Fall Car Care - Brakes
October is Fall Car Care Month at all Bruce Titus Automotive Locations. This segment is about your brakes.
Your vehicles brakes are the heart of your vehicles safety systems, and yet many just don't seem to realize how important it is to maintain this critical system. Did you know that according to national statistics that 40% of vehicle accidents are related to defects in the braking system because they were not maintained properly?It is not enough to bring the car to the shop when something goes wrong. Maintenance and care should be taken to make sure that your braking system is in its best running order before facing an accident. Have the brakes checked.
While today's ABS brake systems require less maintenance, it does not mean you can just sit and forget them until they either fail, or start to grind. As with any car maintenance people find it hard to spend the money on their vehicle. But, it is much less expensive to perform regular maintenance than it is to have to replace everything, or have them fail.
How your brake system works:
In an auto braking system, the brake lines are filled with confined fluid. When pressure is applied via the brake pedal from a piston in the master cylinder, pressure is transmitted equally to all four brakes.
External elements that influence your brake system:
It is always important to take into account weather, road conditions, and whether or not you are on asphalt, concrete or gravel and driving style. Also, as previously noted, tire pressure and condition because they determine the effectiveness of the braking.
Brake Fluid
Brake fluid is hygroscopic which means not only does it absorb water, but it attracts water. Flushing the brake system when needed can cans save hundreds or in some cases thousands of dollars in brake system repair over the life of the vehicle. (same can be said for your transmission fluid, changing it regularly can triple the life expectancy of modern high-dollar automatic transmissions - but that's a story for another day).
Over time the anti corrosion properties of the brake fluid that protect delicate parts dissipate and the fluid becomes slightly thicker. When your service advisor or technician checks your fluid it should be pink. When you can no longer tell the color of the fluid, you are beyond needing a flush, and a drain and fill will simply not do.
Routine replacement restores the fluid to factory specs. It is recommended that you flush your brakes no less than every 24,000 miles or maximum of 2 years. This should be done more frequently if the color and texture of your fluid warrants it.
Brake pads:
Each time you bring your car into a Bruce Titus Automotive Service Center they perform a multi-point inspection which includes a "visual" inspection of your brake system. This is not a comprehensive system check, if you would like a comprehensive system check, please notify your advisor and they can explain what is involved and if there is additional cost involved. During this visual inspection the technician is looking for any obvious sign of problems and will take a measurement of your brake pads. Your brake pads are graded on Green, Yellow, Red scale. Anything over 6 ml is green, 3-5 mil yellow and anything less than 3mil is RED, and your pads are dangerously low, and you are not getting the performance and safety that you need.
At the top of the yellow you have a little time. This is the warning stage. While you should schedule a pad replacement immediately, you have a little time. Very little time. Once your brakes are in the red you have a problem. Now your brakes are not functioning at their best AND you are running the risk of damaging your rotors. Which is a much bigger expense. At some time during the life of your vehicle, you will need worry about the rotors, the life of the rotors and a lot of money can be spared by preventive maintenance and not letting your brakes get too worn to begin with.
Rotors
Brake rotors wok in conjunction with the brake pads as the final step in the braking process of your car. When the brake pedal is pressed, as discussed above, the act of braking forces the pads against the rotor to slow and stop your vehicle.
Rotors should be measured to gauge the appropriate level of thickness. Worn brake pads can warp and score the rotor, causing the surface to thin to dangerous levels that cannot adequately absorb and transfer heat. Thinning of the rotor, gouges, or grooving, lessen the effectiveness and make the braking system ineffective.
If the rotor gets bad, it must be replaced and this can easily double the cost of the repair. Keeping your pads thick, and changing and flushing your fluid regularly can extend the life of your braking system by years, thus resulting in LESS money spent on the repair of your vehicle.
During the Fall Car Care Month (October) you are invited to schedule an appointment for a free multi-point inspection where we will check all of your systems for signs of necessary maintenance. Please call 1-866-99MOTOR or online to www.brucetitus.com and schedule your appointment today.
You have invested a lot of money in your car, and we bet that you rely on your car to get you where you need to go. It only makes sense to invest in its maintenance so that you can continue to rely on it. Your safety and those around you depend on it.
"Count on Us, All Around the Sound"
www.eastsidesubaru.com
www.brucetitussubaru.com
www.olympiajeep.com
www.olympianissan.com
www.olympiachrysler.com
www.portorchardford.com
www.olympiamitsubishi.com
Your vehicles brakes are the heart of your vehicles safety systems, and yet many just don't seem to realize how important it is to maintain this critical system. Did you know that according to national statistics that 40% of vehicle accidents are related to defects in the braking system because they were not maintained properly?It is not enough to bring the car to the shop when something goes wrong. Maintenance and care should be taken to make sure that your braking system is in its best running order before facing an accident. Have the brakes checked.
