A car’s brake pads are an essential component of a braking system. They play a major role in ensuring your car stops at the right time.
Brake pads are located between the brake calipers and the brake disc. When they come into contact with the metal surface of the brake discs, friction occurs, and your car stops.
However, the constant friction of the brake pads against the brake discs causes them to wear down so much that you might eventually have trouble stopping your car.
Due to the importance of brake pads, many symptoms can occur.
The most common symptoms of bad brake pads are squealing or grinding noises when braking, a wear indicator on the dashboard, a spongy brake pedal, and longer braking distance.
Here is a more detailed list of the 5 most common symptoms of faulty or worn brake pads.
1. Squealing or Grinding
If you hear a squealing or grinding sound when you press the brake pedal, it might be because the brake pads are completely worn out. This can happen because when the brake pad material is completely gone, you’ll hear the metal plate of the brake pad pressing against the metal brake disc.
As you can imagine, metal against metal will cause a horrible noise. If you hear a terrible noise when braking, it’s definitely time to check your brake pads.
2. Wear Indicator
Brake Wear Indicator
Most newer cars have brake wear indicators when there is 2-3 mm or 0.04″ to 0.1″ of brake pad material left. If you see a wear indicator on your dashboard, it’s time to check your brake pads.
The wires and connectors of the wear indicator can often cause false alarms on the dashboard, but it’s worth checking.
Most cars only have a wear indicator on the front brakes, while a few have them on both axles.
3. Spongy Brake Pedal
If you feel that your brake pedal has become spongy when you press the brake pedal, it could be due to a bad brake pad. This can happen when parts come loose from the brake pad and the brake pedal plate bends when you press the brake pedal.
To see brake pads damaged by loose parts, you often need to remove the brake pedals to inspect them. A simple quick inspection from the outside might not be enough.
4. Longer Braking Distance
Longer Braking Distance
If the brake pads are worn down to the metal plate, it will certainly result in a much longer braking distance. This is because metal against metal doesn’t create the same amount of friction to stop your car.
It’s also possible that parts of the brake pad have come loose, which will also lead to less friction against the brake disc.
5. Scratches on the Brake Disc Surface
If you notice unpleasant scratches and a strange surface on the brake disc, it might be because the brake pad is so worn that it has reached the metal plate.
This is often very visible if you compare the surface to the other brake discs on your car.
The Function of a Brake Pad
New Brake Pads
Brake pads are made of steel and hard rubber. They are designed to withstand an insane amount of heat, dust, and other particles.
They are installed between the brake caliper and the brake disc. When you press the brake pedal, the brake pad is pushed against the brake disc, causing friction. This friction will slow down your car and eventually stop it.
There are many different materials in brake pads, depending on the manufacturer. Some are better than others in terms of wear and braking distance.
How to Check Your Brake Pads
Checking your brake pads in a car is often very simple. What you need is a flashlight. Shine the flashlight inside the rim towards the brake disc.
Look for the part in the image above and make sure there is at least 0.15″ – 0.2″ or 4-5 mm of the brake pad left; otherwise, it’s time to replace it.
Some rims can make it difficult to inspect the brake pad from the outside. In this case, you need to remove the wheel for inspection.
It is actually more common for the inner brake pad to wear out before the outer brake pads – so I highly recommend removing the rim for inspection or checking it with a small mirror.