One of your car’s most important systems may help you get great mileage, enhance your driving comfort, or make your car go faster- in fact, it actually slows you down! It’s your vehicle’s brake system. Your car uses a highly complex system consisting of friction material, a master cylinder, boosters, rotors and pads or drums and shoes, calipers or wheel cylinders and an intricate assembly of springs, hoses, steel lines, hydraulics, valves and sometimes computers.

Check the information below to learn more about common issues that can occur with your vehicle’s electrical system.

WARNING LIGHT

Most modern cars have a dashboard warning that alerts you when there is a potential issue with your brakes. It’s always a good idea to check your vehicle owner’s manual to familiarize yourself with your vehicle’s warning lights.

When you turn on the ignition to start your car, both the parking brake and the brake hydraulic systems light will turn on. If the parking brake light is still on after a few seconds just release the brake and the light will turn off. If your brake hydraulic light stays on there are further steps that need to be taken. If the light is intermittent and seems to come on and off depending whether you are turning the wheel, it may mean the brake fluid is low. If the brake hydraulic light stays on it means there is persistent problematic issue. We recommend having your brake system evaluated by a professional.

ODD SOUNDS

Brake grinding is always a serious issue and should not be taken lightly. There are generally two reasons brakes grind. Contact of the rotor disc with part of the brake caliper will generally result in brakes grinding and is a result of extreme wear to the brake pads or rotors. Brakes may also make grinding noises when a foreign object, such as a stone, gets lodged somewhere in the caliper. By moving your car forward and backwards repeatedly in a safe place you may be able to work the object free. If this does not remedy the problem you should take your car in to be serviced. Any foreign object in the brake mechanism can cause serious and expensive damage. If your brakes are making noises and you are not sure what it means, have the issue evaluated by a certified mechanic.

TEMPERAMENTAL PEDAL

When a brake pedal is functioning normally it should feel firm, as if it has a tight hold on the brakes. A “soft” or “spongy” brake pedal is unsafe. Driving with a soft brake pedal could place you and your passengers in danger. The most common cause of a soft brake pad is air in the brake line(s). Your vehicle’s brakes rely on a hydraulic system to operate properly. Brake fluid helps to maintain the pressure necessary to fuel the hydraulics system. If air gets into the lines, it can prevent the fluid from flowing properly, causing the brake pedal to feel spongy. Some other reasons why you are experiencing depressed or “mushy” brakes would be:

Calipers hold the brake pads.
Bad disc brake caliper
Bad wheel cylinder
Worn master cylinder

SMELL

The smell of melting plastic or electrical insulation is something that should never be ignored. Every electrical circuit is designed to carry a specific amount of current and when a wire or component shorts, the circuit draws more power than it can handle. Remember, where there’s smoke there’s the possibility of fire. In such case, please take your vehicle to a professional technician that is equipped to locate and repair these electrical problems before they become big and potentially dangerous issues.

VISUAL CUES

There are a few visual cues that indicate whether it is time to change your brake pads and brake fluid. Like motor oil, brake fluid can become old and worn out. Parts and debris, such as rubber in the valves in master cylinders, calipers and wheel cylinders deteriorate and end up in your brake fluid. Moisture can also get into your system leading to rust, which can also end up in the brake fluid, compromising the effectiveness and stopping power of your brakes. A good rule of thumb is to have your brake fluid exchanged by a professional every 50,000 kilometers or in accordance with your vehicle’s owner manual. Brake fluid exchange involves removing all the existing brake fluid from your system and replacing it with new, clean fluid.

A great way to visually check whether you need new brake pads is by examining them through the spokes of the car wheel. The outside brake pad is the material pressed against the metal rooter. If you see less than a ¼ inch of pad, then the brake pads are too thin and should be replaced.

PULLING

Have you ever felt like your car has a mind of its own? Like it wants to make a right or left hand turn when you’re braking or driving? If this is the case it could be indicating an issue with the braking system. First, check your brake pads to make sure they are worn out evenly on both sides. If one side is worn excessively, a sticking brake caliper probably causes it. A stuck caliper can cause friction on one wheel and not the others, which would explain why your car is pulling to one side. Also inspect the rubber brake hoses that connect to the calipers. If one of the brake hoses is collapsed it would cause your calipers to move unevenly when applying the brakes, which would apply different amounts of pressure to different wheels.

Still not sure why your vehicle doesn’t feel right and are not sure where the issue is stemming from? Don’t take chances; take it in for brake inspection by a qualified technician.

Source:
http://www.autoreportng.com/2017/02/symptoms-of-bad-or-failing-brake-pads.html

Little things count alot...

Read more tips here...

http://www.autoreportng.com/2017/02/symptoms-of-bad-or-failing-brake-pads.html

Ok

.

Nairaland now making sense after killing all the snakes in the country

Nice tips.

Op God bless you for this great research


And to all Nlanders let's follow the necessary precautions.


May we not be a victim of motor accident in Jesus name

nice one

This is better than reading about Tonto Dike's breasts.

