Your brakes are the most important safety feature of your vehicle. During winter in Columbia MD, the importance of your brakes increases because of the snow, ice, and inclement weather. Simply put, it’s vital to ensure your brakes are working at all times, especially in the winter. Fortunately, the mechanic at Columbia Auto Care & Car Wash can help.
As the best auto repair center in the Columbia MD area, we’ve outlined our top tips to keep your brakes working this winter. Continue reading to learn more and don’t hesitate to reach out to the team at Columbia Auto Care & Car Wash in Columbia MD for brake service and brake repair.
Ensure Your Brake Pads Are in Good Working Order
One of the most vital parts of your brakes are the brake pads. The brake pads work to generate enough friction and force to stop your vehicle when you depress the pedal. Over time, the friction and heat generated will cause your brake pads to wear down. You should know the signs that your brake pads need replacement in Columbia MD, such as:
- You hear a squealing noise
- You hear a clicking noise
- It takes longer to stop your vehicle
- The brake pedal vibrates when you press it
- Your vehicle pulls to one side or the other when you brake
If you hear a grinding noise when you brake, it’s imperative to have brake service and brake repair immediately. This noise means your brake pads have almost completely ground down. Failure to have the necessary brake service and brake repair will cause a minor maintenance issue to turn into an exponentially more expensive brake rotor repair in Columbia MD.
Give Yourself More Time to Stop
When driving, it’s best to brake gradually. However, this may not always be possible. Nonetheless, you should avoid hard braking as much as possible. Excessive hard braking generates extreme friction and heat that will quickly wear your brake pads down to the metal. To help reduce the likelihood of emergency braking, avoid tailgating. You can also work to leave a little bit earlier, so you’re not in a rush.
Drive a Little Bit Slower
As we previously mentioned, emergency braking can have hazardous effects on your brakes. And you are more likely to emergency brake if you’re driving too fast. Simply put, slow down and try to coast your vehicle prior to applying the brakes.
Watch Out for Rust on Your Brakes in Columbia MD
When it snows in Columbia MD, it will quickly become liquid. This liquid tends to remain on your brake components when you park. And after months or days of winter in Columbia MD, rust will start to form. To make matters worse, the road salt commonly used in Columbia MD can accelerate the process.
While some brake rust is unavoidable, too much can cause pitting. Pitting can erode your brake rotors and cause them to be rough and scoured, which can cause rust particles to contaminate your brake pads. Common signs of rusting brakes include:
- A stiffer brake pedal
- Reduced stopping power
- Weird sounds
- Brake pads frozen to the rotor
- A burning smell
If you suspect or see rust on your brakes, you should schedule brake service and brake repair in Columbia MD as soon as possible. You can further protect your vehicle by having a regular car wash with a rust inhibitor.
Schedule a Winter Brake Inspection at Columbia Auto Care & Car Wash in Columbia MD
As we previously mentioned, your brakes may offer different signs and indicators that you need brake service and brake repair. Whether it’s rust, weird sounds, reduced braking performance, a stiffer brake pedal, or the vehicle pulling to one side, these are all signs you shouldn’t overlook.
However, sometimes your vehicle may not always offer you distinct signs of a problem. As such, it’s vital to be proactive about having a brake inspection, especially in the winter.
At Columbia Auto Care & Car Wash, we offer fast and comprehensive brake inspection services. During this brake service, our mechanic will carefully examine your entire braking system and leverage our state-of-the-art diagnostics equipment to perform an inspection. Afterward, we will share the findings with you and discuss the remaining life of key brake components.
Contact Columbia Auto Care & Car Wash today!
Call us at (443) 656-9274, complete our online form, or stop by to see us at 10611 Little Patuxent Parkway, Columbia, MD 21044.
