Albuquerque Brake Check « Brake Buddy's Auto Repair & Maintenance Blog

Posts Tagged ‘Albuquerque Brake Check’

Your Car’s Tire Pressure Is Important

Monday, November 15th, 2010

When was the last time you check the pressure in your car or truck’s tires? If you can’t remember, it’s probably time to check the tire pressure.

Checking your car or truck’s tire pressure is an important safety issue. If the tire pressure on your vehicle is not correct, it could cause problems with braking and stability. Most importantly, correct tire pressure prevents accidents.

If your car or truck’s tire pressure is incorrect, your tire could fail causing you to get into a car accident.

You Should Check Your Tire Pressure At Least Once A Month.

If you can, try to check your tire pressure once a week at the gas station or during the weekends. If you don’t check your tire pressure, here’s what can happen.

Too Much Air

Cars with too much air in the tires will bounce more as they roll across the road. This decreases the amount of traction, which increases your stopping distances.

Not Enough Air

A car with not enough air in the tires will cause your tires to wear down faster. Less air also causes more friction between the road and the tire. This could lead to the tread separating from the rest of your tire.

The Right Tire Pressure For Your Car

You can usually find the recommended tire pressure for your car in one of two places:

The owners manual
On label on the inside of the driver-side door

Most standard sized cars recommend between 32 and 35 psi. But be sure to read your owners manual before adding more air to your tires.

Additionally, you should have a tire pressure gauge in your car’s emergency road kit. If you don’t have one, it’s a good investment.

Besides tire pressure, it’s always important to get your brakes checked. Be sure to stop in for a Phoenix brake check or an Albuquerque brake check from time to time.

Tags: Albuquerque Brake Check, car tire pressure, Phoenix Brake Check, truck tire pressure
Posted in Automotive Maintenance | Comments Off

Does Your Newer Car Have a Warped Rotor?

Tuesday, August 24th, 2010

If you’re driving your car and you feel a pulsation through the brake pedal or steering wheel, you may have a warped rotor.

If you’re unfamiliar with this, a rotor is a part of your car’s disk braking system located on each end of each axle. A properly functioning rotor interacts with the brake pads to ensure your vehicle will be able to slow down and stop. Damaged rotors can cause problems stopping.

Warped rotors are a problem in some newer cars because the rotors are thin, which causes them to get warped easier.

Causes of warped rotors include common wear and tear as well as if the brakes are very hot after a long drive. Rotors also can become warped if your vehicle’s brake pads are not regularly replaced.

While it is possible to inspect your vehicle’s braking system to see if the rotors are warped, we recommend taking your vehicle to a reputable mechanic to diagnose the problem.

Depending on the severity of the problem, mechanics can repair the rotors by shaving off a small area of the rotor surface to make it smooth again. Other times, the rotor is beyond repair and must be replaced.

We recommend taking your vehicle to the mechanic if you feel a pulsation coming from the brakes. Having an Albuquerque brake check or an El Paso brake check can help diagnose this problem.

Tags: Albuquerque Brake Check, El Paso Brake Check
Posted in Brake Repair Tips, Car Repair | Comments Off

Slip and Slide No More

Wednesday, May 26th, 2010

There have been many improvements in the automobile since Henry Ford first introduced the world to mass produced automobiles on August 12, 1908. In terms of safety and reliability in vehicle performance, one of the most important would have to be the anti-lock brake system, or ABS. This technology has branched off into several specific enhancements like, electronic brakeforce distribution (EBD), traction control systems, emergency brake assist technology, or electronic stability control, but each of these is simply a finer control of the base anti-lock braking system.

When you are having your next Albuquerque brake check you might be able to find out what kind of system your own vehicle uses and if it requires any regular maintenance to ensure it stays working properly. The actual physical components of the anti-lock braking system are pretty simple; they boil down to just pads, rotors, and calipers. However, the electronics behind and supporting these parts can be extensive.

Anti-lock braking systems work by ensuring that when you stop your vehicle in a panic situation, your wheels do not lock up. If your wheels continue to spin to some degree, it allows you more control of the vehicle. Before the advent of ABS, if you slammed on your brakes, the car would most likely skid out of control when on wet or loose surfaces. The anti-lock brake systems have not removed the possibility of brake damage, requiring Las Cruces brake repair, through improper maintenance. In the end, with or without technology, the care of your vehicle is still mostly in your hands.

Tags: Albuquerque Brake Check, Las Cruces Brake Repair
Posted in Brake Repair Tips | Comments Off

Did You Hear That?

Thursday, May 13th, 2010

Hiss! Tap! Clunk – Clunk! There are a variety of sounds your car or truck makes as it travels down the road. Some of these are normal. The hum of the highway under your tires, for instance, or the sound of a seatbelt in the wind, slapping the door frame when the window is down, are both perfectly normal sounds. Other sounds, especially when they happen again and again under the same circumstances, may be a sign of developing troubles. When you press on the brake pedal to stop and you hear a grinding or scraping sound you probably need to schedule an Albuquerque brake check right away!

After a long day of commuting in rush hour traffic, you finally pull into your driveway and shut off the car. You may take a moment to stop and have a deep breath or two in order to relax. As you sit there, you may have noticed your vehicle begins making clinking or popping noises. Most of these are normal cooling of metal as the engine parts try to get back to a normal temperature. However, if you hear a hissing sound every time you stop for the day and turn off your engine, especially if it is followed by an odd odor, you may have a leak in a hose. This is a good time to have an Albuquerque auto air conditioning repair done to check for cracks or holes in hoses. Listening to the little sounds now may save you big bucks later.

Tags: Albuquerque Auto Air Conditioning Repair, Albuquerque Brake Check
Posted in Car Repair | Comments Off

What to Do If Your Brakes Break

Friday, March 5th, 2010

While it’s highly unlikely, it’s possible for the brakes of a vehicle give out if they have not had an Albuquerque brake check or an El Paso brake repair in a long time. This can be a scary and highly dangerous situation, but if you know what to do you can get out of it without a scratch.

You will need to stay calm and keep paying attention to the road and steering as usual. If you divert your eyes you are likely to run into something far quicker. Next, pay attention to what happens when you try to brake. If the brake just goes straight down to the floor you might be able to fix it by pumping the brake continuously with your foot. If the brake does not move, there might be something caught under the brake that you may be able to kick out or remove.

Next you will want to try to downshift your vehicle. Go down one gear at a time but do this as quickly as you can with causing damage to the transmission. This should slow down your car significantly.

Finally, if nothing else is working, pull the emergency brake. This is slower than the normal brake and may hurt your vehicle if you are going too fast but it will work in a pinch.

Tags: Albuquerque Brake Check, brake repair, El Paso Brake Check
Posted in Brake Repair Tips | Comments Off