Three Signs That You Should Fix Your Brakes

Automotive Blog

Most times, there are signs that point to problems in your car. You need to know what these signs are so that you can take appropriate measures if they appear. After all, brake efficiency is necessary for road safety. Here are three signs that mean brake trouble:

The Brakes Smell

If you can smell a burning odor every time you press the brakes, then your brakes are probably getting overheated. Causes of overheated brakes include:

• An emergency brake left engaged while driving. Disengaging the brake should help, especially if it was only engaged briefly.
• A damaged brake caliper.
• New brake pads. This is normal (the brakes are breaking-in) if it happens only for the first one or two hours after changing the pads.

Whatever the cause of the overheating, it needs to be checked because the high temperatures reduce the friction of the brake pads. This reduces the performance level of your brakes and also increases their rates of wear.

The Brake Pedal Vibrates

The most common cause of a vibrating brake pedal is a warped brake rotor. This causes unevenness in the contact between brake rotors and pads, which leads to the vibrations. Worn suspension components, such as wheel bearings and ball joints, may also lead to the vibrations. Another possible cause of the vibrations is contaminated brake pads, which may happen due to leaking oil or brake fluids. The solution depends on the cause. Don't ignore the vibrations; they wear down the brakes fast.

Spongy or Hard Pedals

Your brake pedals should be firm when you depress them. If they are either soft or hard, then you need to have them checked. Here are the typical causes of these two problems:

• Spongy pedals – this usually means that there is air in your brake's hydraulic system. It may happen if your brake fluid is leaking or low.
• Hard pedals – automotive brakes use power assist technology so that you don't have to use too much physical force when braking. If this power assist system fails, then the brake becomes hard. If this is the case, then your brakes should still be functioning despite the hardness. If the issue is not the power assist (for example, it is mechanical), then the pedal may not depress at all.

This isn't a complete list of all the symptoms that appear due to faulty brakes. Whenever you feel there is an issue with the brakes, contact a mechanic even if you can't figure out what the problem is. After all, any problem with the car, even those that are not related to the brakes, need to be fixed. For more information, talk to a company like National Transmission Inc.

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6 October 2015