Brake warning signs you should not ignore
Brakes tell you well before they fail. The trick is knowing which noise is which.
Brake symptoms worth acting on are grinding, a pedal that travels further than it used to, a spongy pedal, a pull to one side under braking, and a shudder as you slow from speed. Grinding and a sinking pedal are the two that mean stop driving and ring for advice. Service One Automotive measures and repairs brakes at Factory 9, 266 Osborne Avenue, Clayton South VIC 3169. Ring 0434 949 091.
Squealing
The least alarming of the noises, and the most common. Many pads have a small metal wear indicator designed to touch the disc and squeal when the friction material gets low. That is the brake doing its job of telling you.
Squeal can also come from brake dust, from glazed pads after a hard stop, or from a cold damp morning. If it clears after the first few stops and does not come back, it is usually nothing. If it is there every stop, have the thickness measured.
Grinding
Different category. Grinding or a harsh scraping generally means the friction material has gone and metal is running on metal.
Two things follow. Your stopping distance is now much longer than you expect, and every stop is cutting grooves into a disc that was fine last month. A pad replacement becomes pads and discs quickly.
This one is worth stopping for.
A pedal that has changed
You know your own brake pedal better than you think, so trust a change in it.
A pedal that travels further before the brakes bite, or that slowly sinks while you hold it at the lights, points at the hydraulics rather than the pads. Air in the lines, a leak, or a master cylinder passing internally.
A spongy pedal that feels soft rather than firm is usually air or moisture in the fluid. Both are fixable, and neither should be left.
Pulling to one side
If the car steers itself toward the kerb every time you brake, one side is doing more work than the other.
A seized or sticking caliper is the usual culprit. It also tends to come with a hot wheel after a drive and a smell, and it wears that side's pads out at double speed.
Shudder through the wheel or the pedal
A vibration that appears as you slow from higher speed, and gets stronger the harder you brake, is normally disc thickness variation. The disc is no longer perfectly even, so the pads grab and release as it turns.
Depending on how much material is left, the fix is machining the discs flat again or replacing them. Which one is a measurement, not an opinion.
The dash light
A brake warning light can mean the handbrake is on, the fluid is low, or the system has detected a fault. Low fluid is worth taking seriously, because the level drops as pads wear and also drops when there is a leak.
If the light is on and the pedal feels different, treat it as the important version.
Quick answers
How long can I keep driving with squealing brakes?
If it is a wear indicator, you have some time but not unlimited time. Get the pads measured and you will know exactly how much rather than guessing.
Why are my brakes noisy only in the morning?
Surface rust forms on discs overnight, especially in damp weather, and the first few stops scrape it off. If it clears and stays clear, that is normal.
Should I replace pads and discs together?
Not always. It depends on the disc thickness and its condition. That is a measurement, and you should be given the number.
Need it looked at?
Ring the workshop, or send a booking request.
Open weekends by booking only, at the same rates. The booking has to be confirmed before the day, so ring or text ahead.