Noted

Ok

K

Spot on.

good to know

kenonze:
Thanks.
Sometimes I see engine check on my dashboard,
I visit my mechanic to run diagnostic check... Most times the results is airleak. .. .. He will reassure me... .
I hope am safe

Not true

Check engine means any of the ffg:

1. Exhaust leak

2 Spark plug misfiring

3. Catalytic converter damaged/missing

4. Improper air fuel mixture ratio

Your car is definitely consuming more fuel than usual

I made a mistake removing the gear from "park" to reverse without pushing down the hand break. Noticed the resistance and difficulty while trying to move the car a while. Should I be worried?

This is a good one. Thanks.

Pls I hv a few things to ask.....

1. I hv a 2000 Nissan pathfinder (auto). It uses brake pads on d front wheel and lining on d back wheel.

Due to bad roads and water effects I usually work on d brake or replace d lining virtually every month based on d issues mentioned in your write-up above.

I was once advised to convert d brake lining system on d back wheel to pads at least to hv a degree of relief but every mechanic I've ever discussed it with hs affirmatively said it's not possible.

Pls what do u advise.

2. After a routine servicing, (just change of engine oil, filter and plugs) d "Service engine soon" dashboard indicator refuses to go off. D mechanic double-checked everything probably if anything is out of place, yet can't find such. We've even dusted d air filter, checked up transmission oil, etc. yet no diff.

I'm always prompted by dis indicator whenever servicing is due but now d light remains permanently lit.

Pls what could be d cause? Thnks.

stereo:
I made a mistake removing the gear from "park" to reverse without pushing down the hand break. Noticed the resistance and difficulty while trying to move the car a while. Should I be worried?

This reminds me of something that happened to my brother's car...after the incident, one of the back tire usually grips tight for a while in motion before releasing...I guess it was the brake system

These are nice points

Thanks all, we really appreciate...

For those asking for mail address, please its autoreportng@gmail.com

I don't own a workshop, neither do I help in getting cars, please note that.

But for promotions and others, please email me for more info.

Thank you

JesusCrew:
Pls I hv a few things to ask.....

1. I hv a 2000 Nissan pathfinder (auto). It uses brake pads on d front wheel and lining on d back wheel.

Due to bad roads and water effects I usually work on d brake or replace d lining virtually every month based on d issues mentioned in your write-up above.

I was once advised to convert d brake lining system on d back wheel to pads at least to hv a degree of relief but every mechanic I've ever discussed it with hs affirmatively said it's not possible.

Pls what do u advise.

2. After a routine servicing, (just change of engine oil, filter and plugs) d "Service engine soon" dashboard indicator refuses to go off. D mechanic double-checked everything probably if anything is out of place, yet can't find such. We've even dusted d air filter, checked up transmission oil, etc. yet no diff.

I'm always prompted by dis indicator whenever servicing is due but now d light remains permanently lit.

Pls what could be d cause? Thnks.

Any help on dis?

JesusCrew:
Pls I hv a few things to ask.....

1. I hv a 2000 Nissan pathfinder (auto). It uses brake pads on d front wheel and lining on d back wheel.

Due to bad roads and water effects I usually work on d brake or replace d lining virtually every month based on d issues mentioned in your write-up above.

I was once advised to convert d brake lining system on d back wheel to pads at least to hv a degree of relief but every mechanic I've ever discussed it with hs affirmatively said it's not possible.

Pls what do u advise.

2. After a routine servicing, (just change of engine oil, filter and plugs) d "Service engine soon" dashboard indicator refuses to go off. D mechanic double-checked everything probably if anything is out of place, yet can't find such. We've even dusted d air filter, checked up transmission oil, etc. yet no diff.

I'm always prompted by dis indicator whenever servicing is due but now d light remains permanently lit.

Pls what could be d cause? Thnks.

U need to sack ur mechanic

If he claims to be one,and doesn't know what ur service engine soon light means,and is also advising u to change ur brake shoes to pads on a car with a rear live axle,he should be locked up

U,on the oda hand,need to pay more attention to ur car and stop being an ATM to ur dumb mechanic

If ur brake linings keep getting bad,its cos u keep buying substandard parts....changing lining every month is ridiculous

If ur service engine soon is lit,u need to run a scan on ur car to know what exactly is wrong with ur drive train

I'm baffled that ur mecho is also looking for what is not lost

It doesn't mean u shld service ur car....it means there a problem with ur car that only a scan will reveal

femi4:
Not true

Check engine means any of the ffg:

1. Exhaust leak

2 Spark plug misfiring

3. Catalytic converter damaged/missing

4. Improper air fuel mixture ratio

Your car is definitely consuming more fuel than usual

Na wa o

How did u come to this conclusion bros

So it can't be CTS issues?

Or MAP/MAF sensor issues?

Knock sensor nko

Abs?

EVAP?

bottom line,it could be anything!

A comprehensive scan is what is needed to be able to pinpoint what it might be