We have all had the experience: While driving, suddenly out of the blue, disaster looms on the road. You slam on the brakes, and thankfully they work, saving you from a serious accident.
Your brakes are one of the most important components on your vehicle, and it’s extremely important to keep them in good working order. To ignore your brakes is to court disaster.
Proper maintenance is essential to protect you, your family, and other drivers and pedestrians, and here’s our best advice on when to replace the brake fluid and the brakes on your vehicle.
When to replace brake fluid
Brake fluid tends to be one of those forgotten components of your vehicle, forgotten in that we largely take it for granted and rarely give brake fluid any thought. A few key signs that it’s time to replace your brake fluid includes strange noises when braking that usually depict a scraping or grinding sound.
Other signs of the need for a fresh supply of brake fluid include soft, spongy brakes or strange smells. A burning smell after you’ve applied the brakes probably means you’ve burned out brake fluid.
Routine maintenance of your vehicle is always based on your driving pattern and habits, and if you tend to drive short distances with frequent stops, you may need more frequent brake fluid flushes and replacement. As a general rule, however, you should replace your brake fluid every two years or 30,000 miles, whichever comes first.
It’s also a good idea to check your owner’s manual for any brake fluid information from the manufacturer that’s specific to your vehicle.
When to replace your brakes
Deconstructing your brakes for you, your vehicle’s braking system is made up of three main parts:
- Rotor, a metal wheel on the inside of your tires
- Calipers that apply pressure to the rotors when you press the brake pedal
- Brake pads attached to the calipers to keep them from directly scraping against the rotors
Of the three components making up your braking system, it’s the rotors and pads that will most likely need to be replaced. As a general rule, to keep wear to a minimum, you should replace your brake pads about every 10,000 to 20,000 miles.
With the rotors, you have a bit more leeway. Generally, to keep your brakes in their best working condition, you should replace your rotors about every 50,000 to 70,000 miles.
Expert Brake Auto Service in Lakeview and Surrounding Areas of Chicagoland
At Bucaro Brothers Auto Care we provide outstanding brake service for all makes and models of vehicles, both domestic and foreign.
If your brake system seems to be acting up, and you’ve encountered any of the issues we’ve discussed here, bring your vehicle by our garage located at 2707 N. Ashland Avenue for expert brake service. One of our ASE certified technicians will be glad to carefully inspect your braking system and explain the service needed to correct your braking problems.
For your convenience, we’re here for you six days a week – Monday through Saturday, and at the first sign of brake problems we hope you’ll bring your vehicle to Bucaro Brothers Auto Care for the best brake service Chicago has to offer.