How Often Should I Check My Brakes?

Car shoppers are usually very interested in a car’s safety features. Thus, there tends to be a lot of importance placed on high-tech driver assistance features. And while these have their place to ensure drivers will get to their destinations safely, one of the most critical safety features, often overlooked and taken for granted — is your brakes.

Brake pads are the number one component in getting your car to slow down and stop. We often perform both actions hundreds of times on even short trips around town. Your brake pads ensure you can safely perform the most basic driving functions and protect pedestrians and other drivers around you. You should never overlook or put off the regular maintenance of your brakes. Keep reading to learn more about the importance of getting your brakes checked out. 

What Do Brake Pads Do?

Your car’s braking system is a complex mechanism involving several different moving parts. When you press down on the brake pedal, you feel the immediate response of your car slowing down. Luckily, the components of a car’s braking system work quite fast, enabling you to slow down or stop at a moment’s notice. Most modern vehicles now come with disc brakes. So, when you apply pressure to the brake pedal, pressurized hydraulic fluid squeezes the brake pad against the rotating brake disc. The resulting friction is what slows down your car or brings it to a stop.

Brake pads are small, flat blocks with high-friction material on the side that connects with the brake disc. This material will wear down, leaving less material to create friction with the disc. When the depth of the friction material on a brake pad gets to be 2 millimeters or less, it’s time to get new brake pads.

How Often Do You Need To Check Your Brake Pads?

The frequency of brake pad check-ups varies depending on a person’s driving habits. This makes it hard to pinpoint an exact time frame for getting your brakes checked. For instance, do you do the majority of your driving in towns or cities? If so, you’ll need to change your brake pads more often due to the large amounts of slowing down and braking involved with city driving. Also, do you often rely on brakes instead of slowing down through deceleration? If you do, you may also need more frequent brake pad changes.

Brake pads will last a little longer for those driving on open roads and highways. A good rule of thumb is to check your brake pads with every tire rotation. That should be around every 6 months. A quick inspection by a service technician will let you know how much your brake pads have worn down. Are you not always good at keeping up-to-date with tire rotations? If so, you can keep track of your mileage and bring your car in to check its brakes every 20,000 to 30,000 miles.

What Are the Signs That I Need New Brake Pads?

Suppose you’re one of the many people who struggle to remember the maintenance schedule for their car. If so, you’re in luck. Your brake pads have several tell-tale signs that they’re due for a change. So, all you have to do is pay attention to how your brakes feel and sound to know when to bring your car in for servicing.

Squealing or Grinding Sounds

As the brake pads wear down, you might notice a squealing sound when you apply pressure to your brake pedal. If you hear this sound, you should bring your car in immediately for a brake inspection. It’s important not to ignore the squealing sound for too long. If you do, you’ll notice it transitions to the even more distressing sound of metal-on-metal grinding. When you hear this noise, your braking system may be severely damaged. This could mean you may have to change your brake pads as soon as possible.

Longer Braking Times

Most of us get accustomed to how our brakes feel and have a pretty good idea of how long it takes for our car to slow down and stop. As your brakes start to get worn, you might notice that you have to push down on your brake pedal a little harder than usual to slow down. Or, it might take your car longer than you expected to stop. This is an indicator that you need to have your brake pads inspected.

Vibrations While Braking

Are you experiencing vibrations when braking? If you are, this is an important signal that it’s time to have your brakes inspected. Several different factors could be causing the vibrations, including worn brake pads.

Brake Pad Indicator Light

Your car has a brake indicator light that comes on whenever you engage your parking brake. Did you notice this light on when you don’t have your parking brake on? If so, it’s a sign that there could be a problem with your brake pads. Don’t ignore the light — bring your car in to have its brakes checked out.

Dangers of Driving With Worn Brake Pads

Your compromised braking ability is the most obvious problem of driving with worn brake pads. Suppose you need to stop in time in the event of an emergency. In that case, you’ll be putting yourself, your passengers, and others on the road in danger.

Also, remember that your brakes are a complex system of various components. So if you operate them with faulty brake pads, you can damage other parts of your braking system. This may result in costly repairs. Worn brake pads will also put more of a strain on your tires, causing them to wear out faster.

Maintaining your brake pads ensures you stay safe when on the road. It can also save you money in the long run by preventing further damage to your brakes or tires. Are you one of the drivers on the rounds around the Oklahoma City area? If you are, our service technicians at Eskridge Lexus want to help ensure you get to your destinations safely. So, is it time to get your brake pads checked out? If it is, use our online scheduling tool to book an appointment at your convenience.

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