8 Warning Signs of Brake Problems You Should Never Ignore

When you notice a strange noise coming from the brake, the brakes are different in performance or having some burning smell from cars. At that point, stop the car and check the brake problems immediately. Car braking is one of the things you need to do regularly and should not be overlooked. Parts of the brakes also have a certain life expectancy and they need periodic maintenance, sometimes replacements, to operate normally.

Brake is one of the most important safety components in your car. So, if you notice any of the common warning signs below regarding troubleshooting brake problems, be prepared to have certain solutions to repair or replace them.

how to tell if brakes are bad
Parts of the brakes also have a certain life expectancy and they need periodic maintenance, sometimes replacements

Here are the signs which how to tell if brakes are bad and how to detect a problem while driving.

8 Warning Signs of Brake Problems

1. Vibrating and Squealing While Braking

Feeling the brake pedal vibrating when the pedal is one of common brake problems. Vibrations on the steering wheel is one of the brake problems, occur when you apply the brakes may be the result of rotors that are operating unevenly. Over time, along with thousands of turns of the wheel, the condition of the rotors with variable variations is normal. Corrosion can also develop over time as rotors operate. It can be seen, during the maintenance of the brakes, the surface rotors are always plastered and flattened to minimize these variations. This maintenance should be done correctly and in accordance with your vehicle’s specifications. Even in the smallest unit, rotors also play a safe role in driving, so pay close attention to this situation among the brake problems.

dragging brakes symptoms
Feeling the brake pedal vibrating when the pedal is one of common brake problems.

Another cause of this vibration among brake problems is that the caliper brake is not used properly. The use of caliper brakes is to keep the brakes on, preventing them from hitting the car’s rotors, slowing down your car. This is the movement of the piston inside the brake caliper to create this connection. But due to wear from the heat or the impact of debris on the road, the piston may get stuck. And the signs of a bad brake caliper appear.

The subsequent cause of the shaking brake may be due to improper mounting of the wheel nut. This will make your brakes quick to malfunction. Lug nuts are considered to be large bolts that will tightly grip your tires and cause them to rotate in the normal orbit of the wheel.

2. Weird Sounds in Brake System

The wobble when braking is one of the warning signs of brake problems that your braking system has problems and needs to be cared for. However, the sound can be emitted from anywhere in the system, such as the hissing noise that can be caused by brake pads and rotor mismatched. This really needs to be repaired. The creaking sound comes when you brake, which is a sign that the brake pads have worn out, should be replaced. This is a safety measure that the manufacturer makes among the brake systems.

worn brake pads symptoms
The wobble when braking is one of the warning signs of brake problems that your braking system has problems and needs to be cared for

If the noise is not loud or does not appear continuously, maybe dirty or rubbed have fallen into the brake mechanism. This will stop after the brake is cleaned. Some other causes include poor brake pads, incorrect brake pads, broken springs, non-concentric brakes. Also, it may be that the noise from the brake pad sensor indicates that it needs to be replaced. Sometimes you can also hear the metal rubbing against one another, which can be caused by the wear of the brake pads. And every time you use the brakes, the two metal parts are frictioned together. When this happens you will have trouble braking, and it can damage the rotor.

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3. Leaking Fluid Problems

There are many that may occur to your car. Too light brakes may result from wear of the brake pads or problems with hydraulic systems. This could come from such as leaks of brake fluid or air entering the oil reservoir. To check if there is a liquid leak, place an old piece of cloth or a piece of cardboard at the bottom of the car overnight. If liquid is found, they will lie on the cloth or cover. Don’t let the low brake fluid symptoms occurs too often.

wobble when braking
Too light brakes may result from wear of the brake pads or problems with hydraulic systems

Cylinder is a tool that creates the power of your braking system. The cylinder consists of a wiper liquid, and includes brake fluid. So let’s make sure that your car cylinders would not be one the brake problems and have any signs of low brake fluidWhen you use the brake system, the liquid from the cylinder is pushed through the thin pipe, creating hydraulic pressure. If the fluid leaks from the system, there will be insufficient power to force the brake pads into the rotors.

4. Brake Pads Worn

Most modern cars are equipped with disc brakes. The system works by: A hydraulic system filled with brake fluid will act on a pair of clamps called calipers, which help them squeeze together on a disk called a rotor. Friction is created between the pads and the rotor that cause the vehicle to stop. Over time, these pads will start to wear off due to friction. These worn brake pads symptoms lead to brake problems. This causes the car brakes to work poorly and the car will stop slower, and the brake does not work well anymore.

brake caliper sticking symptoms
Worn brake pads symptoms lead to brake problems.

We can do the check by looking in between the pins of the wheel to detect a shiny metal rotor inside. The brake pads are located between the caliper and the rotor. If the brake pads are thinner than a quarter inch (about 6.35 mm), it means they are no longer secure and should be replaced. So it is one of the signs of bad brake pads.

