Not sure if your brakes need to be repaired? Find out with our blog and schedule your brake repair at your local Chevy dealership.
Your Chevy’s brakes are vital for keeping you, your passengers, and other drivers safe. They allow you to control your speed at any time. Brake components can suffer metal fatigue, leaks, or other damage, and this will compromise your braking system. Your Chevy dealer is on hand to help you when you need your next brake repair in Sterling. These are some problems to be aware of that your brakes need to be checked.
Screeching Brakes
When you mash the brakes, the master brake cylinder release brake fluid into the hoses. This fluid is pressurized, and as it travels down the hoses it exerts hydraulic pressure on the calipers. The calipers are attached just above your wheel rotors, and due to the pressure, they will close on either side of the wheel rotors. The brake pads inside the calipers have a special friction coating that improves the stopping ability of your brakes.
This friction covering starts to wear off from the first time the new pads are used. Over time, this covering will wear thin. When it reaches 1/8″ thick, a piece of metal will be revealed. This metal piece will scrape against the rotors the next time you apply your brakes. The horrible screeching noise that follows is an audible reminder that it’s time to change those pads.
Hot Brake Fluid
If you’re facing the prospect of frequent, last-minute braking in hot conditions, it’s important to know the effect on your brakes. As brake fluid gets older, it doesn’t perform as well as it previously did. When you apply the brakes, the fluid is forced down the hoses. The brake fluid is pressurized, which increases its heat. Constant braking will lead to the brake fluid heating up.
The old brake fluid isn’t able to cool down, and it can start to boil. Boiling brake fluid releases a nasty burning chemical smell that’s very distinctive. Not only is the smell bad, but the safety of you and your car are affected too. Boiling brake fluid loses the hydraulic properties you need for your brakes to work. If you smell a hot chemical smell and your brakes aren’t working properly, pull over and call us right away.
Grinding Brakes
If your brake pads aren’t replaced when they start to screech, they will continue to wear down. Once the friction covering has worn off, the bare metal of the brake pads is exposed. When you use the brakes, the metal of the pads will dig into the metal of the wheel rotors. This produces a horrible grinding sound as the pads begin damaging your rotors.
A grinding sound means you should pull over and call our service department ASAP. If you continue to drive without replacement brake pads, you risk damaging the rotors. Damaged rotors can be time-consuming and expensive to replace.
If you have any problems with your brakes, call us immediately at Ted Britt Chevrolet and our technicians will repair them for you.
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