient car maintenance, learning how to recognize issues before they become serious is always the key. It’s always best to check your trusty vehicle for any problems because effective braking tells the difference between a fatal accident and reaching your destination without a single scratch. Brakes are considered as one of the most important safety components of any vehicle, so being able to determine early symptoms of brake failure will surely help you avoid expensive repairs. Also, take note that you don’t need to have an extensive knowledge of physics to figure out how brakes work. Here are some of the most common telltale signs that your car needs a brake repair.
Brakes make screeching, squealing or grinding noise
Did you know that your breaks are actually made to screech or squeal? This happens to let the driver know that the pads are already getting low. You should not worry if this happens since it’s just your car telling you what exactly it needs. This shrill noise is produced by a small mechanism which only stops when you apply the brakes. Since this is oftentimes the first sign of failure in the brakes, make sure to get your car checked by the Grand Rapids auto repair professionals at Quality Express immediately to avoid further damage.
Car vibration after brakes are applied
When you begin to feel any type of vibrating, shaking or other strange motions inside your vehicle after every brake application, trust your gut telling you that something is wrong. There are a lot of reasons why you are experiencing such movements but there is a huge possibility that you have warped rotors. This is the part of the wheel wherein the brake pads latch onto in order to slow your car down. Having warped rotors are not good since they significantly lessen the efficiency of the whole system.
Grinding or howling sounds after applying brakes
Similar to the first sign, the grinding or howling sounds you hear after applying the brakes indicates that there might be little brake pads remaining, which lead the metal to grind on another metal. When this happens, there is a big chance that you’ll need to change your drums or rotors along with the pads. You should replace such parts to restore the system’s braking power and make everything good as new.
Brake pedal becomes soft
If you have been driving your car for quite some time now, it will be easier for you to know if the brake pedal has a lot of “give.” What does this mean? To further explain, it simply means that your brakes take more distance to push it compared to back when they were still new. However, this could also be an early sign of other problems such as low brake fluid or air in the brake lines.
Hopefully, these tips have enlightened you on the proper maintenance of brakes. The bottom line here is that you should never delay fixing your brake system. As soon as you experience an early sign of brake failure, be sure to contact Quality Express Car Care Center since we’re the experts for brake repair in Grand Rapids, MI.