While today's ABS brake systems require less maintenance, it does not mean you can just sit and forget them until they either fail, or start to grind. As with any car maintenance people find it hard to spend the money on their vehicle. But, it is much less expensive to perform regular maintenance than it is to have to replace everything, or have them fail.
How your brake system works:
In an auto braking system, the brake lines are filled with confined fluid. When pressure is applied via the brake pedal from a piston in the master cylinder, pressure is transmitted equally to all four brakes.
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| Subaru Tribeca Safe Braking System |
External elements that influence your brake system:
It is always important to take into account weather, road conditions, and whether or not you are on asphalt, concrete or gravel and driving style. Also, as previously noted, tire pressure and condition because they determine the effectiveness of the braking.
Brake Fluid
Brake fluid is hygroscopic which means not only does it absorb water, but it attracts water. Flushing the brake system when needed can cans save hundreds or in some cases thousands of dollars in brake system repair over the life of the vehicle. (same can be said for your transmission fluid, changing it regularly can triple the life expectancy of modern high-dollar automatic transmissions - but that's a story for another day).
Over time the anti corrosion properties of the brake fluid that protect delicate parts dissipate and the fluid becomes slightly thicker. When your service advisor or technician checks your fluid it should be pink. When you can no longer tell the color of the fluid, you are beyond needing a flush, and a drain and fill will simply not do.
Routine replacement restores the fluid to factory specs. It is recommended that you flush your brakes no less than every 24,000 miles or maximum of 2 years. This should be done more frequently if the color and texture of your fluid warrants it.
Brake pads:
Each time you bring your car into a Bruce Titus Automotive Service Center they perform a multi-point inspection which includes a "visual" inspection of your brake system. This is not a comprehensive system check, if you would like a comprehensive system check, please notify your advisor and they can explain what is involved and if there is additional cost involved. During this visual inspection the technician is looking for any obvious sign of problems and will take a measurement of your brake pads. Your brake pads are graded on Green, Yellow, Red scale. Anything over 6 ml is green, 3-5 mil yellow and anything less than 3mil is RED, and your pads are dangerously low, and you are not getting the performance and safety that you need.
At the top of the yellow you have a little time. This is the warning stage. While you should schedule a pad replacement immediately, you have a little time. Very little time. Once your brakes are in the red you have a problem. Now your brakes are not functioning at their best AND you are running the risk of damaging your rotors. Which is a much bigger expense. At some time during the life of your vehicle, you will need worry about the rotors, the life of the rotors and a lot of money can be spared by preventive maintenance and not letting your brakes get too worn to begin with.
Rotors
Brake rotors wok in conjunction with the brake pads as the final step in the braking process of your car. When the brake pedal is pressed, as discussed above, the act of braking forces the pads against the rotor to slow and stop your vehicle.
Rotors should be measured to gauge the appropriate level of thickness. Worn brake pads can warp and score the rotor, causing the surface to thin to dangerous levels that cannot adequately absorb and transfer heat. Thinning of the rotor, gouges, or grooving, lessen the effectiveness and make the braking system ineffective.
If the rotor gets bad, it must be replaced and this can easily double the cost of the repair. Keeping your pads thick, and changing and flushing your fluid regularly can extend the life of your braking system by years, thus resulting in LESS money spent on the repair of your vehicle.
During the Fall Car Care Month (October) you are invited to schedule an appointment for a free multi-point inspection where we will check all of your systems for signs of necessary maintenance. Please call 1-866-99MOTOR or online to www.brucetitus.com and schedule your appointment today.
You have invested a lot of money in your car, and we bet that you rely on your car to get you where you need to go. It only makes sense to invest in its maintenance so that you can continue to rely on it. Your safety and those around you depend on it.
"Count on Us, All Around the Sound"
www.eastsidesubaru.com
www.brucetitussubaru.com
www.olympiajeep.com
www.olympianissan.com
www.olympiachrysler.com
www.portorchardford.com
www.olympiamitsubishi.com
I affirm to your blog. In fact, brakes are wheels that wear and tear over time. It is important to use brakes properly and change brake fluid when needed.
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Thanks for the reminder! A car maintenance is really important, especially if want to ensure the safety of our family.
ReplyDeletePeople don't think about brakes until it's to late. Thanks for the post from Jax Wax
ReplyDeleteThis is a very good article.Most of the time people sideline the function of the breaks until its too late,which i think is wrong.It is very important to properly use the brake as they are the one of the vehicles safety system,great article.Rugged Ridge
ReplyDeleteA very informative post. Thanks for sharing this. A lot of drivers are not aware that their brakes are not functioning properly thus leading to accidents. Brakes-4-less would be happy to assist you in your problems they are one of the best companies that repairs brakes and it is also very affordable. brake repair
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