Brakes account for 22% of crashes when the vehicle was recorded as failing in the accident.
You obviously shouldn’t let your brakes fail. They protect your safety and they protect your vehicle from wearing down, specifically the tires and parts of the engine.
But not everyone is a car mechanic, so they don’t know when to change their brakes.
Not everyone knows what to look for when they are checking out their brakes. Not everyone knows how to take off their tire to check their brakes. This is why it’s more important than ever to ensure your vehicle’s brakes are well taken care of.
How to tell if you need new brakes requires a basic understanding of brakes and some of the warning signs that tell you if your brakes are breaking down.
How to Tell If You Need New Brakes
When it comes to checking your brakes, you need to be aware of the warning signs as well as how to check your brakes every month. You need to know what a brake pad is, how the brake feels, and what to look for under the hood.
The maintenance of your brakes will give you insight on how to ensure you’re protected when you drive anywhere. And the warning signs with failing you should look for in any car.
Be Aware of the Warning Signs
One warning sign that your brakes could be failing is that they don’t sound normal.
You might hear a grinding sound as you slow down or come to a stop. This could possibly mean you need new brake pads or the discs need replacing.
Brake pads include metal wear that makes a sharp grinding noise, indicating that the brake pads are in contact with the disk. This means that the pads, which you use to brake, or no longer on the brake.
If you hear this sharp grinding noise, you may need new brake pads and new discs.
Other warning signs that you may need new brakes is vibration. If your car vibrates when you brake, it could be that brake discs are warped.
In addition to vibration and a sharp grinding noise, also be on the lookout for a check brake indicator light on your car dashboard. If you see this light, it could mean that your brakes hydraulics are going out. If the hydraulics are going out, it could put you in serious risk of an accident.
Other warning signs that your brakes may need to be checked is that the handbrake is sticking. When this happens, it could be because you’re driving with your brakes slightly on. This can wear down the brake pads. and discs.
More importantly, it can cause serious damage to your brakes that can cost more to repair.
Another cause for concern if you think your brakes may be going out is if your vehicle is swerving or pulling when you apply the brakes. If this happens, it could be because your brakes are wearing unevenly.
You can always find more about brakes and how to service them on our site.
What to Look for to Ensure Your Brakes Work Properly
How to tell if you need new brakes also requires preemptive care on your vehicle. This means knowing what to check when you do a monthly inspection of your vehicle.
Under the hood of your vehicle, you should look for braking fluid. You can check your owner’s manual to see where the brake fluid is and what kind of brake fluid your vehicle requires.
If your brake fluid is low, so could your brake pads. They work in unison together. So if your brake pads are low, they could be using more brake fluid to compensate.
As already mentioned, it’s important to watch out for any indicator signs on your dashboard.
Some vehicles will tell you when you need new brakes, whereas other vehicles may not. If you have a vehicle with a warning light and it flashes on, you should have it properly inspected immediately.
Another way to ensure your brakes work properly is to take off the tires and look at the brake pads. You should see some padding pressed against the metal rotor, and it shouldn’t be hitting directly metal to metal. There should be some padding.
Properly inspecting your vehicle’s brake can significantly increase the lifetime of your car, preventing any accidental damage done to the car if the brakes fail. It also prevents you from paying more to fix a car with damage to the engine and elsewhere instead of just replacing the brakes.
What to Do If You Need New Brakes
You now know what to look for if your brakes make a grinding noise or if a warning light comes on. You also know what to look for to ensure your brakes are properly working. Now you have to figure out if you want to perform the work yourself or if you want someone else to do it.
You may not be a professional mechanic, but it should never prevent you from performing a routine check on your brakes to protect you and your family anywhere you travel.
If you choose to bring it to us, you’ll find that we can check every part of the brakes, ensure there’s brake fluid, and make sure it’s running smoothly even after we change the brakes. Our priority is making sure you are safe wherever you go.
If you think you need new brakes, you can bring them in and have them checked for free. You can also see what promotions we offer on brakes and other parts.
How to tell if you need new brakes requires some basic understanding of what to look for in a vehicle, any vehicle.
Safety is your priority and that is what we want you to have when you travel anywhere. It’s also our priority ensuring your brakes are part of it.
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