Murray Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram of Starke

Sep 13, 2024

Brake components become worn or damaged over time, and worn brakes can easily cause an accident. As your CDJR dealer, we’d like you to know a few signs your brakes are in trouble, and you need to visit us for a brake repair.

3 Signs You Need a Brake Repair at Your CDJR Dealer

Pulling to One Side

When you brake, the calipers clamp against the rotors and generate friction that brings them to a stop. All four calipers engage simultaneously to ensure your vehicle stops as smoothly and quickly as possible. If you brake and your vehicle pulls to one side until it stops, there’s a problem, as one of the calipers isn’t correctly engaging.

The calipers are positioned above the wheels, exposing them to water, mud, and snow. These liquids can build up on a caliper and cause rust. A rusted caliper will close more slowly or not close at all. A second potential cause of the problem is a blockage in the brake hose leading to the affected caliper. Our technicians will examine the caliper and repair or replace it.

Screeching and Grinding

The brake pads fit into the calipers, and have a rough material covering that generates the friction that stops the wheels. The material covering wears down over time, making braking slower and less responsive. When a pad needs replacement, a metal spike buried inside the material will scratch the rotor, producing a screeching noise.

Grinding sounds are more serious. If a pad isn’t replaced when it’s worn, the material will eventually wear off completely. When this happens, the rough metal of the pad will directly clamp against the rotor when you hit the brakes. The pad will produce a grinding noise as it scours the rotor surface, and this can cause serious damage if the pad isn’t replaced ASAP.

Brake Fluid Leak

Brake fluid is highly pressurized, and it provides the hydraulic power that forces the calipers against the rotors. The combination of heat and pressure from braking can eventually cause a leak. As brake fluid leaks, the pressure in the braking system will drop, and our brakes will become less responsive. You’ll feel the lack of system pressure as pushing down on the pedal produces less resistance than it should.

You can’t usually spot a leak, as the fluid can be difficult to see as it’s thin and yellow. If your brake pedal is less responsive, we advise visiting our service department right away so we can check for a leak. If your vehicle loses sufficient fluid, your brakes will fail to engage. Our technicians will find and repair the leak and then refill the fluid.

Brake problems will continue to worsen until they’re repaired. Contact our service department today at Murray CDJR of Starke in Starke, FL.