Brake Repair and Services
Brake Inspections
Automotive experts suggest that you should have your brakes inspected for proper operation at least once a year or 12,000 miles. We say who are they and what do they know anyway?? They obviously don’t live in Western NY.
We, here at Turner Auto Care, may be a little OCD about looking over vehicles with our 45 point courtesy check but we believe in the long run it will save our customers money by checking brakes every time they come in. In theory that will be around twice a year for oil changes if using full synthetic oil at our recommended interval of 5 months or 5,000 miles, but that is a tale for another page.
We start our inspection with a test drive. This allows us to get a feel for the health of the whole brake system. There is some important information to be gleaned by our technicians on that initial test drive. What we ask ourselves is: how does the pedal feel? Does the vehicle pull one way or the other while braking? Are there any abnormal sounds while driving that may be coming from the brakes and any new noise when the brakes are applied?
Next is a visual inspection of your brake fluid, master cylinder, brake lines, pads, rotors, calipers, emergency brake system, wheel cylinders and drums. We always take pictures of brake pad and rotor condition for you in our courtesy check report along with any other part of the system that should be brought to your attention and is in need of servicing or repair.
As Benjamin Franklin once said, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”.
Brake Service
You may wonder, do I really need my brakes serviced and why? It all starts with that wonderful time of year we call winter. And during this lovely season when it snows, people do not want to be stuck inside. So we go about our daily lives, driving to work, the gym, shopping, etc… In order to reach your destination safely mankind has figured out that if we sprinkle salt on snow and ice it will melt even if the air outside is below freezing thus giving our tires traction allowing us not to slide off of the road into a ditch or other vehicles. Yaaaa!
The down side of course is rust. Salt reacts with metal and causes rust. When metal rusts is actually expands. This is where your brakes enter the story. Brake pads have a home in what is called the brake pad bracket. The bracket is designed to hold the pads in place while allowing the pads to move freely, ever so slightly, against your brake rotor when you push on the brake pedal. The pads should also back off, ever so slightly, when you let up on the brake pedal. The brake rotor is the shiny metal disc you see when you look through or past your tire and rim. There are also 2 pads per wheel that actually pinch against the rotor when brakes are applied, allowing you to stop. Most brake pad brackets are “U” shaped on the top and an upside down “U” on the bottom. When the metal bracket rusts along with the pads, it causes the pads to get stuck or bind in the brackets. When this happens your pads can be pushed against the rotors from the force of the brake pedal but do not back away from the rotor when the brake pedal is released. This causes the pads to “stay on“. It’s like driving with your foot on the brake. If it is not caught and taken care of it causes your gas mileage to go down and your brakes wear out a lot sooner than normal.
We check, measure and take pictures of your brake pads and rotors every time you come in. Our goal is to help you get the most life out of your brakes and your vehicle really, with our 45 point courtesy check.
Brake Repairs
Do you trust your vehicles brakes? Do you hear noises when braking? You know your vehicle best and also know when something is not quite right. If you have any doubts regarding the current condition of your brakes, it's best to call and make an appointment so we can get a look at it before it leads to a bad situation. The common symptoms of faulty brake system include a feeling that the vehicle pulls left or right when you push the brake pedal, a brake pedal that seems to go down further than normal or feels harder than normal, a pulsing or shaking sensation in the brake pedal, a grinding sound or wheels coated with brake dust. Our auto repair shop specializes in brake service and repair. We can diagnose and repair a wide variety of brake problems efficiently and quickly on all makes and models.
Some of our most common repairs include:
Replacing pads and rotors
Diagnosis and repair of faulty anti-lock braking system (ABS)
Replacing of shoes and drums
Servicing of hydraulics within the system (master cylinders, wheel cylinders, hoses and calipers)
Brake Fluid Checks
When was the last time you had your brake fluid inspected by a professional technician? We check the condition and level of your brake fluid with every courtesy check. Brake fluid is hygroscopic which means that the fluid absorbs moisture. Over time this moisture can affect the seals within the different components of the brake system. If not flushed on a regular basis, contaminated fluid will damage master cylinder and brake calipers which will then need to be replaced sooner that necessary.
In order to stay safe and save money in the long run, let our experienced technicians inspect your vehicle's brake fluid. We’ll evaluate the current condition of your brake fluid and, if needed, replace the old fluid with new that exceeds most manufacturers’ recommendations.