Knowing How The Brakes On Your Vehicle Work

You have probably been driving since the day you were able to procure your license. And like most people, once that day came, you never looked back. But have you ever stopped to wonder what makes your vehicle tick? Namely, how the brakes on your car are able to, quite easily, keep you safe day after day? Well, if so, you’re in luck, because brakes really are not that complicated. 

The Brake Pedal: Making Friction Your Friend

What happens when you step on your brake pedal? Well, a few things, actually; there is a small chain of events that leads to your car slowing down and, eventually, coming to a full stop. But in order for all of this to happen, there needs to be friction. Yes, friction. In the case of stopping your vehicle, friction is your friend. When your foot presses on the brake pedal, your brake clamps the brake pads within its housing on to the wheels, causing enough friction to, eventually, stop your vehicle. The harder you press the break, the more friction you apply and the faster you will come to a stop. With an old drum brake, too much friction can be bad; the closed housing of the brake retains heat, and when it builds up too much, the brakes stop being effective and can no longer grip the wheel. But a disc brake’s open faced design allows air to keep the brake cooler, allowing for better and more consistent braking. But how does the brake know when to squeeze? The brake fluid, of course!

The Brake Pedal: Fluid for Thought

Brake fluid is a fluid that passes through a tiny hose in to your brakes when the brake pedal is pressed. This fluid allows the brake pads to clamp on to the wheel. Without brake fluid going through the line, there would not be enough pressure for the brakes pads to get purchase. In other words, brakes with very low brake fluid are tantamount to pressing dry sponges to your wheel. Brakes with no fluid simply do not work, hence why a severed brake line is highly dangerous, and very scary. When you step on the brakes, and the brake pads clamp, you do more than slow your car; you also activate the brake lights. Just like the brake pads, the brake lights will have no chance of working without brake fluid. Why? Because there will be no pressure exerted on the brake. In fact, if you step on a brake in a vehicle that has no brake fluid in the line, your foot will easily mash the pedal to the floor. 

Keeping Track of Your Brakes: Brake Safety

Brake issues are not for the average vehicle owner to diagnose. Without special training, it is extremely easy to misread the signals of an issue with your brakes. Your brakes should be serviced yearly, and you should go in to your local mechanic for a free brake check every six months. If you experience any strange or unusual brake problems, such as slow braking, go in for a brake check as soon as possible. 

Your Vehicle’s Steering and Suspension

Not all vehicles are created equally, and no one knows this better than a person who has either driven multiple vehicles, or owned multiple vehicles. Some cars handle better for certain drivers than others. Some cars handle certain terrain better than others. But how does this happen—after all, shouldn’t all cars strive to work in every condition? Well, yes and no; while all cars should strive to handle well overall, certain factors make it impossible to perfect it all. 

Steering and Suspension: What it Means

What is steering? Well, we’ll tell you one thing; it isn’t simply spinning a wheel around in circles to guide your car. Steering goes deeper than that. Your car’s steering refers to its ability to correct for both terrain and direction. Some vehicles have more sensitive steering than others. This is due to the parts used in the steering column. Some vehicles have stiffer handling. This is also due to the parts used in the steering column. However neither type of steering is right for every driver; some prefer a looser wheel, while others prefer a more resistive wheel. It all depends on you as a driver. But suspension is different. Suspension is, in its most basic terms, your cars capability for correcting for, and handling different types of terrain. Average vehicles tend to have a more neutral suspension, perfect for driving around town and on the highway. Off road vehicles, however, tend to have higher suspension, and better overall shock absorption capabilities. This allows them to handle better over rugged terrains. 

How Brakes Affect Steering and Suspension

Brakes affect nearly every part of your vehicle, from fuel efficiency to, yes, steering and suspension. Sensitive breaks are great for off road driving, as they allow for better stopping and overall maneuverability. The more pressure you have to exert to come to a full stop, the harder it can be to handle rougher terrain, such as dirt or mud. Sensitive brakes are less necessary, however, for city and highway driving, although they are no hindrance in any respect, and can actually help a lot in busy city areas where stopping often and quickly is common. 

Steering and Suspension Car Repair

Car repair is necessary in order to maintain a vehicle. If you want it to run well and do so consistently, and for a long time, you will definitely want to bring it in for regular “checkups.” Getting your suspension tweaked once in a while can increase, or help to maintain, your vehicle’s shock absorption capabilities. Having your steering fixed to your liking can also vastly improve overall vehicle performance. In the end, it is not necessary to have any car repair done more than once a year, as far as your steering and suspension are concerned. As long as you keep on top of your brakes, and supply them with fresh pads as they wear down, your suspension will be less susceptible to regular wear and tear—that is, if you aren’t driving around in deep mud all the time! Keep an ear out for problems, and listen to your vehicle when it tells you it has had enough—which it will usually do through any number of strange noises. This will keep it in great running order for some time to come. 

