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Signs you might be heading for costly brake repairs

It has happened to most of us – the brake light switches on and we see the dollar signs in front of our eyes! Brake repairs can be very expensive, so if your brake light switches on, you always need to have it checked by an experienced mechanic.

If the brakes feel spongy when the light is lit, it’s safer to pull over and have your car towed to your mechanic, otherwise you can probably drive to yourself to your mechanic. If luck is on your side, it’s just a fault sensor switch, but if you are out of luck, it could be the first sign of a big problem. Keeping an eye open for any indications that there might be problems with your brakes is not only good for your safety, but it’s also good for your hip pocket!

So if you want to avoid a costly car brake service on your vehicle, here are three signs that you need to recognise and have checked by your mechanic.

  1. Pulling to one side: If your car tends to pull to one side when you depress the brake pedal, it’s likely that there is a problem with one or other of your front brakes. You might not notice it until you hit the brakes suddenly, but if it does occur, then your vehicle needs to be booked in for brake repairs as quickly as possible.
  2. Noisy brakes: Grinding, squealing or scraping noises when you depress the brakes means that either your brake pads need to be replaced or that they are so worn that they are starting to wear the rotors or discs. At this point, you need to call your mechanic and book in for brake repairs, hoping that it’s just the brake pads and not anything worse.
  3. Spongy brakes: When your brakes feel spongy or you need a lot more pressure to engage your brakes than normal, the hydraulic brake fluid could be leaking. This is a big safety problem, because without the pressurised hydraulic fluid, your brakes won’t work. Don’t waste any time thinking about it, just book your car in with your local mechanic ASAP.

For a quality Car Brake Service by experienced mechanics in Browns Plains, call Steve Sorensen Mechanical on 07 3809 2711 or send us an email.