Brake Problems | Common Noises and Reasons

How do Brakes work?
       The simple explanation is, brakes work by creating friction to slow and stop your vehicle. Every time you depress the brake pedal, hydraulic fluid pushes through the brake lines/hoses to the wheel cylinders or calipers, causing the brake shoes or pads to squeeze against the drums or discs, causing wear. Shoes and Discs wear down with time, depending on your driving and braking habits will determine the time frame of your vehicle needing the brakes placed.
        So it's essential to have your brakes inspected regularly – usually every six months or 7,500 miles.

Brake System

 It's important to understand how they work. Next, is to know what certain noises mean and to be able to troubleshoot the problem if you are a DIY'er. Your vehicle's brakes should be checked immediately if you suspect any problems.

Typical Wear and Tear:

Brakes are a part that wears out, no matter what, for any car and eventually they’re going to need replacement. Avoid letting your brakes get to the “metal-to-metal” point, you will hear it if it gets to this point, which usually means you are going to spend more money to fix, including possibly expensive rotor or drum replacement.

Several factors that affect wear include:

 Driving habits
 Conditions that you are driving in.
 Type of vehicle you are driving
 The quality of brake lining material

Your vehicle's brakes will alert you when there's trouble. Whistling noises, chirping sounds or grinding are indications that maintenance is required.

Here are some common causes of brake noise:

    Worn brake pads
    Heat cracked or warped rotors
    Rough finish on resurfaced rotors
    Loose fitting brake pads in the caliper
    Lack of silicone compound on back of brake pad
    Missing springs or anti-rattle clips that should be on the caliper or pad
    Improper tightening sequence of lug nuts or caliper hardware

•  You may need to have your brakes inspected if:

You hear noises when applying pressure on the brake pedal
     Most disc brake pads have built-in wear indicators that make a high-pitched warning sound when the brake pads are worn and new pads are needed. This brake wear warning sound means that soon the brakes will not work well. Call to have your vehicle serviced. Continuing to drive with worn-out brake pads could result in a costly brake repair.

Your vehicle pulls to one side when braking
     It might have a caliper sticking, or worn brake pads. This can also be caused by bad ball joints, or you may need an alignment. Low tire pressure on the suspect side can cause the car to pull under braking. 
 
Your brake pedal feels different than normal or"mushy"
     When the brake pedal on a vehicle starts to feel mushy or spongy, this is called “extended travel” of the brake pedal. It is also a good indication the master brake cylinder has developed an internal leak and must be replaced.

Repeatedly need to add brake fluid to the master cylinder
      Repeatedly adding brake fluid to the master cylinder, indicates that there is a leak somewhere in the system, brake cylinder or brake line are 2 possible places. Make sure to have this checked before it gets worse.

The parking brake doesn't work

The dash brake light or ABS light stays on
     This can be caused from bad hydraulic valves, loss of brake fluid and pressure, or simply an emergency brake not registering that it is off.  A check to the entire brake system for leakages or cracks in the brake fluid reservoir and lines should be performed to ensure your safety while operating your vehicle.

• What Do Brake Noises Tell You? 

Some brake noises are normal, while others indicate problems requiring service.
This is what the noises could mean:

•Grinding
When caused by rust building up on the rotors, it’s of little concern. The buildup can usually be removed, or sometimes it disappears after a few stops. If grinding persists, the problem could be more serious and should be addressed immediately.

•Loud squeals
Disc brakes with wear indicators may produce a squeal, indicating it’s time to change the pads.

•Trace squeaks or squeals
Semi-metallic brake linings can emit sound.
Rain, humidity or cold brakes could be the source. If the problem persists,
have the brakes checked.

•Clicking
Sometimes accompanied by a slight pulsing in the brake pedal
at low speeds, it’s most likely the Anti-lock Braking System performing a
harmless self-check.

Have any other questions about your Brakes, or need to schedule and appointment? We are here to help you just give us a call ( 252) 338-2131
or schedule online at Biggs Cadillac

Keep it between the lines,
Happy Motoring.