Healthy brakes are essential for your driving safety, as they enable you to control your speed and brake almost instantly. Good brakes can mean the difference between a near miss and a collision. When you’re driving in Rockville, MD, we’d like you to know some of the signs that you need to visit us for a brake service for your car.
Driving in Rockville, MD: Signs You Need a Brake Service
Screeching Brakes
A high-pitched screeching from your brakes is a sign that your brake pads have worn down and need replacement. The brake pads fit into the brake calipers positioned about your wheel rotors. When you hit the brakes, the calipers squeeze both sides of each rotor, and the pads generate friction that slows and stops the rotors.
Brake pads gradually wear down as they work, and they need to be replaced regularly. When a pad has dropped to 1/4-inch thickness, it reveals a metal spike buried inside the friction material. This spike will scratch against the rotor when you brake and generate a high-pitched screeching noise. Our technicians can quickly remove the worn pads and replace them.
Spongy Brake Pedal
Your braking system uses pressurized brake fluid to force the calipers against the wheel rotors. When you press down on the brake pedal, you’ll feel the resistance generated by the pressurized fluid. The resistance will grow stronger as you apply more pressure to the pedal. If you step on the pedal and feel very little resistance, you have a brake problem.
The lack of resistance is caused by either an air bubble in the braking system or a lack of brake fluid. In either circumstance, your brakes won’t supply the required pressure to force the calipers against the rotors. This compromises the braking system and will make braking slower and more difficult. We’ll examine your braking system and fix the problem.
Pulling to One Side
When you step on the brake pedal, the brake fluid forces all four calipers to close on the rotors simultaneously. This enables all your wheels to stop at the same moment. If you hit the brakes and feel your car is still moving to one side, you have a brake problem. In this situation, the brake on one of your wheels is not engaging, and this causes your car to move in the direction of the working brake.
The brake’s failure to engage could be caused by a damaged caliper that can’t close on the rotor. It could also be caused by a blockage in the brake hose that prevents brake fluid from forcing the caliper to close. We’ll examine your brakes and help repair the problem.
Book a Brake Service Appointment in Maryland Today
If your brakes need to be serviced, call us right away at DARCARS 355 Toyota of Rockville.
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