Nobody wants to hear their car make strange noises. The only noises you want your car to make is a gentle, inoffensive purring when it is idle, and maybe (on special occasions) a ferocious roar when you are really opening up the engine. But that is not always the way of things. Usually, the brakes have something to say.
Most people who deal with squeaky brakes have dealt with them their whole lives. Harris Garage in Hayes VA knows this. Usually, people are driving used cars that have always been old and talkative. But people are only willing to accept that situation because they think there is nothing they can do. Well, that is just not the case.
So, here is what it means when your brakes are making noise.
- What to do About Grinding
Grinding is the most alarming noise for brakes, and that is by design. Many car manufacturers will make their parts so that when they malfunction in the most common ways, they make noises that are as alarming as those malfunctions are. The reason for this is that grinding brakes can be a serious problem.
This can happen because of worn-out parts, or just dryness in the works of the car. In order to avoid an overlong lecture on what, specifically is happening, all you need to understand is that there are parts of your brakes that are being worn down from use and friction. Those individual parts need to be replaced.
Not every problem’s solution is to replace the parts though.
- What to do About Squealing
For instance, squealing brakes are a completely different story than grinding. You will more commonly experience grinding when changing speeds. Squealing, however, happens when you are going up or down hill. It is important to be on the lookout for when a noise happens, even more so than what the noise is.
The solution to this is usually related to the shape of the part that is making the noise. This is one such case where replacing that part is probably not required. That is a simple fix that Harris Garage can help you with, easy.
- What to do About Rattling
Rattling is the strangest noise to run into. It is not very common, so if you hear it you are going to want to get to your mechanic as soon as you can. It does not mean your brakes are going to break or anything dire like that. It just means that some parts are misaligned or off-kilter.
As with many situations, rattling is only going to be a problem when another problem comes up. If you have to slam on the brakes to avoid an accident, for instance, that could be one problem that swiftly leads to another. So, get your brakes checked the moment you hear this noise.
In fact, get your brakes checked if you hear any strange noise. Just be safe. And if you want to set up a time to have your car looked at, call us at (804) 258-4539.