Brakes play a vital role in your vehicle. A brake is a device used in slowing or stopping the motion of the car. The brakes also make the car start moving again. As a responsible car owner, it is a must that you know the brake parts, their functions and right time when to repair or replace it.
When the red brake lamp on the dash lights up, it implies it is time to check or repair your brakes. While driving, if you see the ABS or anti-lock dash indicator lighting, it means they want to be replaced.
A grinding sound or squealing coming from the wheel area implies a brake problem. Go check it or see a mechanic. Also, if the brake system feels different, (say, it has a softer brake pedal or it pulls to one side when stopping), they imply immediate replacement.
The master cylinder is considered the heart of your brake system. This is because it is located at the center of the system. It pumps brake fluid to the wheel cylinder or calipers whenever you push down on the brake pedal. The level of reserved fluids should be inspected every now and then. Make sure every after 40,000 km vehicle run, your brake fluid will be replaced.
The calipers (for disc brakes) and wheel cylinders (for drum brakes) converts the energy of the brake fluid that is pressurized into pressure. This is what makes the brakes operate. To maintain a good condition, periodically inspect if there are leaks around the rubber seals. If there is, do some repairs.
An electronically controlled system, the ABS detects problems, which some can be self repaired. Others will shut down the ABS system, which causes the ABS light on the dash to be illuminated.
A brake job or further inspection is needed if in case you want to know whether the linings of your brake pads and shoes needs to be replaced or not. This brake job must be done frequently to achieve vehicle quality performance.
Ask a technician to lubricate the cables and do some adjustment checking if you do not regularly use the parking brake. Corrosion is the potential problem in this instance.
If your car is a very high tech one, like a recent Benz model with refined Mercedes disc, its computer will record car problems that can help the technician in properly resolving the problem. In this case, you and the technician will not have a hard time inspecting what really went wrong.
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Dwyane Thomas is a part time cook and full-time auto-enthusiast. This 31-year old Civil and Environmental graduate is a consultant at one of the engineering firms in Pennsylvania.
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