It is very important to stay on top of your vehicle repairs and maintenance to ensure the safety of yourself, passengers, and other people on the road. Brake problems can be very risky if ignored so you need to know when to take your vehicle to a mechanic to repair such problems. Brake failure is a common cause of vehicular accidents so you need to understand the warning signs that indicate such issues.
If your dashboard shows the brake warning light, you need to take it to brake repairs Canberra to get an idea of what is wrong with the vehicle. There are several reasons why this can appear. Sometimes the Antilock Braking System is at fault. This warning light will not always appear when there is a fault so you can’t rely completely on this to gauge the health of your vehicle.
The irregular sounds that your vehicle makes are an indication of something wrong. If you hear a squealing sound when you brake, this may be the wear indicator on your brake pads. This may not always be a sign of damage. Sometimes you may just need to replace them. You need to make sure that you don’t delay taking the vehicle to a mechanic once you hear this sound. If ignored, the brake pads will wear down further and it can damage the rotors. When this happens, you will hear a grinding noise which will indicate damage to the rotors. This is more expensive to repair. So attending to the issue at the beginning can save you some money as well.
If there is a burning smell coming from the wheels when you apply the brakes, it is a sign that the brakes or clutch is overheated. You need to halt driving immediately as driving further can cause brake failure. If you feel that the steering wheel is shaking or vibrating when you brake, this may have something to do with warped rotors. The rotors sit behind the wheel and these are squeezed by the brake pads in order to stop the vehicle when you brake. When the rotors are warped, it creates certain interferences to the braking system. You can repair the existing rotors by resurfacing them which includes smoothing them out by shaving off uneven parts of the rotor. But this is not a very safe practice and it is recommended to replace the rotors when there is warping.
Sometimes you may experience a soft brake pedal when you apply the brakes which are an indication of moisture in the brake system or a malfunctioning master cylinder. This is an emergency so you will need to get it checked as soon as possible. When the master cylinder requires a replacement, you will often see brake fluid leaking. When brake fluid is leaking, you will not be able to stop your car very easily and this endangers your life and those on the road as well. So when you notice this, you will need to take the vehicle to a specialist to examine braking components and fluid levels.
