The braking system on a motor vehicle is one of the main items that is effected by wear & tear due to the fact that it works by way of friction between two moving parts, the brake pad & the brake disc’s, the braking system needs to be checked for wear & tear as over time the friction material on the brake pads becomes worn down & reduces braking efficiency, The brake disc’s are also effected by wear over a period of time & will become scored & grooved & once again will affect the braking performance of the vehicle.
Wear & tear on the braking system of your vehicle can be reduced by altering your driving style & reading the road ahead of you so you can ease of the accelerator & allow the vehicle to slow naturally rather than traveling along at maximum speed & then having to brake harshly at traffic lights, roundabouts & road junctions etc. By being more observant & responsive to the conditions you find yourself driving in you can also reduce your vehicles fuel consumption, See our section on driving click here for more tips on increasing fuel efficiency.
Common signs of brake problems include:
- Hearing a grinding noise when braking
- Brakes feel soft when brake pedal depressed
- Brakes judder when brake pedal depressed
- Vehicle starts to pull to the left or to the right when braking
- Brake warning light is illuminated (refer to your manufacturers handbook if you are not familiar with the dash light symbol)