6 Signs Brakes Give Before Failure

Brakes are the most vital and the oldest part in the history of vehicles. They are the part that is able to stop the vehicle without depending on other factors of the engine. With the evolution of vehicles, braking technologies are also improving. This does not mean that brakes have become a maintenance-free part of the vehicle. But brakes do not fail or malfunction without giving signs. Here is how you can identify brake problems from these signs.

Squeaky Noise

Squeaky noise from the disc brake rotors straight up indicates that the brake pads have been rubbed off and it is time to change them. You will still get braking from the brakes but if used in this condition for a long time it might cause permanent damage to the disc.

Changing brake pads is much cheaper than getting the whole disc assembly changed after permanent damage. Also, it keeps you safe from a sudden loss of braking pressure. This is the most basic sign that you should look for while braking problems. For drum brakes, there is no sign and the user has to keep a track of his maintenance schedules.

Shuddering of Brake pedal and Steering

Shuddering or vibrating of the brake pedal is an early sign of a fixable brake problem. When the brake rotors lost alignment and do not stay straight then they start to give signs of vibration. This requires a simple fix which involves in re-aligning the disc from a professional mechanic. If the problem persists then the brake mechanism will have to be checked thoroughly.

The shuddering of the steering only can be indicative of wheel alignment issues but if the brake pedal is vibrating too then it means it is a brake problem.

Directional Pull while Braking

Directional pull means your car tends to move in one direction while braking. Sometimes this goes unnoticed if the driver has the habit of driving on non-power steering. This might lead to a brake problem which is because of the irregularity of brake pressure. There might be 2 causes behind this – leaking hoses or problem in the master cylinder.

There might be a much serious problem behind this with a busted calliper. Driving with one calliper is not only going to set back you with thousands of Rs but also risk your life by sudden brake seizure. This brings us to our next problem.-HOT brakes

HOT Brakes

If while driving for long intervals you start to smell something burning then chances are your brakes are giving you a sign. If your engine is showing you that the engine temperature is in check and you are still smelling a burning smell then you brakes are at a point where they need rest.

The only way to tackle this problem is to leave the vehicle to cool off and take a break. Although your engine might be running cool your brakes might loss braking power altogether because of overheating.  This might invite accidents.

Squishy Pedal

The squishy pedal is also a brake problem that arises due to the problem of brake fluid pressure. Your brake pedal might be touching the floor in this case and you might be experiencing a decrease in the bite.

Only a mechanic can fix this and the brake fluid has to be drained and the lines have to be bled again.

Ignoring Brake and ABS light

The most understandable sign that a brake can give is through the telltale lights. There are a lot of users who tend to ignore these lights as they are sometimes triggered because of rats tethering the wires. But we insist on checking them at least once a year because you might not know when they actually might be indicating a problem.

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