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When it comes to safe driving, your car’s brakes are paramount. Fortunately, braking mechanisms rarely fail without a gradual decline with clear signs of wear and tear that give you plenty of time to notice and fix any problems. If you detect one of the following four common signs of brake trouble in your Chevy, head down to your local Chevy dealer for brake repair pronto.
4 Signs Your Chevy May Be in Need of a Brake Repair
You Experience Brake Fade
If your car’s taking longer to stop when you press the pedal, you’re most likely experiencing brake fade. This is where your brake pads and rotors are no longer generating enough friction to stop the wheels effectively. You might find you have to press the pedal harder and for longer than usual. It’s a very disconcerting sensation.
Brake fade occurs when your braking components overheat, perhaps from too much prolonged braking, such as long periods in stop-and-go traffic or downhill driving. If you experience brake fade, pull over and let your braking system cool down for an hour or so. The problem should then go away, but if it doesn’t, take your car in for a check-up.
Your Brake Pedal Shudders
When your rotors and brake pads overheat, it can cause resin in brake pads to melt. If this melted resin then spreads and hardens on the rotor unevenly, they call this called glazing. The lumpiness of the new rotor surface might cause your brake pedal to vibrate under your foot. This is a serious issue and your damaged rotor will need an immediate fix.
You Hear Screeching
If you begin to hear screeching or squealing from below you, this might be because your brake pads have worn down too much. Break pads are made from a combination of metal elements bound together by resin to make an ideal substance for creating friction. This resin-bound surface layer sits upon a steel bed.
Eventually, the surface layer of brake pads wears down from all the braking. When it’s gone, you’re left with steel scraping on steel, which creates a screeching sound. In fact, it’s often designed to make a lot of noise to draw your attention. So if you hear screeching, it’s time for replacements.
You Hear Clicking
When applying or releasing your brakes, if you hear an odd clicking sound, it might be a sign of loose components somewhere in your braking mechanism. Certain jolts or damage over time can loosen bolts, pins, or clips inside the caliper. The result is often an odd clicking sound whenever you use your brakes. A technician will be able to sort it out for you.
How a Chevy Dealer Can Help
A good mechanic at your local dealer will check your brake fluid levels and all the under-hood lines for loose connections. They’ll raise the car and take off the wheels to check your under-car brake lines and hoses, your brake pads, and your rotors for grooves, cracks, or glazing. They’ll show you all that they find, explain the exact condition of your braking system, and fix or replace whatever requires it.
If you’d like your brakes checked by certified professionals, visit Ed Martin Chevy, part of the Ed Martin Automotive Group, a trusted provider of automotive vehicles, servicing, and financing since 1955.
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