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One of the most important systems on your vehicle is your brake system. Being able to stop your vehicle consistently is important not only for your own safety but also for the safety of other drivers on the road. We have some tips on how you can maintain your brakes and keep your vehicle as safe as possible.

To preserve the life of your brakes, several everyday measures can be taken. First, make sure you keep your vehicle’s interior free from any non-essential, heavy items. Any unnecessary weight in your vehicle will force your brakes to work harder to stop your car. Next, keep a safe following distance from the vehicle in front of you. Unexpected red lights and brake checks are inevitable, but when you keep a safe following distance, you won’t have to hit the brake pedal as hard when these situations occur. Lastly, begin braking for turns, stop lights and stop signs sooner rather than later. The sooner you can apply the brakes, the less pressure you will have to apply, thereby saving some wear on your brake pads.

Because of the importance of the brake system, auto manufacturers have strict guidelines on brake maintenance. Your vehicle’s manufacturer recommends replacing brake pads and rotors at set thicknesses, as well as flushing your brake fluid at set intervals. While this varies by manufacturer, we can help decide when maintenance is required through a visual inspection. Let’s take a look at when your brake pads should be replaced.

As your brake pads and rotors wear, your brake pedal may begin to feel soft and your braking performance will begin to decrease. When the pad material is gone, you may lose close to 100% of your braking performance. In general, your brake pads should be replaced when they have 3-4 millimeters of friction material left. At The Mechanics Tire and Auto, we will inspect your brakes for free when you bring your vehicle in for a North Carolina State Inspection, oil change, or for a new set of tires, and we will let you know when it’s time for a new set of brakes.

Unfortunately, the brake fluid is often overlooked when performing service on the brake system. After just 30,000 miles, brake fluid can begin to break down. Over time, this can cause a soft feel to the brake pedal, contamination in the brake lines, locked up brake calipers, and overall loss of performance.

At the Mechanics Tire and Auto, we can flush out your old brake fluid and replace it with fresh fluid from BG Products. When paired with new brake pads and brake rotors, our services can completely restore the performance and safety of your brake system and extend the life of your brake lines and calipers, thereby preventing costly repairs due to the failure of a component in your brake system.

Come see us today so we can inspect your brakes and make sure your vehicle performs as it was designed to keep yourself and others safe.