Are Your Brakes Past Their Best?
A lot of vehicles that come into our mechanical workshop in South Auckland need their brakes fixed up. Whether it’s for a WOF or servicing, we do a lot of brake repairs and we take great pride in doing them well.
Brake wear is a fact of life. You can’t do much about it, if anything at all. But while you can’t stop brakes from wearing, you can prevent premature rotor wear by changing brake pads regularly. People usually wait too long before getting their brake pads replaced; if your brakes are making any sort of noise, then it’s time to come to us and get them looked at.
With that in mind, here is a bit of a checklist for you to follow:
- Have your brake and brake pads checked at least once per year, or as soon as they start to make unusual noises.
- Check the brake fluid regularly. Brake fluid is essential in transferring heat to all parts of the brake system and in absorbing water. If the fluid is dark, it may be time to have it flushed.
- Listen and watch for warning signs. These include unusual noises, a strange brake response you haven’t noticed before and an abnormal feeling when you press on the brake pedal. Anything that is out of place might be a sign of a potentially dangerous problem that needs to be addressed immediately.
- When you’re driving, and if it’s safe to do so, try coasting to slow down before applying brakes whenever possible. This preserves your brakes by putting less pressure on them.
- Avoid unnecessary hard braking when a car a fair distance ahead of you slams on the brakes. This might happen when they’re following too closely to the vehicle ahead of them while you still have plenty of time to coast before gently applying your brakes if required. Slow down and keep a greater distance behind them, not only to preserve your brakes but also for safety purposes.
- Invest in the best brake parts you can afford. They may cost a little more at the time but they will save you in the long term thanks to greater efficiency, safety, and durability.
It really does pay to play it safe with brakes. You don’t want to find out they’re faulty when you need to stop in a hurry. Contact us and book a time to come into our mechanical workshop. We’ll check out your brakes and ensure this very important part of your vehicle is as safe as it possibly can be.