ALT-1 How to tell if your Car Brakes are Bad
The best way to tell how bad your brakes are is to take your car to an empty parking lot. Make sure you are definitely well away from anyone else, and give your brakes a good try out. Accelerate up 30 miles per hour, and then try an emergency stop.
If your car brakes well, and in a straight line, then your brakes are fine. If they take too long to be effective or pull to one side, then it’s time to give them a good service. Another thing to check is how much travel your pedal has before the brakes start to do their job. Excessive travel is a sure sign of worn brake pads or shoes, and if the pads or shoes are not replaces, the pistons can pop out of their housing. The result is a complete loss of braking, and a puddle of brake fluid next to the offending brake disk or drum.
Another bad sign is brake fade, and if you experience it once, you will never forget it. This is caused by overuse of the brakes, by braking heavily for traffic lights, and braking going down hill instead of using engine braking. The brakes heat up, and if the brake fluid has not been changed in years, moisture trapped behind the brake piston boils. This process causes the brake to become ineffective, and you are left panicking as you head too fast towards that red light.
Take a look at the brake fluid in the reservoir, next time you go to fill it. Does it look a bit off colour and watery. That’s a sure sign that your brake system hasn’t been serviced properly in years.
If you now look at your car and recognise some of these things, then you must deal with them now. First of all, replace your brake pads and brake shoes, and while you’re doing that, clean off the build up of brake dust. Be very careful though, and you must wear a facemask, as the dust is extremely bad for your lungs.
Replace any springs or shims that look worn or are corroded, and inspect the brake pistons for any signs of deteriorating seals. Don’t forget to adjust the handbrake so that will now do the job it was intended to do.
As for the brake fluid, it should be renewed every 2 years. It isn’t a difficult job to do, and only takes a few hours, especially if you use a brake bleeding kit. Once you have done this last job, your brakes will be like new, and more importantly, safe.