Check Engine Light Problems You Might Face

There are few things as frustrating in the world than when the check engine light illuminates on the dashboard.   This is a feature that seems to come on for no reason and gives you no real indication of what the mechanical problem may be.  The engine will seem to be running the same as it did before the light came on. Most people immediately think a large auto repair bill is coming down the line. This article is to inform all drivers about the most common causes of a check engine light and most of the time this doesn’t mean disaster is eminent. This light is most often triggered by the computer system in your car. So unless you see some visible distress you can go to an auto parts store and most often they can diagnose your problem by plugging into your dashboard and reading your computer.  Diagnosing the check engine light is usually a free service. 

Faulty Gas Cap Often Culprit

When it comes to problems this is a pretty easy one to fix. Many times the cap has just not been put back on tightly enough.  This is a problem because fumes will leak out and that can affect the entire fuel system. That means your gas mileage is going to go down and there will be an increase in the emissions your car emits. This is an easy fix just pull over at the earliest, safest spot you come to. Simply check the cap and if it is loose, tighten it. That should solve the problem. If it is not loose then proceed for further evaluations.  Replacing a gas cap is easy and inexpensive and tightening the cap is free. There can be quite a lag time between tightening the gas cap and the light going out.  So be a little patient and your fuel efficiency should return in short time. 

Diagnostic of Your Vehicle Can Reveal Problems

When a diagnostic of your car’s computer is done, it may read that you need to replace an oxygen sensor. As time passes the sensors are often covered with soot or ash from the fuel burning process. If a faulty oxygen sensor is not replaced the car repair may become significant. The actual replacement is easy and quick and will be a lot less expensive in the short run. This diagnostic can also reveal a problem with a catalectic converter malfunction. A problem in this area would be hard to diagnose on your own and could lead to costly repairs. 

Other Causes of Check Engine Light

Spark plugs are vital to starting a car. When a spark plug is faulty there is a misfire in the plugs. You will know this is happening by feeling a little jolt in the acceleration of your car. Spark plug replacement should be a part of your regular vehicle maintenance. The bad news is that faulty spark plugs are going to happen. The good news is that they are easy and inexpensive to replace. If the spark plugs aren’t replaced then damage could be done to a vehicle or a vehicle won’t start.

A Car and Its Alignment

Tire alignment is an important aspect of ensuring that a car operates properly. Some people think of a tire alignment as nothing more than taking a car into to the repair shop to spin the tires a few times to make sure they are straight. Although this is part of what is involved in tire alignment, there is so much more. The importance of a tire alignment cannot be denied. 

Why a Tire Alignment is Necessary?

Proper tire alignment ensures that everyone on the road is safe. Imagine if no one ever checked their engine oil, their brakes or their tire alignment. This would result in chaos, because the cars on the road would begin to shut down, overheat, or even crash. Safety is the number one reason for maintaining a car, and therefore tire alignment is necessary for maintaining the car’s tires. 

Cars work hard to quickly take people to various destinations. All of this hard work should be rewarded with a nice car wash every now and then, and a little pampering. One of the kinds of pampering a car needs is a tire alignment. When a car doesn’t get pampered or have proper tire alignment, it puts stress on the other parts of the car, making these parts have to work even harder. Eventually, the other parts will get worn out and the car will no longer work. Therefore, a car’s tires need to be aligned in order for it to have the longest life possible. 

What is a Tire Alignment?

Essentially, when a tire is aligned the wheels are balanced. When a car gets its tires aligned it begins with the angles of the wheels being. They must be aligned in a perpendicular position to the ground. It is also necessary to make sure that the tires are parallel to one another. The purpose of these adjustments is to make sure tires drive straight when on a straight and level road. When tires are not balanced it will cause some shaking in the car’s steering wheel. This can cause the vehicle to veer off course and possibly land you in a ditch. Tire alignment involves three well-known measurements called the caster, camber, and the toe. These are the focuses of the necessary adjustments.

Tire Alignment Measurements

The measurements used when completing a tire inspection are called the caster, camber and the toe. According to ASE master technicians, the caster is the tilting of the highest point of the steering axis either forward or backward. A forward tilt is negative and a backward tilt is positive. All wheels must have a positive caster. Next, the camber is checked. This is the tilting of the wheels from the vertical. The camber can have a positive or a negative reading, but the reading must be a balance of both. Finally, the toe is a measurement of how much the front and/or the rear wheels are turned in or out from a position that is straight ahead. This reading ensures that the tires are parallel. 

So, to ensure the safety of the driver and other drivers, including tire alignment in proper car maintenance is vitally important.