How to tell if you need new brakes!

Not all people can tell when they need new brakes until it's almost too late; so let Medford Auto Body help you!

 There will be a few warning signs, some more noticeable than others:

1. Hearing the brakes

This one is pretty obvious, unless you generally have the music loud. What you will hear is a loud high pitched screeching when you brake; it's caused by a metal indicator so you know when it's time. If it is a consistent sound, it's probably time to change the brakes. The noise sometimes happens after a lot of rain (or wash) too, so just keep an ear out for it.

Also, there is usually a grinding sound when you waited too long to get the brakes changed. This means the pad is gone and it's just the metal rotors and discs grinding. Get your brakes changed ASAP. If the grinding goes on for too long, you could lose the brakes entirely and/or have to get the rotors replaced, which is costly.

2. Looking at the brakes

If you have disc brakes, you can check on the pads by looking through the wheel spokes. The pad will be next to the rotor (metal piece), with about a 1/4" of pad. However, if there is less than that, take it to a shop or change the brakes. 

If you can't see through the spokes, you may have to take the tire off the car to see.

3. Pulling of the car

If you vehicle starts puling to one side, it can mean the brakes are the problem. Sometimes the brake fluid had debris in it, the hose is damaged or the vehicle has an unaligned caliper or pad. Pulling of the car can mean so many different things (IE: unaligned car, uneven wear on the tires, etc.), so get the car checked out to see where the problem is stemming from.

4. Vibration in the brakes

This usually indicates rotors that need replacing, however, it can mean other things for the car (like an alignment). The vibration feels something like a quick, fast stop with an almost thud feeling in the anti lock brakes, but this is without the quick stopping. This gets the brakes working harder due to the fact that the pads can't evenly grab hold of the rotors. It's also more prone to happen when excessively using of the brakes, like driving down steep roads or mountains.

5. Slower response or easy pedal

 

The pedal will usually be more lenient in use and likely get pushed to the floor to actually work. There might be a leak somewhere when this happens (air hose or brake fluid usually) or the pads are not working properly.

Brake fluid looks like clear cooking oil, as opposed to anti freeze which is green and sweet smelling or oil which is thick brown.

You can't usually tell on the pavement or parking spaces, but if you suspect it, put down a white or light colored sheet or towel under the car overnight to check. Obviously, the brake fluid leak will be near the brakes.

 6. Hard pedal


The brake pedal is very hard to push and might be touchy to use. It could be an uneven rotor or require a change of brake fluid.

 It's always a good idea to keep your vehicle in good working order, but your brakes should be one of the most important things you pay attention to. It can save you a lot of money if you're on top of it and help avoid an accident.