Brake Maintenance

Warmer weather is just around the corner, but as you navigate your way around huge craters, you can't help but cringe at every pothole.  It's great that summer is here, but right now the aggravating squeal coming from the left-hand side and the shudder of the steering wheel have your full attention. 

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Warmer weather is just around the corner, but as you navigate your way around huge craters, you can't help but cringe at every pothole.  It's great that summer is here, but right now the aggravating squeal coming from the left-hand side and the shudder of the steering wheel have your full attention.  Performing regular brake maintenance will help keep you from ever hearing this sound and save you some embarrassment as you head through town.  Having your brakes working properly is a must for your own safety as well as the safety of others.

 

Brake maintenance is a very crucial aspect of your vehicle's regular inspection. Some warning signs to remember are:

 

Grinding or squealing sound when brakes are applied.

Does your vehicle seem to pull to the right or left?

Does the front-end shake or steering wheel vibrate?

If the ABS indicator light on the dashboard is on there is a good chance that the wheel sensors have detected build-up of metal shavings from the brake system.

Most systems are made to shut down ABS when this occurs. Your vehicle will still stop during braking so don't worry|; only the ABS feature itself is inoperable. Here are a few tips to help you with your brake maintenance:

 

Pull the wheels off and have brake systems inspected once a year by a certified technician.

Part of your brake maintenance should include flushing and replacing brake fluid every two years.  After a period of two years, fluid may turn acidic.

Refer to your owners' manual to find out what brakes are required for your vehicle, and how they may be adjusted.  Most drum brakes are self-adjusting.

No matter what the condition it is highly recommended to replace brakes every 25,000 - 30,000 miles.

Article Tags: Brake Maintenance

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