It is important that you maintain your car to keep it running. Part of this maintenance is knowing when something is wrong. One problem that is common with cars over time is having trouble with the brakes. If your car is having brake problems, it will give you many signs, three of which are listed below. You can then take your car to an auto repair shop to have it repaired.
Feel Your Car Shake
One sign is if your car shakes when you apply pressure to the brake pedal. If your car is doing this, the problem is likely due to the rear brakes. This may be the brakes and the drum system, and both will need to be replaced.
If your car is shaking take it to an auto repair shop. The mechanic will take your car on the road and drive it, so they can experience the shaking on their own.
Once the mechanic determines it is the brakes they have equipment they can use to test the rear braking system. If the mechanic has to change the rear braking system, go ahead and have them replace the front brakes also, so next time the brakes will go out at the same time.
Feel Brake Pedal Go Down Too Far
If you press the brake pedal and it goes all the way to the floor before it starts stopping your car, this is a sign that there is a leak somewhere. The brake fluid may be leaking internally or externally. The leak could be in the brake lines. The problem could be much worse, and the leak could be in the master cylinder.
This also is a sign that the brake pads are starting to wear away. If you do not take your car to have the brake pads replaced the pads will wear away completely. Once this happens the rotors will start having problems. It is much more expensive to change rotors compared to only having to replace the brake pads.
Hear Sounds
If you hear any kind of sounds when you press the brake pedal then there is a problem with the brakes. In the beginning you will hear a rubbing sound when you press the brakes. This is a sign the brake pads are wearing away. If you start hearing a much louder grinding sound, however, the brake pads are completely worn away and the rotors are being damaged. You may also hear sounds like grinding and squealing.
If you take your car in as soon as you start hearing these noises, the mechanic will replace the brake pads and shoes. This generally does not take a long time to do and is not a large expense.
Talk with the auto repair shop to learn much more about your car's braking system.
Share6 October 2018
After my car died and I was stranded on the freeway a few years back, I knew that I had to do what I could to avoid similar issues in the future. I began working hard to identify different issues with my car, so that I could prevent problems. I began working with a mechanic to get help, and he taught me a lot about going through my car and being able to evaluate different things that were problems. It was really interesting to explore the possibilities of different car failures, and before I knew it, I could tell when my car was struggling. Read more about the early signs of car trouble on my blog.