Know When It’s Time to Check Your Brakes

As an everyday commuter, driver, shuttle bus for kids, teens and co-workers, you know the drive your car sees.  You are aware of the starts and stops, twisting back roads and steep mountain side hills that all show their wear and tear and your vehicle.  As much as we rely on our vehicles to take us over the hills and far away, we also depend on smells, sounds and feelings from our vehicle to notify us when something is wrong.  Sometimes car brake repair doesn’t always happen like that.  

Who wants to find out your brakes are failing as you’re approaching a red light?  To avoid that, there are some things that YOU need to remind yourself to do.  Give your vehicle a brake (ha!) and take care of it, first!

What Kind of Driver Are You?

Be honest.  This may not be fun, and you should probably ask others who have been a passenger in your vehicle what kind of driver you are to get an accurate account.  Some drivers lay very low and allow room and time for everyone.  Some drive very fast which means they have to stop more quickly and suddenly.  Do you anticipate the stop before you come to it letting your car naturally slow or do you wait till the last second?  These questions will help you determine about how often you’ll be going through brake pads.  

Set A Mileage for Checking Your Brakes

Only you know how much traveling you do in your daily life.  If you have a set mileage number for which you’ll take your car to the shop to have your brakes checked, then you have added knowledge of how they are looking and an accurate estimate of when they should be replaced.  This mileage number may be as every third oil change, or once every year or maybe two.  Just remember to set that number and stick to it.  

Know the Feel of Your Car’s Brakes

After driving your car, you know how your car feels, drives, shifts.  You know what your brake pedal feels like when you normal push it.  If you’re able to push it all the way down to the floor before feeling resistance, or there is a cushioning or back pressure to the push, there is something ary with your brakes.  You may need new pads or there could be air in the line. Either way you will want to get this looked at and fixed.