Tips for Maintaining Your Brakes

Having a good, responsive set of brakes on your vehicle is one of the most important safety features you can have. No one ever knows exactly what Hollywood roads will throw at them and having brakes that can get you stopped on a dime is crucial for the safety of everyone in the car, not to mention others on the road. Having new brake pads installed by a new car dealer in Hollywood is the bare minimum starting point but there are also other ways to keep your brakes in good working condition. 

Driving Habits

Aggressive drivers wear their brakes down much faster than those who drive more slowly, leave more room between vehicles, and employ a more gradual decrease in speed up to red lights and stop signs. Intense stopping and starting will lead to more wear and tear on your brakes, while those who are better at maintaining a steady speed and slowing down gently will find their brakes retain their effectiveness much longer.

Urban or Rural?

This can go either way. Driving in the city will involve a lot more stopping and starting which will wear brakes down much quicker. Cars that are driven mainly on highways and freeways, however, use their brakes far less on a per mile basis, so if most of your driving is done on the open road you can probably wait longer than the recommended maintenance times to have your brakes updated. On the other hand, if you do a lot of rural driving on dirt or gravel roads the brakes will be subjected to more dust and debris that can eventually reduce the effectiveness of your braking system.

Don’t Leave it Late

Most brakes are equipped with a warning system that notifies drivers when the brake pads are starting to get low. That squealing noise you may have heard is actually by design, to warn you that your brakes need maintenance. While you still have some time after the noise starts, it is important you don’t wait too long because once the pads are completely gone the caliper will begin grinding directly on the drum or disc. If you let it get to this point, not only is it dangerous, but serious damage can occur that will cost far more in the end than a new pair of brake pads.

One area on your vehicle that should never be neglected is your braking system. Being able to stop quickly when necessary is absolutely essential for the safety of you, your family, and everyone else you encounter on the road. Either maintain them yourself or enlist the help of a new car dealership in Hollywood to ensure they are effective and up-to-date.

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