Taking Care of Your Brakes

Your car’s braking system is one of the most important safety features on your car which is why it’s important to understand how to maintain your brakes for the life of your car. Most drivers, even if their basic understanding of how their car brake system works is as basic as understanding the brake pedal is connected by a rod to the master cylinder- know that proper maintenance of their automobile braking system is vital to the upkeep of their automobile.

A few steps you can take towards brake maintenance is to fully understand what you can do to help prevent expensive brake repairs in the first place. One suggestion is to avoid riding your brakes. This creates unnecessary wear and tear on your system and will lead to a brake replacement sooner rather than later. Another suggestion is to downshift when going down a steep grade. Of course this is something to avoid during snowy or icy road conditions since downshifting on bad roads can actually cause you to skid and loose control of your vehicle.

It is also important to bleed your brake system every two years. This is one of the easiest and most effective things anyone can do with or without the services of a mechanic and it will help to ensure the life of your brake components. If you take your car in to a mechanic to have your brakes maintained, make sure you ask to have the brakes bleed. Some mechanics insist it does not need to be done but it has been shown to increase the life of your brakes and it is an easy maintenance project to do.

And if you are bleeding your brakes every two years, you are already doing the last suggestion, which is to change your brake fluid every two years. Brake fluid can absorb moisture and left unchecked this can lead to a variety of mechanical problems including internal rust and corrosion damage to the braking system.

Whether you have it changed by a qualified mechanic or do it yourself make sure you use the correct fluid for your vehicle. Most domestic cars and Japanese car models use DOT-3 brake fluid. A few domestic and most European models use DOT-4 brake fluid. If you’re not sure which fluid you need, check your owner’s manual or ask your mechanic.

Prevention is the key to maintaining your brake system and avoiding unexpected brake repairs down the road due to negligence. And since your brakes are the most important safety system on your car, you have everything to gain and nothing to loose by following this suggestions.