How to know when it's time to service your brakes

Ensuring Your Brake System's Safety: A Guide

Your car's brake system is one of the most important systems when it comes to proper operation and car safety. Stopping your vehicle quickly and safely is vital to avoid accidents and injuries, so when your brakes show signs they need to be serviced, make sure you have them fixed quickly.

Brakes Have a Very Important Job

Brakes that are working properly will:

• minimize stopping distance

• stop smoothly

• not stutter or pulsate

• make very little noise.

Brakes are dependent on the friction between the brake pad and the rotor to stop a vehicle. Over time, brake pads wear down and become less effective at stopping your automobile.

It's important to replace worn brake pads in a timely manner. Waiting until there is no brake pad material left or waiting until your brakes make loud scraping sounds is dangerous and will often cause your repair bill to skyrocket! Acting early on brake problems will be the safest and least expensive decision you can make.

Signs That Your Brakes Need To Be Serviced

Are your brakes talking to you? Are they squealing, squeaking, or grinding? Remember that your brakes are supposed to be mostly silent, so if you're hearing any audible noise, you should definitely get your brakes checked out. Here's an article with more information on signs you need to service your brakes.

Most often the noises are caused by a brake pad wearing too low and scraping against the rotor. As soon as you hear unexpected noises coming from the wheels, make sure you go get them checked by a professional mechanic.

Are your brakes pulsating or vibrating when you press them? If your car or truck is coming to a smooth, gradual stop with no sound, then your brakes are probably fine.

But if your beloved hoopty is pulsating, or if the steering wheel is shaking or vibrating as you come to a stop, then your rotors and brakes are probably bad. They should be replaced as soon as possible to avoid accidents and an even bigger repair bill.

Do Recommended Scheduled Maintenance

Do you remember when you had your brakes last serviced? If you can't remember, then it's probably a good idea to schedule an inspection with your local mechanic near you. They can check their condition and see if they're in good shape or if you're in dire need of a full brake system service. Check out this article for more information on Car Maintenance Schedules.

At Oshiro Garage Auto Repair Shop, we love making sure our customers are safe and saving them money. Please Contact Us if you'd like to schedule a courtesy check or a repair service.

Or stop by our shop at 8317 SW 3rd Street, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, 73128. We're an auto repair shop near you, just off I-40 and Council Road in Oklahoma City.