How To Tell When It's Time To Have The Brakes On Your Car Replaced

You use your brakes so often when you drive that it's easy to take them for granted. However, if your brakes ever fail, you could be in serious danger. Fortunately, there are usually warning signs when your brakes are wearing down. Here's how to tell when it's time to have a brake replacement.

Use Your Vehicle's Maintenance Schedule As A Guide

Your car manufacturer provides you with a recommendation on how often to have your brakes serviced. However, the time or mileage in your owner's manual should be considered the maximum limit because how you drive your car has a big impact on how quickly the brakes wear out. For instance, if you only do city driving where you are constantly hitting the brakes, your brakes wear out faster than if you do primarily highway driving.

Also, the amount of weight you carry in your car matters too, so if you use your car for hauling, transporting equipment, or pulling a boat or RV, that puts more stress on your brakes. So, use the recommendation in your owner's manual as a guide, but also stay alert to signs of brake wear so you can have your brakes serviced earlier if needed.

Notice Signs Of Wear

One thing you'll probably see is a warning light on your dash that's illuminated constantly. You may also notice your car handles differently, especially when one brake is more worn out than the other one. Your car may pull to one side when you hit the brakes. You might even feel a vibration when the car brakes or the brakes may feel much looser than usual. You'll probably hear a high-pitched whining noise when your brakes first start going bad.

The noise eventually turns into a grinding noise when the brake pads get worn down and metal grinds on metal. All of these signs indicate that you need to have your brakes inspected and serviced. Brake pads and rotors wear out over time. Brake replacement is a normal part of vehicle maintenance. If you fail to do it in a timely manner, more extensive damage could be done to your car that requires more costly repairs.

When you take your car to the mechanic, your entire braking system is inspected so you'll know exactly which parts need to be replaced immediately. This also lets you know the condition of the car's braking system so you can anticipate the need for future repairs.

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