When it comes to your car, your brakes are one of the most important safety features. It’s normal for brake pads to wear over time and if they are not changed out, this can lead to serious damage to your vehicle. At Escondido German Auto, we make sure to check your brake pads during each visit to our auto shop for an oil change. If you are between oil changes and want to check out your brake pads yourself, these tips can help you out. Our Escondido auto repair shop is here to replace your brake pads when it’s time. Find out when it’s time to replace your brake pads.
When to Replace Your Brake Pads in Escondido
Although there isn’t a specific schedule you follow for your car to replace the brake pads, it’s import to make a habit of checking them often to find out how worn they are. Brake pad wear depends on how you drive and where you drive. If you drive through urban areas a lot, your brake pads will wear faster. If you tend to stick to rural roads or the freeway, your pads will wear slower.
Every time you visit our Escondido auto repair shop for an oil change or tire rotation, make sure we check out your brake pads so we can tell you if they are worn or not. We recommend having them checked professionally every 6 months or so. Common signs that it’s time to change your brake pads include: pressing harder to come to a stop, taking longer to stop, pulsing or vibrations on the brake pedal.
How to Check Your Brake Pads
If you are in-between oil changes, there are a few different things you can look out to see if you need to replace your brake pads. Here’s how you check your own brakes.
Listen to Your Brakes – One of the first ways to inspect your own brakes is by listening to them. This means you need to turn off your radio and roll down your windows. When you come to a stop light, listen for sounds like metal scraping. If the sound increases the harder you press down on the pedal, this can be an indicator that your brakes are going out.
Look at Your Wheels – If you don’t notice any brake dust on your wheels, this means that your brake pads are worn completely. It’s normal for there to be dust on your wheels from the brakes when the pads are still good, but once they are worn, there is no more dust.
Look at the Brake Pad – You can usually see the brake pad through your wheel. If this is the case, look at how thick it is. If it’s less than ¼ of an inch, this is a huge sign that your brake pads need to be replaced. Some brake pads have a wear indicator on them, look at this to see if it’s time.
Feel Your Steering Wheel and Brake Pedal – When driving, pay attention to your steering wheel and brake pedal. If you notice a vibration on the brake pedal when you press it or a vibrating steering wheel, these are big signs.
Visit Our Escondido Auto Repair Shop
If you have a German car, visit Escondido German Auto for your brake pad replacement. Give us a call or fill out our online form to make an appointment today.