The Importance of Brakes
by Amy Mattinat
Squeeeeeeeeeeeeeal!
When you hear it from another car it’s annoying. But when you hear it coming from your own car it’s frightening!
The trick is to determine when it is just a natural mechanical sound of brakes doing their job or when it is a sign of serious mechanical failure. A little detective work on your part will keep you going (or in this case stopping) for countless miles to come.
When should you consult a professional to inspect your brakes?
1. Drip, drip, drip…
If you see a stain or small puddle of fluid that doesn’t look like oil or coolant you best take notice ASAP! Motor oil will be brown or black and feel slimy to the touch. Coolant will be green in color and feel watery. Brake fluid can look like fresh motor oil, but doesn’t feel slimy.
If you suspect you are leaking brake fluid you can open the hood and check the brake fluid reservoir. If you don’t know where that is, look in your owner’s manual to get a photographic map of your engine and find it. If the brake fluid is low! DO NOT DRIVE THE CAR! If you don’t have enough brake fluid you may not have full stopping power or you may have none at all! Tow it to your favorite shop and have them check it out ASAP!
2. Squeal, squeal, squeal….
If the noise from your brakes is constant your car needs brake work. Have a trained automotive technician check the brake calipers, pads, shoes, drums, cylinder, etc. The cost of the repair will vary according to the problem and also to the kind of car you drive, year and model.
3. Scrape, scrape, scrape….
This is one sound you don’t want to hear from your brakes. It means that metal scraping on metal sound is exactly what is happening. The brake pads are worn away and the brake pad holder is grinding against the rotors to stop your car. Not Good ! If you ever hear an unpleasant metallic scraping sound when you step on the brake pedal, call a tow truck and have them take your car to the shop for you. The money you spend on the tow will be nothing compared to the amount of money you might have to spend on an entire new brake system.
4. Brake Pedal Feels Funny:
What I mean when I say “feels funny” it that when you press down on the brake pedal it feels spongy or goes lower than normal. It may seem that you have to step longer and harder on the brake pedal to get the car to stop. Anther “feels funny” is when you step on the brake pedal and the car pulls to one side of the road.
If you have any doubts about your brakes get it into the shop so the automotive technician can determine if your brakes are working properly and safely.
If your car won’t start, well that can be very inconvenient, but if your car won’t stop… that can be deadly!
How Safe Are Your Brakes?
July 27th, 2008 at 9:29 pm
Great post! I love automotive too, and I thinks your blog is very interesting! Good job for you
August 10th, 2008 at 1:58 pm
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