Brake Repair San Antonio

Signs Your Brakes Need Attention

Common Symptoms Of Brake Problems

1. Brake Light Indicator Is On
2. Squealing or Squeaking Noise
3. Grinding Noise
4. Spongy or Soft Brakes
5. Wobbling, Pulsing, or Vibrating when braking
6. Leaking Fluid
7. Burning Smells 
8. Car Pulling To One Side When Braking

brake light indicator (Brake Pad, Brake fluid, Parking Brake): 

When this light appears on your dashboard It is either time for your regular maintenance or it an alert about a more severe or potential problem. IN today's modern cars & Trucks These are some of the more common dashboard alerts.

unusual noises:

Squealing (or Squeaking) Noises coming from your brakes aren’t always a sign of problems. It could just be a foreign object lodged in your brakes. This could also indicate your brake pad Wear. bits of metal in your brake pad come in contact with the rotor & emit a high-pitched noise when you apply the brakes. It is a good indicator it is time to get your brake pads checked or replaced.

Grinding noises: 

Regardless if you have drum or disc brakes, a grinding noise could mean your brakes need servicing immediately. In most cases, the sounds may be the brake pad or shoe scraping metal to metal & should be addressed as soon as possible.

Brakes feel soft or Spongy: 

when you press your brakes but they feel soft or the pedal goes all the way to the floorboard it is a good indicator that air or moisture may be in the braking system. There could also be an issue with the master cylinder. This cylinder is where the whole braking system starts & if the master cylinder is malfunctioning the pressure you apply to the brakes does not activate the calipers to then press the pads against the rotors. This means you might not stop when needed.

Wobbling, Vibrating, or Pulsing When Braking: 

If your steering wheel or vehicle shakes, vibrates, or pulses when you apply the brakes, it may be an uneven rotor. Brake rotors are a vital part of your disc brakes. They are large metal discs attached to both ends of your vehicle’s axle. When you hit the brakes, the brake pads push against the rotors stopping your wheels from spinning.

it is normal for the rotor surface to wear down and often become uneven. If Left uneven the material will continue to accumulate & get worse. If the rotors are too far worn to be serviced unfortunately will need to be replaced.

Leaking Fluid:

When your brake fluid is low, leaking, or even old you will experience several critical symptoms related to a loss of hydraulic pressure which can severely impact your vehicles ability to stop within a safe distance. Burning Smells: A sharp, chemical odor could be a sign of overheated brakes. To avoid a brake failure you should pull over to a safe place & allow the brakes to cool. Double check that the parking brake is off & check to see if any smoke is coming from the wheel. It may be that the brake caliper is malfunctioning & locked in place. It may be unsafe to continue to drive w/o needing immediate repairs.

Car Pulling To One Side while Braking:

This can be caused by a number of reasons but it can also be your car brakes. When this happens on your vehicles front brakes one brake may be working while another is not. This causes pulling in one direction of the side that is still working. If only one rear caliper is not working properly it often goes unnoticed.