Brake Repair: When Your Brakes Go Bad

Americans are learning to make do with less and stretch what they have to last longer. Part of this means we are hanging onto old cars instead of selling them at the first hiccup and going into debt with a new car loan. Of course major car repair problems can make an older car a money pit instead of a way to save money so you have to be careful. Part of making that old car last longer means yearly maintenance that includes having the brakes inspected. A brake repair job is still cheaper than the alternative, which is a car accident or parking your car indefinitely. Your brakes are one of the most important aspects of your cars safety system and when they fail you are at serious risk for creating or being in an accident.

Your brakes are complex. Every component of the system is dependent on another part of the system working properly and when one part fails the whole braking system is at risk for failure, that is why it is so important to maintain your brakes and do any brake repair that needs to be done promptly before it becomes a bigger system issue.
There are few warnings that you should pay attention to when it comes to your car’s brakes even if they pass the yearly inspection. First if you brakes are spongy that means your hydraulic pressure is probably low. This means when you are putting your foot down on the brake pedal there isn’t enough force or friction being created to force the car to stop. If you are experiencing spongy brakes it is probably time for a brake repair job before your brakes give out completely when you need them the most.

If your brakes are grabbing at the slightest tap and you feel like your going to fly through the windshield every time you apply the brakes you should have them inspected. Normally your car’s brakes will work silently and effortlessly and anything that falls outside that norm should be inspected. A simple brake inspection is usually free and if there is any reason for the light to be coming on your mechanic can find it before your brakes get worse.

Finally the biggest reason people have their brakes inspected is the noise. It is not normal for brakes to squeal or make noise. This is a deliberate built in safety feature of the brake system to let the driver know the brake pads are worn down and touching metal to metal. By this point your brakes are in their final warning stage and you are risking your safety and the safety of everyone around you to continue driving.

Take your brake repair needs seriously and your car should continue to be a safe vessel of transportation for a long time to come and that will end up saving you money in the end.