The brake pads take a lot of heat, literally. They are made up of metal backs with friction-causing materials on top. When you step on the brake pedal, the pads press against the rotors to create kinetic energy. It’s much more detailed than that, but the bottom line is you need brake pad surface material to safely stop your car. How can you tell when the brake pads are worn down? Getz Automotive lists the common signs of worn brake pads below.
Your Brake Light or Pad Wear Indicator Turns On
Your vehicle has a brake light and might have a pad wear indicator light, as well. When the pads get too low, the wear indicator light will turn on if you have one. If not, the brake light will turn on. The pads have sensors embedded in them that turn on the warning lights once they’ve worn down that low.
You Hear Your Brakes Squealing When You’re Driving
The sensors might also cause annoying squealing while you’re driving. This squealing is intended to get your attention. The brake pads are screaming, if you will, that you replace them. You will hear the squealing loudly when you’re vehicle is in motion. It will stop when you step on the brake pedal.
You Hear Your Brakes Grinding While You Slow Down
A grinding sound coming from your brakes is never a good thing. Never. This sound, or a scraping sound, means that your brake pads are gone. The surface has worn away, and the steel plates (the backings) are grinding or scraping against the rotors. This causes irreparable damage to both parts.
You Feel Your Brake Pedal Wobble When You Press It
Sometimes, if the pads have worn down to the backings, you might feel your brake pedal wobble when you step on it. This suggests that the brake pad backings are warping the rotors. As we just mentioned, this damage cannot be repaired. Rather, you will have to replace the brake pads and the rotors, as well.
A Brake Inspection Reveals the Pad Surface Is Too Low
The best way to tell whether your pads need to be replaced is to get regular brake inspections. An inspection every 15,000 to 30,000 miles lets us measure the pad surface to see how much of it is left. We can estimate how much longer the pads will last based on the current measurements.
Call Getz Automotive in Fuquay-Varina, NC, to schedule a brake inspection if you haven’t had one in at least a year. We’ll make sure you have plenty of brake pad surface left.