Your vehicle’s brake system follows a relatively simple design. When you press down on the pedal to stop your car, the master cylinder displaces brake fluid to the calipers. The calipers, in turn, engage the pads against the rotors, which ultimately slows your vehicle and brings it to a stop.

Despite its simplicity, this system can malfunction – and even fail – in several ways. Fortunately, there are distinct signs that suggest a problem exists. If you’re familiar with these signs, you can easily recognize them when they appear, and have the underlying issue fixed. Below, we’ll describe several indications that imply your brakes are in desperate need of an inspection.

Spongy Or Squishy Pedal

When you press down on the pedal, you might notice a spongy sensation. Your brakes still work, but they’re less effective in stopping your vehicle. It takes more time to bring your car to a complete stop. This can be dangerous if you neglect to plan your stops accordingly.

A spongy pedal is almost always due to air within the lines. Air is compressible while brake fluid is not. When air enters the lines, it dramatically lowers the efficiency of your braking system. The solution is to bleed the lines and remove the air.

Pedal Descends To The Floorboard

If the pedal goes to the floorboard, it either means something is wrong with your master cylinder or a leak has developed in the hydraulic system. In both cases, your brakes will be unable to hold any pressure. If you remove your foot and quickly step on the pedal again, it will rise to its normal level.

A lack of pressure is obviously dangerous and needs to be resolved as quickly as possible. If the problem is with the master cylinder, your mechanic will likely replace the component rather than attempting to fix it.

Vibrating Pedal

Diagnosing pedal vibrations is challenging because the root cause might be one of several things. For example, if oil has somehow reached the pads on one of your wheels, it can cause vibrations when they press against the rotor. Alignment problems can also cause a vibrations.

More problematic are issues related to your suspension system. The tie rod ends may become severely worn, the bearings might go bad, or your steering rack may fail. Each has the potential to cause vibrations in your brake pedal.

Suspension systems are difficult to troubleshoot without the proper equipment and expertise; if you suspect this might be the culprit, it’s worth having a mechanic diagnose the issue.

Residual Drag On The Brakes

When you remove your foot from the pedal, it should return to its normal position on its own. If it drags, it could cause your pads to wear down prematurely. Depending on the extent of the friction created by the drag, your brakes can also overheat.

This problem is often due to the wheel cylinder. The cylinder malfunctions and fails to release pressure, which causes the brakes to engage – and the pedal to drag – even after you have removed your foot.

Squealing, Scraping, Or Grinding

Squealing is the result of vibrations that occur between your brake pads and calipers. These vibrations can happen for several reasons. For example, the pads might be loose, the caliper attachments may be deteriorating, or the brake linings might have worn down. Usually, the problem can be resolved by smoothing the rotor or installing replacement pads. If the pads are in good condition, installing anti-rattle clips may also prove effective.

If you hear scraping or grinding, that means metal is rubbing against metal. This can happen when the lining wears down to the point a metal piece of the pad is exposed. This metal piece rubs against the rotor and can quickly damage it. You’ll need to replace the pads and have the rotor machined.

Regardless of the type of problem you’re noticing with your braking system, have the root cause identified and fixed as soon as possible. These issues worsen with time – often, quickly. The sooner you address them, the less expensive they’ll be to repair.

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Category: Automotive
Keywords: brakes, car brakes, auto brakes, car parts, auto parts