Stretch Your Budget, NOT Your Stopping Distance

Brake Repair: Signs Your Brakes Need Attention

While there are many ways to save money and stretch a budget, the stopping ability of your car is nothing to play with. If you delay getting service or repair when your brakes need attention, you may be lengthening the stopping distance required to stop your vehicle, creating a situation where you have no braking ability at all, or causing additional damage that will be pricey to repair. Therefore, saving a few pennies now may actually cost you a lot of dollars later. Worse, it may compromise your safety or that of your passengers and other drivers. Bring your ride to Mecklenburg Automotive & Collision Center in Charlotte, North Carolina, at the first sign of brake trouble. You can even check out our advertised specials to see how you can save.

Recognize the Warning Signs

What’s that?! Maybe it’s your brakes telling you they need attention. If you notice odd feelings, noises, or smells when driving or braking, your vehicle may need service. If you hear squealing, squeaking, or grinding when you apply the brakes, your car may have worn metal pads. Also, pay close attention to how your brake pedal feels when you depress it. The braking system works using hydraulic pressure, so a fluid leak could compromise your ability to stop. A spongy (“soft”) feeling pedal may indicate such a leak. The brake pedal shouldn’t go all the way to the floor. If your car has manual brakes, the pedal should stop at least 3 inches above the floor. The pedal of an auto with power brakes should stop about one to one-and-a-half inches from the floor. An illuminated brake light could mean that the emergency brake has accidentally been engaged (or left engaged), or it could indicate the need for brake service. Vibration, wobbling, or scraping could mean that your brake rotors are warped. (Rotors are the large metal discs that sit just inside the wheels. When you brake, the calipers allow the metal brake pads to contact the rotors, slowing and stopping the vehicle.) The rotors should be evenly thick and smooth. Finally, that unpleasant burning odor could signal a stuck brake caliper or an unintentionally engaged emergency brake.

STOPping at the Right Repair Shop

Whatever your car is telling you, make sure you’re stopping at the right repair shop. In business since 1996, Mecklenburg Automotive & Collision Center in Charlotte, North Carolina, employees only experienced, expert technicians and maintains state-of-the-art equipment. Thus, we’re well prepared to address your car’s braking issues. But we also understand that you’re likely busy and on a budget. We offer multiple customer conveniences to help get your ride in and out in a timely manner, and we offer various specials to help you control your wallet–and your braking ability. So stop by, and we’ll go to work on those ailing brakes!