Five Tips to a Maintain a Good Braking System
While your owner manual tells you your vehicles’ maintenance schedule, still inspecting your brake pads every 12,000 miles and changing your fluid every 25,000 miles, are considered a good habit. Of course, the miles depends on the way you drive and the type of vehicle you have. Look for a professional auto shop, like Chaney’s Collision Center, to check on the brakes of your car. Moreover, Chaney’s Collision Center handle the more difficult parts of car maintenance and repairs.
To guide you, here are five ways make sure that your brakes are in good working condition:
INSPECT YOUR BRAKE PADS AND ROTORS
- These are the components that degrade quickly compared to the other parts so a regular maintenance is needed. If you do not, there could be a friction between the brake pads and the tires that will result to heat. Make sure that there is enough resistance in the brakes. Check the quality and deepness of your brake pads.
- Press your brake pedal harder and observe too if it takes sometime before your brake stops. This means you might have to change the rotors and the pads. If you want to do it yourself, then take off the tire so you can examine the wear. If there is a damage, you need to change it right away. However, it is best to take your car to an auto shop, like Chaney’s Collision Center, to repair the disc brake.
FLUSH THE BRAKE FLUID
- The brake fluid is vital as it acts like a messenger amidst you and the braking system of your vehicle. Sad to say, brake fluids draws moisture that can destroy the braking system. Moisture causes rust of the metal parts of the brakes and lessens the high boiling point of the fluid. Eventually, it could decrease the efficiency of the brakes. To eliminate this situation, make sure that you change the brake fluid every other 25,000 miles. A whitish milky appearance tells you that you should change the brake fluids.
YOU NEED TO BLEED THE BRAKE LINES
- This process removes the extra air. Even a little air that is in the brake line can lessen the effectiveness of the braking system. Bleeding it takes out the air and this is done by pressing down the brake pedal to a lower position and at the same time setting the bleeder valve. You should do this each and every 2 to 3 years. This can be accomplished within an appointed brake inspection service.
CHANGE THE BRAKE PARTS
- When you need to change something in your braking system, it is also a chance for you to improve and upgrade specific parts, which will also mean a better performance. An example is the slotted brake rotors, which have slots to permit escape for built up gases. Perhaps, you could change to ceramic pads, which are more silent and does not generate brake dust.
TAKING CARE OF THE BRAKING SYSTEM
Take care of your brakes to make sure its performance is great every time you drive it. There are many causes that adds to the degradation of your brakes such as the following:
- Transporting a lot of weight.
- Needless, delayed or tough braking.
- Wet weather.
Stay away from these causes as they could greatly affect the braking system of your car and that will lessen brake failure.