Whenever you press the brake pedal, your brake pads do the work of stopping your car by clamping onto the rotors. Each time they do so, they become a little bit more worn down and eventually need replacing. Here are six clear signs that you should visit your local Mazda dealer for new braking pads.
When Should You Change Your Brake Pads?
You Experience Brake Fade
The most urgent indicator that your pads need inspection and probable replacement is if you experience brake fade. Brake fade is where the components of your braking mechanism are no longer creating the friction necessary to promptly slow and stop your vehicle. You press down on the pedal and find your braking sluggish and unresponsive. Needless to say, it’s a disconcerting experience.
Brake fade occurs when you’re braking constantly, which can create an excess buildup of heat in the pads and rotors. This overheating alone can lead to brake fade, and it only gets worse if the resin in the pads begins to melt. Driving conditions that lead to this kind of overheating include stop-and-go traffic with constant braking and also winding, hilly roads with plenty of sharp turns and downhill stretches.
You Hear Squealing or Squeaking
The pads in your braking system have a steel base and an upper high-friction layer. The friction layer is made from a compound of materials, including various metals, ceramics, and minerals, all held together by resin. Each time you brake, a minuscule amount of the friction layer is scraped away. When the friction layer is almost gone, modern pads are designed to emit a high-pitched squealing or squeaking sound to let you know it’s time for new pads.
You Hear Grinding
If you ever hear grinding when you brake, then you need to replace your pads with some urgency. This is because the friction layer is all but gone and you’re hearing metal scraping directly on metal. At this point, continued braking will start to damage your rotors, leading to far more expensive repairs.
You Feel Vibrations
If you feel vibrations while braking, either through the pedal or the steering wheel, then you need to have your brakes inspected. Vibrations point to a warped or damaged rotor, which will reduce your stopping power and cause uneven wear in your pads. In this case, you’ll likely need to replace a rotor or two, and possibly your pads as well.
Your Mazda Dealer Finds a Flaw
It’s recommended for Mazda drivers to have their brakes inspected once every six months. For convenience, you can coincide this with having your tires rotated. Oftentimes, an experienced technician at your local dealership will identify problems with your pads long before you would have noticed them on your own.
65,000 Miles Have Passed
Pads are the components of a braking system that most often need replacing. They usually last from 25,000 to 65,000 miles, depending on their quality and usage. So if you find yourself nearing 65,000 miles since your last pad replacement, it’s probably time to get new ones before any of the aforementioned problems rear their ugly heads.
To have your brakes inspected and your pads replaced, visit Tom Bush Mazda. We’ve been providing a top-notch vehicle purchasing and servicing experience to the region’s local drivers since 1974.
Connect with us
