Posts Tagged ‘brakes’

Well the time of irrational exuberance is now long gone.For a lot of Americans excessive items like a new car is a thing of the past. Now in these times when a family is in need of a new car they have to look into a used car.This is clear by all of the money troubles the big three auto makers are having.There sales have gone way down.

But families will still be needing a form of transportation.But when families are on a tight budget they have to go with a cheaper choice.  That alternative is used cars. 

As a San Diego auto repair shop owner I am asked to inspect some of these used cars.Because when you are making a purchase of a used car, the last thing you want is a lemon.So by taking the time to perform a good inspection, you may avoid costly repairs.

So when inspecting these used cars here are a couple of big things to look for.First you will want to inspect the brakes.  We do San Diego brakes in our shop.So I have seen firsthand that needing your brakes repaired is an expensive option.If you buy a used car where the brakes were not taken care of by the previous owner it can become expensive.  Last thing you want is to have to replace the entire braking system.So be sure you have good brakes.

Second, you want to ensure that the car is running clean.Said another way, will it be able to pass a smog check.  In my business I do smog test in San Diego.The last thing you are going to want is the purchase of a used car that needs some expensive repairs.  Especially if those repairs involve emission problems.

If you purchase a car that can’t pass a smog test that isn’t good.  It is a sign that the car wasn’t taken care of.What probably happened is they didn’t do any tuneups or oil changes.These could be the start of a lot more problems in the future.

If you just check out these few items you can save money. By not checking you can be in for some major repairs.  When you are trying to save money I am sure you don’t want that.

There are parts to your car that you need to keep aware of. In this age of automated everything on cars, a common thing to happen is the maintenance of the car gets neglected.  Believe me I have seen it all owning a San Diego auto repair shop.

After all cars that were considered economic cars like Hyundai’s, are now state of the art machines, it’s not that hard to think nothing goes wrong.

That is a big mistake.  There are still going to be parts of your car that need to be paid attention to and maintained.  Most people take care of oil changes and things like that.  Although that is important for the life of your car, what most people neglect is their brakes.  Which is important to the life of themselves and their family.

So let’s find out how to know when it is time to change your brakes when they have become unsafe.

The first symptom is when there is grinding or scratching you need to replace your brakes.  Usually this is a sign of the metal plates being gone that are supposed to hold the brake pads and now it rubs against the rotor.  This is a bad sign and you have to go and replace your brakes immediately.

Second symptom is when your brakes make a loud screeching or a high pitch noise.  A condition called glazed is what causes this.  This occurs when someone always brakes too much and casues the rotors to heat up.  The rotors are then burned.  

You fix this by going to a brake shop like my San Diego brake shop.

A third condition that happens to your brakes is vibrations.  When your rotors or drums are warped, when you are braking this will cause a vibration.   This occurs because of excessive heat and this makes them lose shape.  When this happens, your rotor needs to be replaced.

A final issue to examine is when your brakes are pullling. What occurs when you are braking is your vehicle want to pull in one direction.  This occurs when the brake calipers are not being applied evenly.  This happens due to a fluid leak.  To find out which side is leaking, you are going to need a mechanic to take a look at it.  You take care of this by having the caliper replaced and getting all the air out of the brakes.

These are the common problems with brakes.  When this does happen you need a shop that fixes brakes like we fix San Diego brakes.

When you take into account it’s your brakes which keep you from accidents, maintaining this part of your car you don’t want to neglect.