Brake Service

The importance of brake service

When you press your brake pedal, you expect your vehicle to glide to a stop, but what if one day it didn’t? Properly functioning, well-maintained brakes are vital for your safety as well as the safety of others on the road. A brake failure at the wrong time could be catastrophic, and one of the best ways to avoid said failure is through regular brake service.

How often to get a brake service

The recommended brake service interval will depend on your vehicle, driving conditions, and driving habits, along with the average expected lifespan of the brake system products and components installed on your car.

Check your vehicle owner’s manual for brake service frequency recommendations. Expect to find guidance for both distance and timed inspection and service intervals. Vehicles that are driven further and more often should have their brakes checked more frequently than cars that are not used as much, although even garaged cars that are rarely driven should still have brake inspections before use.

Most vehicles driven under average conditions should have a brake check and service every 12 months or every 24,000 kilometers (15,000 miles), whichever comes first.

Conditions that affect the need for brake service

How you drive and the conditions you drive in directly correlate to your brake health and longevity. Brakes are one area of your vehicle that can be significantly affected by your driving habits.

If you tend to ride your brakes, the rotors can overheat and warp, generating a strong vibration while braking. This problem is especially common when driving downhill but can be alleviated by using a lower gear.

Brake pads can also take a beating if you brake late and make quick, hard stops. The harder you press the brake pedal, the more friction and heat your brake pads are exposed to as they work to stop your vehicle. The excess heat shortens the brake pad lifespan compared to more gradual, gentle stops.

Towing or hauling heavier loads in your vehicle increases your stopping distance and requires you to use extra braking force, which in turn wears down brake pads. Consider upgrading your brake pads if you haul heavy loads frequently.

Weather too plays a factor in brake lifespan. Although the ambient temperature is lower during rainy or snowy days than it would be on a dry, sunny day, your brakes can be exposed to more heat. The increased stopping distance needed for slick roads means more time pressing the brake pedal and more heat-generating friction for your rotors to disperse. That said, on extremely hot summer days, although the brake system is generating less heat than it would on a wet day, dispersing that heat through already pre-heated rotors is less efficient. Ultimately, an overabundance of driving on either wet days or very hot days can put additional strain on your brakes and cause you to need a brake service sooner than the standard recommendation.

How to tell if your vehicle needs a brake service

In addition to the owner’s manual distance and time recommendations, there are other ways to tell if your vehicle is due for a brake service. The next time you drive your vehicle, notice the sounds, vibrations, and overall feel of the brakes when you are braking. Learning what your car’s “normal” is like sets you up to more easily recognize if something is wrong.

A failing brake system component will usually exhibit pre-failure indicators that an alert and aware driver can recognize. Schedule a brake repair inspection if you notice any of the following warning signs:

• Brake or anti-lock braking system (ABS) light illuminated on the dash
• Brake pedal feeling soft or spongy when you press on it
• Harder or stiffer brakes
• Needing to press the brake pedal down further than usual or all the way to the floor to stop
• Brakes making a squealing or screeching sound*
• Grinding metal-on-metal sound when you stop
• Steering wheel shaking when you press the brake
• Vehicle pulling to the right or left during braking
• Unusual vibrations during braking
• Unusual noises during braking*
• Car wobbling when driving at highway speeds
• Vehicle taking longer than usual to stop

*Brake pads come with built-in wear indicator strips that generate a squealing type of noise when they contact the rotor. The strips are designed to alert the driver that the brake pads are nearing the end of their useful life and need to be replaced.

How long it takes for a brake service

Not all brake jobs are created equal. A basic annual inspection will take less time than if you need your brake pads replaced, rotors serviced, and a brake system fluid flush. On average, expect a brake service to take one hour per axle, so allow at least two hours for your car or truck to be worked on.

What is included in a brake repair or maintenance service

When you bring your vehicle in for brake service, let us know if you are here for routine maintenance or if you have noticed specific warning signs and problems we need to address.

We offer complete repair and maintenance service for brakes including:

• Brake pad replacement
• Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS) service
• Brake cylinder replacement
• Rotor service
• Brake system flush
• Brake fluid replacement
• Brake line air and moisture removal

Our highly trained technicians can service the most complex modern braking systems. We take care of your brake needs, delivering maintenance and repair work to keep you and your vehicle safe on the road. Please send us a message or give us a call to get your next brake inspection and maintenance appointment on the books.