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Keeping Up With Your Vehicle’s Braking System

How do brakes work? In order to stop a car, the driver compresses the brake lever which begins a chain reaction of events that ultimately ends with the wheels slowing and/or stopping. It’s a complex system – one of the most critical systems of your car – and as such, it deserves time and attention. Think of all the slowing and stopping you do. Think of how heavy your vehicle is. Over time, your vehicle’s braking system will naturally wear out and require maintenance and possible replacement of parts. Maintaining your vehicle’s brake system can save your life and others around you. Let’s go over some of the basic parts of the braking system.

Brake Fluid

Brake fluid acts as a hydraulic between your brake lever and your brake calipers and makes it possible for you to bring your vehicle to a stop.  Without brake fluid, your brake lever would become spongy and useless. Truth is, brake fluid is critical for ensuring a safe drive with quick and complete stops when necessary. A common way to maintain your brakes is to ensure you have the correct amount of brake fluid in your car’s system. It is recommended to flush your brake fluid every 2 years or 24,000 miles.

Brake Pads

It is important to also be aware of the status of your vehicle’s brake pads. Your vehicle’s brake pads are attached to your brake calipers, and create friction with your wheel’s rotors or “disks”. Each brake pad has a metal indicator to show when the pad is too worn down. The metal indicator creates a high pitched screeching noise, and normally leaves you a month to get it replaced before it becomes dangerous or damaging to your brake rotors.

How To Prevent Your Brake System From Failing

Prevent from hard braking, it is best to slowly approach a stop with progressive pressure on the brake pedal. Hard braking can result in locked wheels, that is when the ABS (Anti-Lock Braking System) turns on. ABS is a system that helps to keep your wheels in contact with the road surface, enabling you to remain in control. This comes in handy when roads are slippery or uneven and you need to bring your vehicle to a complete stop.

What’s Stopping You?

Neglecting your brakes can lead to costly repairs, or worse, accidents. Don’t wait for your car’s brake system to fail you. Come into Elite RV & Car Care today!  We care about your brakes, and so should you! We offer many brake services such as:

–  Replacing pads or shoes
–  E-Brake check
–  Brake fluid testing, flush & exchange
–  Calipers and hardware
–  Brake rotor replacement
–  Squeaky or grinding brake repair
–  Rotors and brake drums
–  Test drive

Call (281) 812-3085 to schedule an appointment today!