Brake Repair: Keep Your Car Stopping!

Your factory issued owner’s manual will have a recommended maintenance schedule for your vehicle. While recommendations vary for the different systems in your car, it may be the absolute most important thing for your safety and that of others to adhere to preventative maintenance schedule for your braking system. With that said, seek out brake repair when you know something is wrong.

The most often recommended guideline for brake repair maintenance is from every ten thousand to every twenty thousand miles. Some specialists urge that a check be done annually, and since the average driver puts about twelve thousand miles per year on a family’s main vehicle, this recommendation is not really that drastic. The braking system is the most important safety feature in your vehicle. For your safety, your passengers’ safety, and the safety of those with whom you share the road, preventative maintenance is a must. Knowing some common signs of wear will help you to keep on track when it comes time for brake repair.

The most obvious sign that something is awry is the dash board warning light. A red light may indicate that there is a problem with the system itself, while an orange or amber colored light usually has to do with the anti-lock brake system (ABS). If you see either of these lights illuminated, service should be considered sooner rather than later.

Sensations in the pedal such as sponginess, a difference in the pressure that must be applied for stopping, the sensitivity, or a vibration that can be felt in the pedal are all cause for concern. These phenomenons could indicate several different things, and you need not be privy to what they mean to know that you need to take your car in for maintenance. Just tell the mechanic as descriptively as possible what you are feeling in the pedal.

Sounds are also cause for concern. Squeaking, grinding, vibrating, humming—anything that is a cause and effect relationship with the brake pedal—are reasons to seek inspection. Again, this system is rather complicated even if its function appears to be simple. Anything that may have to do with your car’s inability to stop should be left up to a professional, since brake repair is often out of the area of expertise of the average consumer.

In addition to following factory or specialist recommendations, you should know what kind of driver you are. If you live or drive in a mountainous region, maintenance should be conducted more regularly. If you are what is known as a city driver, perhaps always going short distances or utilizing expressways with multiple traffic lights, you are also at risk for expedient brake wear. While a lot of drivers are concerned with keeping their vehicles running, perhaps keeping them stopping should be at the forefront.