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Express Car Care of Denver

"Denver's Best Auto Repair and Quick Lube"

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How To Maintain Car Brakes

September 7, 2019 by Denver Express Car Care

When you jumped into your car this morning, you probably didn’t think much about the brakes.

You thought about dropping the kids off at school. Or maybe contemplating if you had enough time to get coffee before you head into work. Or the meeting you have later in the day.

Your car probably didn’t enter your mind. It’s a useful tool that gets you where you’re going. And outside of thinking about stopping to get gas, or scheduling an oil change here and there, your car is reliable. Why worry about something when there’s so much else going on in your life?How To Maintain Car Brakes

But if you’ve ever had a child or a dog jump out in front of you, you appreciate your brakes a little bit more. When traffic on the way home comes to a screeching halt, you thank your fully operational brakes one more time.

Brakes aren’t magic, they’re science-based. A car in motion produces energy. To stop, you have to release that energy, and you do so using friction to convert that energy to heat.

Pressing down on the brake pedal pushes a piston into the master cylinder filled with hydraulic fluid. This spreads hydraulic fluid into wider cylinders connected to the brakes on each wheel. This hydraulic process increases force enough to move the brakes into action, stopping your car.

Today’s modern vehicles have disc brakes. Disc brakes are made up of a disc, caliper, and a brake pad. When you apply pressure to the brake pedal, the hydraulic fluid causes the caliper to push into the brake pad, applying pressure directly to the brake disc. This rubbing action creates friction, which converts the energy into heat within the brake pad.

This process creates a lot of heat. That’s why brake pads are created out of high-quality material that withstands the pressure. If it melted under intense heat, they wouldn’t do you a lot of good. So they’re created from ceramics, alloys, composites, and more.

How to maintain car brakes

There are many parts on your car that add luxury to your vehicle, but aren’t a threat. If the air conditioning system goes out, it might get a little warm on a hot summer day. But you can still put down the windows and enjoy the breeze as you buzz down the road.

You can be inconvenienced by not having a radio. Or even adjusting to not having a side mirror if you bump it on the way out of the garage.

But you can’t live without brakes. If your brakes aren’t in great condition, they put you and your vehicle’s occupants at risk. If your brakes don’t work at all, your car is no longer operational.

That’s why it’s a good idea to maintain car brakes as a part of your regular routine.

  • Have your brakes checked by a reputable service dealer every year. This will keep you better informed as to how many miles you can travel on your current brake system, what to watch for, and establish a replacement schedule as your brakes begin to wear down. Our staff is happy to work with you and keep you informed of how much useful life you have left. Be sure to check our shop specials to ensure you get the best deal when scheduling your appointment.
  • Check your brake fluid. Just like you fill your car with gas as it moves towards empty, or change the oil based on mileage, your brake fluid should also be changed on a regular basis. Brake fluid is essential for the heat transfer process, and to help absorb condensation and water. Check the color of your brake fluid; a darker color means it’s time to have it replaced.
  • Listen and be aware of any changes in the way your car stops. If you tap on the brake pedal and you hear a squealing, that’s a sign of worn down brake pads. If you have to push down harder on the brake pedal to make your car stop, that’s a sign you need to schedule an appointment. If you’re at all concerned with something you hear or see, don’t wait.
  • Avoid unnecessary braking. By changing your driving patterns, you can put less wear and tear on your brakes. Leave more room between you and the car in front of you so you can coast while slowing down. Avoid being in situations where you have to ride the brakes, or pounce on them as traffic conditions bounce around.
  • Do business with reputable mechanics. Safety isn’t something you should play around with. You might get a great deal from a fly-by-night operation, but will your car be safe to drive? When you select a reputable mechanic, you’ll be comfortable you’re getting the best deal possible, and you’ll drive away in a car you can trust.

Is it bad if your brake pedal goes to the floor?

In a word, yes.

While there can be several reasons why this is happening, one of the most common is lack of brake fluid. If your car is out of brake fluid, your brakes won’t work. That means as you press the brake pedal to the floor, nothing will happen. There’s possibly a leak within the system. If this happens, you can’t drive your car for safety reasons.

Another possible reason is a bad master cylinder. The master cylinder is where the brake fluid compresses. This is where pressure builds to apply friction between the brake pads and the wheels. If it starts to fail, you’re going to lose braking power. The more it builds, the harder it will be to stop.

It could also be you, the driver, that is causing a problem. If you can’t find a mechanical reason for failure, and yet you have to push harder on the pedal to apply the brakes, it could be the way you drive. The more brakes are used, the hotter the brake fluid becomes. As it heats, it thins. Thinner liquid needs more force to make the brakes work. Stop riding the brakes, and give yourself plenty of room to avoid pouncing on the brakes as traffic grinds to a halt.

Have more questions on how to maintain car brakes? Need to check out your brake’s current condition? Give us a call today.

Filed Under: Brake Repair Tagged With: car brakes

Car Brakes 101: How They Work and How To Repair Them

August 5, 2019 by Denver Express Car Care

What’s the most overlooked part of your car? Yep, it’s your car brakes.

