Let’s talk about BRAKES!

Everyday driving causes wear and tear on your brakes; however, there is a difference between driving 10,000 miles a year on crowded city streets and 20,000 miles a year on flat highways or terrain. When you’re doing a lot of city driving you’re going to experience a lot more stops and starts, so brake wear and tear is to be expected. This is why you should remember to have your pads and shoes checked regularly.

There’s really no set schedule telling you when it’s time to replace your brakes so you will have to rely on the evidence you can hear and feel while you’re driving and keep up with your regular vehicle maintenance schedule.

Car owners should be rotating their tires once every six months. That would be the perfect time to take your car into Moe’s and have your brake system inspected as well. You can call the shop at (508) 393-3225, schedule an appointment, and our mechanics will check the condition of your brake pads, their thickness, the state of your drum hardware and calipers to see if there’s any need to have them repaired or replaced.

Today’s cars have built-in sensors that rub against the brake discs when pads need to be replaced. Some models even have indicators on the dashboard when brake pads reach their minimum thickness. Unfortunately, some of these advanced features can only be found on high-end luxury models so most of us will have to rely on other indicators that let you know when something is wrong.

We’ve all experienced that irritating screeching sound when things start to go awry alerting you something is wrong. When you hear that noise, assume metal is grinding on metal meaning the brake pad is entirely gone. If you encounter pulsating (which is typical with antilock braking systems required in the U.S. Since 2012), you might have a warped disc. If you feel tugging while steering or your car veering towards one side, that can indicate a worn front pad. If your foot is getting closer the floor or you find that your vehicle is taking a lot longer to come to a full stop you need to pay attention to that, These are not little things, and they will not go away. Parts of the braking system can wear gradually over time sometimes making these symptoms easy to ignore.

Today cars come with a warning light that may come on briefly as you start your vehicle. When you see that light as you drive, that could mean you’re low on brake fluid. Why would that happen? There could be a leak, a problem with the master cylinder, or something only a mechanic can understand. There are many warning lights on your dashboard that mean a variety of different things, like parking brakes, ABS functions, and when they start blinking, you need to address those issues immediately.

Old cars, new cars, front disc brakes, rear discs, drum brakes, rotors, all of these components can wear at different times. In these cases, there’s only one thing that makes sense. Make an appointment with Moe’s as soon as possible, as you can imagine, continuing to drive with faulty breaks is dangerous not just for you but others on the road.

Call us, we are here to help.
Here’s to safe driving.

Moe