For obvious reasons, a vehicle’s brakes are one of its most vital components, and any issues affecting them should not be ignored; even a very slight increase in stopping distance or fall off in responsiveness can dramatically increase the likelihood of suffering a road accident. Luckily, the mechanics at Atherley Garage in Southampton are on hand to help through the provision of timely diagnostics and repairs, as soon as you notice something is wrong.
The subject of today’s blog is the common brake repairs we find ourselves constantly carrying out for Southampton residents. We’ll run over the reasons behind them, and explain how they might be avoided. If you’re more interested in other aspects of the garage services we provide, simply call the Atherley Garage team on 02380 631 861.
Worn Brake Pads – Squealing and screeching when applying the brakes can signal this issue. Unfortunately, brake pad wear is simply a fact of life on the road – it’s inevitable over a long enough period of time that you’ll need to visit mechanics to have them replaced. However, responsible use of the brakes (not “riding” the brakes at stoplights and on hills, and using your handbrake instead) will certainly slow down the speed of degradation.
Low Brake Fluid – Most Southampton motorists will have a dedicated warning light that signals low brake fluid. How else to tell? If your pedal depresses all the way to the floor of the car, and your brakes are less responsive than usual, you may be short on it. Many Southampton motorists handle the simple task of refilling brake fluid without the aid of mechanics, but we can do so during the course of car servicing should you need it.
Contaminants in Fluid – If water, dust or other foreign objects somehow get into your brake fluid then its ability to deal with high levels of pressure may be impacted, ultimately leading to brake failure. Being meticulous and careful when replacing brake fluid is the key way to avoid this, and ensuring the master cylinder reservoir lid is securely screw back in place.
Rusted Disc – If water manages to access your brake disc and make contact with it for extended periods, it will be susceptible to rusting. This will essentially shorten the distance between pad and calliper, significantly impacting control and handling with a feeling that the brakes are permanently, partially engaged. Another eventuality is that the rusted disc leads to abnormally fast wear of brake pads. Should you suspect you’re suffering this problem, visit our Southampton mechanics immediately, as the component will need to be replaced.
Faulty Brake Booster – To make brakes easy to operate, there is a component in your vehicle called the brake booster. This creates a vacuum within the system, pressurising the pedal and allowing you to brake with less force exerted. Leaks in this system can cause a loss of pressurisation. Mechanics, like ours in Southampton, have to carry out diagnostics to locate the source of the leak and to fix it before re-pressurisation.