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Brakes

Your vehicles brakes are no doubt the most important safety factor in your vehicle. One of the simplest ways of knowing if there is a problem is to check the brake warning light on the dash. If there is a problem the light will stay on and your vehicle will require attention.

Below is a list of other less obvious signs that indicate your brakes should be checked at Buddy's Motor Mechanic.
• Vehicle pulls to the left or right when braking
• Vehicle loses grip when braking
• Brakes screech or squeal
• Takes longer to stop
• Steering wheel shudders under braking
• Brake pedal is low, hard, soft or spongy

How your brakes work:

When you apply pressure to your brake pedal the pressure from the brake pedal forces the brake fluid to engage a series of mechanisms that push the brake pad onto the disc rotor bringing your vehicle to a stop. The brake pads are moved on a calliper which is the part that applies and releases the pad from the rotor. The calliper comprises of a housing with a piston that moves back and forth when you apply and release the brakes. Rubber parts inside the calliper ensure that the brake fluid doesn’t leak from it.

The brake fluid is responsible for transferring the pressure that is applied to each wheel to make it stop. It is an important aspect of your vehicles braking system which often gets overlooked. Brake fluid has to withstand the extremely high temperatures generated by hard or constant braking. Brake fluid is a hydroscopic fluid which means that it absorbs moisture i.e. from the surrounding air.

Over time the moisture level builds up and with constant heavy braking effort can boil the brake fluid reducing braking performance. It is recommended to replace brake fluid every 2 years or 40,000km (whichever occurs first), but with humidity and driving characteristics this may need to be an annual service.