In these days of difficult economic times, none of us want to be taken for a ride when it comes to having an auto brake repair. The braking system in a car is a complex system that needs proper maintenance and care throughout the lifetime of the car to keep you and your family safe. It’s important to get the best information on auto brake repair so you don’t end up being cheated out of your hard earned money.
The best thing we can do to save us from brake repair is preventative maintenance. Avoid “riding” your brakes. It’s better to slow down with moderate pressure and then release the brake allowing them to cool, rather than riding the brakes and overheating them. Also consider downshifting to save your brakes. Downshifting lets your engine do some of the braking instead of your brakes. This should only be used when traction conditions are good. In ice, snow, or even rain, downshifting into too low of a gear may cause you to skid. 
Even when we are pro active and do our best to avoid a brake repair, normal daily activities cause wear and tear on our cars and can cause problems.
The most common problem with the braking system is wear. Brakes do a lot of work and the brake pads take the brunt of the punishment. It’s a good idea to have them checked every six months or more often if you suspect a problem. If there is squeaking, grinding or difficulty stopping there might be a problem. Most brake pads have a thin metal tab which vibrates when the pads wear down to a dangerous level. Some brake pads don’t have this tab and if they aren’t check periodically they can wear down far enough to ruin the rotors.
Another problem is warped rotors. Rotors warp if the brake pads are bent, defective or incorrectly installed or if they are exposed to excessive heat. A warped rotor will give a pulsing feeling when you are applying the brakes. This pulsing can be annoying and dangerous, have your car checked as soon as possible if this is occurring.
When you have made the decision to visit your mechanic, keep these things in mind. Ask your mechanic to clean all the brake system components after they’ve completed your brake repair. This ensures a dust and squeak free job. Also ask your mechanic about using an anti-squeak compound on the back of the brake pads. This can keep the pads from vibrating and annoying you. And most importantly, watch out for shops that practice bait and switch. Bait and switch is advertising a product on TV or in the paper at a low price and then when you ask for that product or service they claim not to have it anymore but can get you something “better”. This is how they lure you into their business so they can sell you products or services that you don’t really need. You can keep your money and your car safe by educating yourself about auto brake repair.
I like your suggestion for preventative maintenance on car brakes, and I’ll be sure to remember that after I get my brakes fixed. I, unfortunately, have been guilty of riding my brakes like you mentioned, and I have a lot of squeaking from my car whenever I brake. The sound itself is enough to drive me to look for a mechanic, and I’ll be sure to make sure that I get new brakes with the little metal tab you mentioned so I’ll be aware of when the brakes are worn down again in the future.