Road conditions vary depending on where you are (mountains, deserts, country roads), time of year (weather conditions), and altitude. When you are not on a freeway, you might be using your brakes at least as often as you use your accelerator. So as important as good acceleration is to your car, your brakes are even more important to your safety.

Maintaining your brakes…

is an essential part of keeping your car in good and safe operating condition.  Brake problems vary and are dependent to a large extent on the make and model of your car, the age of the car, driving habits and other variables.  If your car is experiencing brake problems like slow braking, squeaking, leaking fluids, or even no brakes at all,  bring it to one of our centers and a mechanic will diagnose it for you.  You may be able to narrow down some of the possible problems yourself.  Here are some guidelines and some troubleshooting hints.

1. With the car engine turned off, push the brake pedal down and then step off the brakes.  A soft or mushy brake pedal indicates that you may have some air trapped in the lines (i.e. you may need to bleed the brakes) or the brake fluid level is low.
2. In a clear area, push sharply on the brake pedal.  If this does not stop properly, a number of things may be wrong, including worn pads, dirty or contaminated brake fluid or pads.
3. If it is safe, drive the car at low speed, braking as needed. You may need new brake pads, or to clean the brakes if they squeal.
4. If the car pulls to one side when braking, you may have to replace the pads or rotors, adjust the clearances or may have a problem with the brake lines causing uneven pressure on one side or the other.