A good braking system is vital for your driving safety. As time passes, brake system components wear out or become damaged, reducing your brakes’ effectiveness. As your Honda dealer, we’d like you to know a few signs you need to visit us for a brake service so you can drive safely.
Noisy Brakes
Screeching and grinding noises are two of the sounds you can hear if your brakes need service. These sounds are made by worn brake pads that need replacement. The brake pads create friction when forced against the wheel rotors as soon as you hit the brakes. This friction is due to a special material covering the pads. The covering is 1/2″ thick on a new pad, but gradually wears down each time you apply the brakes.
The screeching noise is caused by a metal spike buried in the pad’s covering that will scratch against the rotor. Grinding noises are more serious, as they mean the material covering at least one pad has worn off. The metal pad then clamps against the rotor when you brake and scour the rotor surface. We can fix these issues by replacing your pads.
Hard Brake Pedal
The braking system is pressurized, and the pressure generates resistance when you push down on the brake pedal. To overcome this resistance and force the braking system to engage, a component called the brake pedal booster is positioned between your brake pedal and the rest of the system. The booster uses vacuum pressure to magnify the force you exert on the pedal by up to 10x, reducing the energy used to apply the brakes.
Over time, the vacuum inside the booster can become compromised. This prevents the booster from working correctly, forcing you to perform the equivalent of a leg press to stop your Honda. Fortunately, this problem can be easily and quickly fixed by our Honda-trained technicians. We’ll examine the booster and repair or replace it, and the system will work correctly again.
Vibrations When You Brake
If you experience vibrations when you brake, you have a brake problem. Vibrations are usually caused by an uneven rotor surface. When you brake, the brake calipers grab and squeeze the rotors. As we’ve seen, the brake pads inside the calipers generate friction against the rotors, and your Honda will stop.
The rotors have smooth, flat surfaces so the calipers can grip them easily. In time, wear and tear can create an irregular surface on a rotor. If the caliper grabs an uneven section of the rotor, this contact generates vibrations you’ll feel through the brake pedal. We can repair this problem by resurfacing any affected rotors to smooth them again.
If your brakes aren’t working as effectively as they should, visit us today at Columbia Honda in Columbia, MO and trust in our service technicians!
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