How To Diagnose And Fix Brake Issues
Brakes are one of the most essential components of your car. Keeping them in good working condition is critical to safe driving, which ensures you, your passengers, and other road users stay safe.
However, brakes can develop issues over time, even if they're properly maintained. Faulty brakes make it difficult to slow down or stop the vehicle while driving, increasing the risk of auto accidents and injuries.
Read along to learn about how to diagnose and fix failing brakes.
Diagnosing Brake Issues
The first step in diagnosing brake issues is to listen for any weird or odd noises. A loud hissing sound during braking can indicate that your brake pads and rotors are mismatched while squealing, screeching sounds, or grinding sounds can indicate you have worn-out brake pads or shoes, which should be replaced immediately.
If your brakes feel soft, spongy, or unresponsive, your brake lines could be damaged, resulting in brake fluid leaks. Or, air might have infiltrated the brake lines and will need a bleeding service.
A faulty master cylinder is another likely culprit behind unresponsive brakes.
Fixing Brake Issues
After identifying the problem with your brakes, you can start fixing it. Here are some common auto repairs that may be needed to get your brakes working reliably again.
1. Replacing Worn-Out Brake Pads or Shoes
Wear and tear of brake pads or shoes is an inevitable outcome of regular brake use. Every time you press the brake pedal, the brake caliper or wheel cylinder applies pressure to the brake pads or shoes, causing them to press against the rotor or drum. This generates frictional heat, which slows down or halts the vehicle by converting its kinetic energy into thermal energy.
If you have worn-out brake pads or shoes, they'll require replacements, which can be done by removing the brake caliper or wheel cylinder to access the old brake pads or shoes.
2. Fixing Brake Fluid Leaks
If you have a brake fluid leak in your auto braking system, you need to identify where the leak is coming from. Once the leak spot has been discovered, you need to establish whether component repair or replacement is the best option. Stop-leak products may not be a practical option for brake fluid leak repair because automotive brake fluid is pushed under extremely high pressure.
After determining the best course of action, you need to bleed out your brakes to remove any trapped air that could cause the brake pedal to become unresponsive during brake application. To do this, remove the old brake fluid from the reservoir and replace it with fresh fluid. Thereafter, open the bleeder valve on each brake caliper and pump the brake pedal until you see fresh fluid coming out.
3. Replacing the Master Cylinder
The master cylinder converts brake pedal force into the hydraulic pressure required to apply the brakes. If it is faulty, your brakes won't work.
To fix the issue, remove the old master cylinder and replace it with a new one. Next, bleed the brake system to remove any air that may have infiltrated it.
Driving a car with faulty brakes is dangerous, so it's best to fix your brakes at the first sign of trouble. However, the brakes in modern cars are complex systems that require specialized knowledge and skills to repair effectively.
Contact an auto repair shop for more info.
