The spring season in Toledo OH is fabulous. The first thing you want to do is jump in your car and head down to the river banks for fishing, boating, and other outdoor activities. It’s also a time to travel to and fro seeing friends and experiencing new adventures. Whether your drive a classic sedan or an SUV doesn’t matter; break problems seem to always show up when you want to do something fun. If you experience brake problems this year, you are not alone. There are many common things that can happen, but they are an easy fix.
Brake Pads/Shoes
If you hear a whistling noise when you engage your brakes, it’s probably due to the fact that the pads have worn down. The pads have indicators on them to warn you when they need to be replaced. There is nothing worse than allowing your brake pads to get too low and they start squealing. The grind of metal on metal can not only damage the braking system, but it can also cost more to fix in the long run. Brake pads should be changed and rotors that have any wear need to be replaced or turned. Keeping the pads at optimal levels allow you to stop quickly and have a sufficient operating system.
Warped Rotors
Another common problem in most cars is warped rotors. The classic way to tell this problem is by the way the steering wheel vibrates when you engage the brakes. There is a great deal of heat in the brake area, as stopping a car creates quite a bit of friction. The heat and constant friction can cause warped spots to develop in the rotors. When you engage the brakes, the uneven spots will vibrate as it tries to get the car to stop. When replacing the rotors, it is often wise to also replace the pads. The warped spots will cause uneven wear on the pads too.
Worn Caliper
The caliper is the part that engages the breaks to the rotors. When a caliper is sticking, it is often referred to as a brake that is dragging. It is very dangerous to drive around on a caliper that is sticking, as eventually it will break. They can freeze and won’t release and the brake system will fail. The calipers smell hot when they are malfunctioning. The burning metal and rubber smell is hard to ignore. Also, a car will tend to pull to one side when they aren’t working right.
Brakes That Go To The Floor
If the brake tends to go all the way to the floor when engaging, the car is probably low on fluid. There are many reasons why a car would be low on brake fluid, but they all need to be evaluated. Brake problems can start in the lines. The lines that carry brake fluid from the reservoir to the brake can develop holes in them. These holes cause the fluid to leak. Also, this is a fluid level that needs to be checked from time to time.
Service Needs
The brakes are one of the most important systems in the car. Rather than putting off the inevitable, it is more costs effective to have your Toledo OH mechanic find the problem and fix it. Too many people wait and then the problem become more costly and even more dangerous.
Improve your car with accessories and appearance modifications from Z-One. Find us online at http://www.z-onetoledo.com/, visit us in Toledo, OH at 1412 West Alexis Road, or call us at (419) 478-3402.