The ability to safely stop your vehicle is perhaps even more important than your ability to make your vehicle go. After all, without brakes that are working properly, you could damage your vehicle and you could also case damage to other people's property or cause an accident that results in serious bodily injury either to yourself or someone else. That is why it is so important that you are able to quickly identify when your vehicle is in need of new brakes. Thankfully there are a variety of warning signs that are all designed to let you know it is time to take your vehicle in to have the brakes serviced. Read on to learn more about these warning signs.
You Require Additional Time To Stop
Have you noticed that you have to start braking sooner than you used to in order to comfortably come to a stop before reaching a red light or stop sign? If so, this could be an indication that your brake pads or shoes are wearing thin and need to be replaced.
Brakes Are Squealing or Grinding
Brake pads and shoes are designed to create a high-pitched squealing sound when they reach a certain thickness. The entire purpose of this design is to alert you to the fact that it is time to have your brakes serviced. In most cases you will hear a squealing noise before you begin to see any noticeable changes in your braking power.
If you choose to ignore the squealing sounds your brakes have been making, this sound will eventually give way to a grinding noise. This grinding noise means that you have reached a point where your brake pads are essentially non-existent and you are now dealing with metal grinding on metal to stop your vehicle. Not only can this result in brake failure, but it can also increase the costs of having your brakes serviced since this grinding can cause damage to your calipers and rotors.
Bonus Tip
When it comes to having your brakes serviced, it truly is always better to be safe than sorry. If you find that you still are not quite sure whether or not your brakes need to be replaced, be sure to contact one of the brake specialists in your local area. In many cases you will find that these automotive specialists offer free brake inspections. In the event that your brakes are not quite in need of replacement, this free brake inspection will give you a much better idea of how long you have before you will need to have your brakes replaced.