Brakes 101
Lately I’ve been hearing my brakes squeaking really bad and I was wondering if it is time to get them fixed or if it would be okay to oil them up. That got me thinking about how important it is to maintain your brakes in excellent condition. So after some research here are some of the things I put together about maintaining your brakes.
First, if you want healthy brakes, brake fluid plays a major role in this. You want to make sure that you are checking everything about your brake fluid from the levels to the color.
When you are inspecting your brake fluid, if you notice that it has changed colors or is now fairly milky, it is time to change. Brake fluid, if it has gone bad, can ruin your master cylinder, a major part of your brake system.
If you feel up to the job you can change the brake fluid yourself, or you can go to a local brake shop. It can be a tiresome job doing it yourself and I wouldn’t recommend it if you haven’t done it before and don’t know much about cars.
First step in changing your brake fluid is what is called brake bleeding. This is a very important step that should never be skipped. You need to ‘bleed’ the brake lines to make sure that all the air bubbles get out.
This can be referred to as mushy or soft pedal. The air that builds up in your brake lines will actually prevent your breaks from working very well.
Some people can bleed their brakes by themselves but this usually isn’t recommended. It is a lot easier to do it with two people there. But if you really want to do it by yourself there are some great tools that can help you accomplish that.
Besides bleeding your brakes, it is important to be keeping a close eye on your pads and rotors. This can be done yourself or you can bring it into a shop to have them check it out. All you need to do is take of the tires and see if the pads have worn down to the point that you can barely see them.
It is always best that we maintain our cars so that in the long run we are saving money. A little money put into it here and there can save thousands in the future. If you want to learn more take your care to a local shop and ask them about ways that you can spot things early or maintain your brakes better.
