An essential part of your vehicle’s ability to keep you and others safe is the brakes. Brakes allow us to maintain a proper speed while also coming to a screeching halt when something out of our control enters our path. For that reason, it is so important to ensure that your brakes are working properly before you figure out the hard way they weren’t working at their full capacity.
Here at J&S Auto Repair, we are proud to serve the citizens of Warwick and Providence Road Island with top-quality auto repair and services to ensure that we all stay a little safer on the road. If you are unsure if you need to bring your vehicle in for new brakes, here’s our list of signs to reference.
The Top 4 Signs You Need New Brakes
#1 – Squealing Noises
Interestingly enough, that squealing sound happening when you take your foot off the brake is actually on-purpose. It is a built-in mechanism to alert you to the fact that you need to brakes. This wear-indicator tells you that your brakes are too worn down for safe use and need to be replaced. Pretty cool, huh?
That being said, if your brakes make this sound, it is past time to schedule an appointment with J&S Auto Repair so that we can make sure your vehicle is safe on the road again.
#2 – Clicking Noises
If you hear rattling or clicking noises, it means that your brake pads are likely loose. Brake pads are held by clips, bolts, or pins, which can become loose due to regular use or damage. If they are loose, they will need to be adjusted or replaced quickly before an accident occurs.
#3 – Your Car Takes Longer To Stop
If you find that you have to really hit the brakes to get your car to slow down, and it isn’t stopping on a dime the way it used to, it is time to bring your vehicle to us immediately so that you can drive safely again. This problem is called a brake fade, and it happens to vehicles that have to go down hills a lot – meaning the driver has to put some pressure on the brakes for an extended period of time. While this is often unavoidable for some drivers – it does mean the mechanisms don’t have the same capacity they once did, meaning your brakes aren’t working to their full extent.
#4 – Your Car Jerks To One Side When Braking
This means that your vehicle’s pads haven’t worn out at the same rate – and that they need repair quickly. Not having proper control over your vehicle can cause you to have an accident. If your car is jerking to one side while braking frequently – it could also cause nervous drivers around you to miscalculate and cause an accident, as well. Either way, this is a problem you are going to want to avoid.
If your brakes need to be replaced, or you have any other auto repair needs, call J&S Auto Repair and one of our top-quality mechanics will get you back to driving in no time.