5. Car Is Deflected While Braking

Another cause that on the brake problems list with the drum brakes is that the vehicle is tilted sideways when braking. This is the reason for braking force on the wheels unevenly, due to one of them oil, oil blocked locally …

Also it can also be caused by bad brake caliper symptoms. For more specific, it is swimming a brake hose failure or brake caliper. A caliper brake can apply to many or all of the pressure during braking, resulting in unbalanced braking. So it would easily be one of the brake problems that happens to your car every time. If you encounter this situation you should take the car for repair, because the operation of the car will make it easy to roll in high speed braking situations, or cornering.

6. Unstable Brake Pedal

Have you ever felt a difference in braking, soft braking or sink braking on the floor when you hit? This is a sign that you need to take your car for maintenance immediately for any brake problems. This problem can be caused by air or moisture in the brake system that has some problems with the main cylinder. In general, there is an electric brake in the car, the pedal when pressed will be 1 inch from the floor. Where the hand brake is also 3 inches from the floor. So, if there are problems with the brake differential, go for maintenance right away.

common brake problems
If you ever felt a difference in braking, soft braking or sink braking on the floor when you hit it, the brake may have problem

In addition, when braking, they must react smoothly and stably. At times, the brake pedal is held for a long time, the braking force only appears for a second and then disappears and the cycle repeats regularly. There are problems with the braking system such as oil leakage, air, brake pads uneven, dirty brake oil…. The most dangerous situation is when the brake pads are hardened into the brake disc, the hydraulic system loses its elasticity so the brake pedal does not come back. In this case, you need to replace the brake discs, so replace them in pairs before or after, avoiding only one side.

7. The Brake Light On

When one of the red and yellow brake indicators lights up on your dashboard, that means you need to re-check your brakes. This can be considered as the sensitivity of the electronic devices in the vehicle used to warn the driver of any problem.

In addition, the use of a parking brake can cause the indicator light to glow. So, clearly distinguish the problem you encounter whenever the brake light comes on.

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8. The Burning Smell From Car Appears

The brake problems usually cause the burning smell from what you should know. A distinctive, sharply odor appears after the brakes on the ramp are signs of braking or clutches being overheated. In that case, stop at a safe place and check your parking brake. Make sure the brakes are fully released and cool, otherwise there is the risk of the brake fluid boiling and additional damage to your brakes.

In case of smoke from the wheels, this can be the result of a caliper brake jammed and not in a safe state. You will not be able to continue driving if you do not quickly fix this problem. 

How to Detect A Brake Problems While Driving?

1. Observation While Driving

If the pedal on the brake pedal is not firm, or the pedal almost hits the new “brake pad”, then there are signs to check, or where oil leaked.

signs of a bad brake caliper
Remember to observe while driving for any brake problems

Need to listen to the tones of wear and tear. For example, hissing, or the sound of metal rubbing against one another indicates that the brake is worn. Failure to do so will result in serious injury.

2. Observe The Engine Compartment

When not driving, we can open the cap to see how much oil has been stored in the box. Most oil viscosity cartridges are so easy to control. This control should be performed once a month.

If the oil level is low, then it is time to add more oil for our car. But if you notice that the oil level drops regularly, it is a sign that the system is leaking somewhere, possibly in the oil piping of the win system.

3. Check The Brake Oil Level

If you find that the oil level drops regularly, it is a sign of system leakage, possibly in the oil pipeline of the brake system.

signs of bad brake pads
Clearly check the oil level to prevent any brake problems

Maintenance experts recommend regularly opening the oil can lid to check the color of the oil. New oil is either clear or translucent. The old oil and about to “dirt” dark color after a long time dust, soil, impurities … If brake fluid has changed to dark, then it is time to replace the brake oil completely new, but It is not just an extra chunk.

4. Check By Removing The Wheel

If you have time, we should remove the wheel to check the condition of the brake disc (rotor) on the front wheels. Observe that brake discs are not scratched, not worn out. The scratches on the brake disc, if present, are indicative of a variety of dirt. And it is clinging to the dash and the brake disc surface causing such damage.

troubleshooting brake problems
Checking the rotor in the front brake for any brake problems

If the brake discs are badly scratched, need to check, if necessary, the back, can not smooth, then change.

5. Discharge The Brakes

After replacing the brake disc and oil you usually see the technician performing the “exhaust air” for the brake system. This is because in the brake fluid, the oil and air ducts are less efficient. Then the “bubbles” in the brake system to ensure that brakes operate more efficiently and safely.

Conclusion

Not all brake problems will cost you much. It can be just a harmless call from some material caught in brake pads. There may be dust or moisture somewhere in the brake system that is not strong enough to damage. You just need to replace some new brake fluid to make the brakes are used more smoothly.

Brake parts will wear out over time. Symptoms of self-diagnosing or delaying the maintenance of your vehicle’s brakes can leave you and your passengers unmolested. And as with so many car related issues, the more you forget about it, the dangers of your car will grow. So be careful with any brake problems that may occur with your car in future, to have a suitable solution for each. For more specific, let’s take a look in this video for any solutions that can be saved on your list.

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