Signs You Need Brake Repair

Do your brakes squeak, smoke or just not feel right?

Know when it’s time for repairs on your brakes

In terms of vehicle safety, fuel efficiency, and ride comfort, brake health should be foremost in every driver’s mind. Unfortunately, because we all assume our brakes will work each time we push the pedal, we don’t give them much thought beyond that. Our technicians want drivers to know that your brakes are constantly under stress, even if they don’t let you know. At Key Auto Werks, we put together a list of some signs that your brakes may be in need of some attention, and some of them are clues you might not have thought of before.

Pay attention to these signs to know if your brakes need repair:

• Effectiveness: We’ll start with the most obvious sign of failing brake health, and that is when they no longer effectively stop your car. It begins slowly, it may take longer for your car to come to a complete stop at a light, whereas it used to respond very abruptly. Slower braking means your brakes are wearing smooth and creating less friction to slow you down.
• Sounds: If you remember the “Parking Garage” episode of Seinfeld, they poke fun at how every vehicle seems to make an immense amount of squealing noises in covered parking garages. The foremost cause of high-pitched noises in vehicles is poor brake health. As your brakes become smoother over time, they create less and less friction and the brake will skid rather than slow to a stop. That creates the squealing noise.
• Smoke & Smells: Drivers know to respond to smoke or the smell of burning because it’s an obvious sign the vehicle is overheating. This is all-too-common in our beloved Houston, Texas. However, because the engine creates the power for the vehicle, people assume any overheating or burning smell would come from under the hood. Not true, your brakes generate an immense amount of heat while they are stopping your car from high speeds! As the brakes heat up, it increases the amount of wear each time and reduces the friction for any future stops. These signs may not be drastic at the beginning, but over time, braking will take longer, maneuvering will be more difficult, and your brakes will need replacing.

At Key Auto Werks, our technicians include brake checks as part of a thorough preventative maintenance plan along with services like tire rotation and wheel alignment. Come by our location in Houston, Texas, or give us a call at (713) 662-2622 to see how we can keep your brakes and your vehicle in like-new condition.