You enjoy taking your car to the carwash and driving a sparkling car. You have a little sticker on your windshield, reminding you of the need for oil changes. But car brakes? When was the last time you gave them any thought at all?

Yet they aren’t something you can ignore.Car Brakes 101: How They Work and How To Repair Them

What brakes do

Brakes don’t stop the car. Instead, brakes stop the wheels from turning, which in turn slows down the car and brings it to a stop.

Most modern cars use disc brakes for the stopping process. Disc brakes consist of:

  • Brake discs
  • Calipers
  • Brake pads
  • Brake lines
  • Brake master cylinder

Every wheel has a plate-like disc attached to it. Also called a rotor, this plate is squeezed by the brake pads within the caliper every time you want to slow down.

Brake pads have two layers: a metal backing and a high-friction material molded onto the backing plate with heat and pressure. It’s also coated with an adhesive that helps the brake pad and caliper withstand high temperatures and excessive heat buildup.

What are brake pads made out of?

If you head back in time, the original brake pads that grew in popularity during the 1950s and 1960s were made from asbestos. It was thought to be a great material because of its heat-resistance and durability qualities. However, as health ramifications were discovered, auto manufacturers looked for alternatives to make a safer product.

The organic brake pad was created from a variety of materials and fibers and mixed together with binding resins to hold them together. You might find glass, rubber, carbon, Kevlar, and other fibers mixed in. Because they are inexpensive to create, the majority of new cars are still installed with organic brake pads today. They’re easy on the brake rotors, suitable for all driving environments, and don’t require a lot of heat to generate good friction. That makes them the perfect choice in most conditions.

The metallic brake pads are manufactured with steel, iron, copper, or other metals, added to friction modifiers and fillers to create the final product. Metallic brake pads are thought to be one of the most versatile on the marketplace, being more durable and longer lasting than the organic composition.

You’ll find better braking performance, a wider operating range in heat and cold conditions, a firmer feel in driving conditions, and more resistant in the long term. But because the brake pad is created from metal, it is noisier than other brake choices, and will produce more brake dust.

The newest brake pad on the market is made from ceramic. Ceramic pads are created from a dense ceramic material – think pottery – with copper fibers added during production. They are quieter than metallic brake pads, and produce a finer brake dust which won’t stick to wheels. And because it has the longest lifespan of any brake pad, they can be a great choice if you’re investing in your car for the long term.

What causes brake pads to wear

The biggest enemy to a brake pad is heat. As the brake pad moves against the brake disc, friction occurs, and heat is produced. To remove this heat, a car is designed with several systems to prevent buildup, especially in the front brakes where more action occurs. The brake disc is ventilated to allow cooler air to be pumped in and spread to the outer edges of the disc. The more hot air is kept away from the center, the less likely the disc will “fade.”

Fading is when brakes overheat. If car brakes are continually used while overheated, brake fluid can impact the calipers, which reduces the ability to brake. You may notice this if:

You’ve had to depress the brake pedal farther to the floor

You’ve pushed the brake pedal all the way to the floor without any braking

It takes you more distance to come to a stop

You smell a burning odor during the braking process

Your brakes start smoking or catch fire

This is where higher performing brake pads come into play. While an organic brake pad will provide excellent performance in standard conditions, only you can decide how you drive. If you need better performance, talk with one of our technicians about which option is best for you.

Keep your brake system happy

While it might be a glamorous purchase, brake pads are vitally important to your car’s safety and performance. Of course, so is regular maintenance.

Like an oil change, your brake fluid should be changed regularly too. Brake fluid attracts moisture. And moisture isn’t a good thing for your car’s braking performance.

Moisture reduces brake fluid’s boiling point, which makes it easier for brakes to overheat, especially in summer conditions.

Boiling brake fluid also enhances fading, which means your brakes can fail at the most inopportune time, like driving down long hills. That can be a big problem if you’re coming home after a fun-filled weekend in the mountains.

Moisture also corrodes metal. And since your brake pads are created from metal, it can wear down or even cause your brake pads to cease long before you anticipate.

Your best bet is to replace your brake fluid on a regular basis, according to your car’s manufacturer recommendations, or every couple of years. It’s the perfect way to keep your car happy and running well no matter what type of driving you do.

While brakes may not be the sexiest piece of equipment on your vehicle, they are one of the most important. If you want to keep a well-maintained car ready for all sorts of driving conditions, the best place to start is at the bottom – with your car brakes. Well-maintained car brakes will have better braking capability and keep you and your car’s occupants safe and secure.

And that can be a very good thing, whether you’re driving home from a day of skiing, or heading to work in the middle of the summer. Make the right choice, and your car brakes will be happy for the life of your car.

Filed Under: Brake Repair, Brake Service Tagged With: car brakes

Express Car Care
4200 E. Evans Ave. Denver, CO (map)
Phone: (303) 691-2760
Located just southeast of the Colorado Light Rail station

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Monday: 8:00AM – 5:30PM
Tuesday: 8:00AM – 5:30PM
Wednesday: 8:00AM – 5:30PM
Thursday: 8:00AM – 5:30PM
Friday: 8:00AM – 5:30PM
Saturday: Closed – A note from the owner
Sunday: Closed

Last car oil change time  – 5:00PM

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