Car exhaust smoke can be of different types and can be due to a variety of reasons and situations.
Common Car Engine Noises – Information and Diagnosis
Resurface or replace brake discs
Nothing lasts forever, and brake rotors are no exception.
After all, brake rotors endure a lot of abuse every time you apply the brakes.
The time it takes for them to wear out depends on several factors: how easily the rotors cool down, how you apply the brakes, the quality of the brake pads, and their exposure to contaminants like dust.
Among the above factors, however, brake pads are the most important, as they come into direct contact with the rotors every time the brakes are applied. Therefore, you should avoid buying brake pads that contain a high proportion of metal.
It’s better to choose low-friction materials such as ceramic.
Symptoms, function of brake pads
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.
Common Causes and Prevention of Stuck Brake Calipers
Brake seizure is something every car owner will likely experience at least once in their lifetime.
Car brakes may seem simple, but in fact, they are often a fairly complex system that requires a lot of maintenance.
In this article, we will discuss the causes of sticking brake calipers and how you can avoid them.
Ceramic or Organic Brake Pads – Which One to Choose
Car owners often face the question of whether to choose between ceramic or organic brake pads when changing brakes.
If you are looking for the ideal brake pads, you need to consider heat resistance due to the friction generated by the car.
Around the 1950s, when cars were equipped with disc brakes, asbestos was the ideal material for brake pads. The material was cheap and heat-resistant but had the disadvantage of being an environmental hazard. Manufacturers were forced to seek alternatives.
Organic brake pads were made from a mixture of different materials such as fiber, glass, Kevlar, and carbon. Resin was added to bind all the components together. This resulted in a cheaper manufacturing process, while the materials were environmentally friendly.
Semi-metallic brake pads were introduced later. These consisted of 65% metal components. Some of the metals used are copper, iron, and steel. The remaining 35% is made up of fillers, modifiers, and a bit of graphite. Due to the metallic nature of the brake pads, they are durable but have the disadvantage of being noisy.
In the 1980s, car manufacturers began producing ceramic brake pads. These pads would be made of ceramic fibers and copper. They were then baked in an oven to make them stable. Ceramic pads are quieter and gentler on the rotors.
Bad symptoms, causes of the brake booster
A brake booster can be found in most modern vehicles.
When you press the brake pedal, you don’t need to apply too much pressure to brake the vehicle. This is due to the brake booster, which amplifies the pressure you apply and helps to stop the car comfortably.
Brake boosters are also called “servos,” and they not only increase the car’s safety but also help improve performance. Like any other component of a car, the brake booster can be damaged after some time, which can cause problems when stopping the car.
In this article, we will discuss the most common symptoms you will encounter with a faulty brake booster and how you can replace it.
How often should you change your brake pads
It is very dangerous to drive with worn brakes.
How often you change your brakes depends on the type of brakes you use, whether you are a diligent driver, and the type of loads you carry.
If you are the kind of driver who drives fast around difficult corners, you should expect your brakes to wear out faster than a cautious driver.
Brake pads are made from various materials: organic, semi-metallic, and ceramic. Ceramic brake pads have a longer lifespan, with organic pads being the least durable.
Finally, you should also consider the type of load you expose your car to. If you have a trailer, you should expect the brake pads to be subjected to greater loads.
Most people will change their brake pads every 40,000 to 60,000 miles. The factors above may cause you to change your brake pads sooner. You can check the thickness of the pads and ensure they are not less than ¼ inch thick.
Symptoms, Function of the ABS Control Module
The Anti-lock Braking System or ABS is an advanced safety feature found in almost all vehicles nowadays.
The ABS system consists of the ABS module and ABS sensors located on each tire. The entire system works in tandem to ensure that your vehicle does not skid or become uncontrollable during sudden braking maneuvers.
The ABS control unit is the main processing module of the entire anti-lock braking system or ABS system of your vehicle. All modern vehicle models come with a pre-installed anti-lock braking system.
The main components of the ABS system are the control module, valves, and sensors. The control unit essentially receives all the information, records it, and makes it available to the vehicle’s engine system to ensure that the brakes are applied safely without the vehicle skidding.
Brake Fluid Dot 3 vs Dot 4 – What is the Difference
The braking system is one of those things that is very important to take care of because you really want it to work properly in an emergency situation.
Brake fluid is one of those things that you need to replace every one or two years, otherwise it can cause rust inside the braking system and damage other parts.
There are two general types of brake fluids: silicone-based or glycol-based. Dot3 and Dot4 are popular glycol-based brake fluid options available for many vehicles. While Dot3 is popular with regular drivers, Dot4 is more common in newer car models.
But what is the difference between them and can you mix them with each other?