What Are The Signs That Your Brakes Are Failing?

If your brakes fail, you’re in trouble. There’s no doubt that keeping your car’s brakes in order is of utmost importance, or you could find yourself in a horrendous scenario. Unfortunately, if you don’t work to prevent issues before they arise, you’re putting your car and yourself at huge risk. Understanding the signs of failing brakes is absolutely crucial, so let’s take a look at some of them.

Brakes Image

Warning Light

Contrary to what some people appear to believe, the brake warning light isn’t merely a suggestive hint! There are normally two brake lights you’ll need to keep a look out for – the main one and the ABS one. When the main braking light comes on, it’s a sign that you need immediate service and shouldn’t be driving the vehicle. Ideally, you want to keep a close eye on your brakes before the situation ever gets to this type of severity.

Strange Sounds

If you’re hearing squealing or grinding sounds coming from the brakes, you might have a problem. When your brake pads need replacing, this is often made obvious by the squeal sound that is emitted. However, grinding noises are often more serious, indicating that you’ve worn through the brake pads fully. Yes, you’ve gone metal-to-metal, going through the brake pads entirely.

Pedal Firmness

If your brake pedal feels either too soft or too hard when you press it, it could indicate a problem. Unfortunately, it’s not so easy to diagnose exactly what’s causing the issue. Everything from hydraulic system issues to power assist issues can be the reason for this problem. In a case like this, repair companies like First Landing Autocare are probably your best bet. If you feel your pedals aren’t acting normally, you need to get your brakes checked out.

Pulling

If your car starts pulling to either side when you apply the brakes, this might indicate a problem with them. The idea is that when you apply the brake pedal, both sides of the brake system should function equally. When one side fails to perform properly, the vehicle pulls to the side as a result. There are a few reasons why this can occur, and they need to be checked out before they turn into an even bigger problem.

Long Brake Times

By now, you’ll have a good idea of how long it should take for your brakes to slow down the car. You might find that this changes over time, and you need to start braking much earlier in order to stop. If this is the case, your pads and rotors might be struggling to cope with the demands being placed on them. You’ll probably need to replace them before the problem gets worse, but you’ll need to get the car checked out first.

Vibrations

If you’re feeling a vibration coming from the brake pedal, it’s normally due to warped brake rotors. This often happens when they’re under stress, like stopping quickly and frequently for long periods of time. If this hasn’t happened to you recently, it might indicate a different problem. In any case, it needs to be looked at by an auto repair company.