When To Repair Your Brakes

How do you know when your brakes need to be replaced? Are there any signs that you can look for without heading to the garage right away? Driving a car that doesn’t have reliable brakes is a bad thing (it can mean a collision or other accident), but thankfully you can easily tell when your brakes need to be replaced.

Take a look at these telltale signs, and don’t ignore warnings that your brakes might be giving you!

  • Listen carefully. Have you ever heard your brakes give off a high pitched squeaking sound? That sound isn’t coincidental. That sound is caused by a metal piece called an indicator, and it does exactly what it’s meant to do – warn you when it’s time to change your brakes.
  • Typically, that metal indicator means that you need to replace your brakes if you can hear it regularly whenever you drive. Sometimes, an indicator can sound off an alarm if your car has been sitting in water, it has been raining outside, or you just washed your car. The key is to listen for a consistent noise.
  • If your car pulls to one side while you brake, this could be a sign that your brakes are weaker than they should be. Pulling could also mean that something is blocking your brake line, or that there is something in your brake fluid. All of these are good reasons to bring your car to the garage.
  • A deep grinding sound. If you’ve gone past the point of squeaking brakes to brakes that make a really loud and deep grinding sound, there’s a good chance that you’ve worn down your brakes completely. At this point, you really can’t delay any longer and your car should be brought into the shop right away.
  • Take a look at your brakes. Did you know that you can see your brakes? You can! Look between the spaces of your wheel spokes, and you will see your brakes. There should be ¼ inch of brake pad on each brake. If you see less than this amount, you may be hearing that screeching sound soon!
  • Sometimes, your brake pedal will vibrate. If this happens, it could mean that your brakes need work, or it might mean that your car needs to be aligned. Either way, it’s a good reason to visit with your local automotive repair shop to see what the issue is.
  • Fluid leaking. Have you noticed that fluid has been leaking all over your driveway? While not always an indicator that your brakes need work, it’s certainly an indication that your brakes need to be looked at, and that you need to figure out the underlying reason for all of that fluid. Cars shouldn’t leak large amounts of fluid at all, so there is likely some kind of issue happening with your car if fluid is building up and dripping all over the place.

Fort Collins Foreign Car Service Repair

At our garage, we do more than just repair foreign cars. We also repair domestic cars, and we take time to make sure that your vehicle is in great working order all the time. From brake repair to a routine maintenance check, we are here for you – and we love being your number one garage. We also want to point out that we are the number one option in Fort Collins for all things automotive for a reason – you can trust us!

When it comes to brake repair, make sure that you don’t wait. Not having reliable brakes means putting your life (and the lives of anyone in your car) in danger. Call today to book your brake appointment!