Stop Winter Stopping Problems

OK, so the seasons are going to change.  We can’t stop that.  However, it’s not a bad idea to do something about your brakes so you can’t count on stopping during winter.  

Before we even talk about the brakes themselves, let’s make sure the brake fluid is at the proper levels.  Your brake fluid is the stuff that is actually moving the pistons around to apply pressure and make your brakes work.  Fluids will move slowly in the winter, and if the levels are off, that can add up to a number of problems.  The brakes themselves may be fine, but if the brake fluid is leaking, low, or just not there… you will definitely have some challenges. 

Another consideration are the shoes.  No… not the brake shoes, but your shoes.  Believe it or not, many accidents occur each year because people have on wet, slippery shoes.  Their feet slide off the edge, and there just isn’t time to recover.  So… dry your shoes. 

And, of course, know what type of brakes you have.  If they are standard brakes, you’ll need to pump them slightly on slippery roads.  If you have an anti-lock brakes (ABS), the brakes will do the pumping for you.  Just apply as normal, and always keep eye contact with the road. 

Yes, your brakes are important… but the other things around the brakes are just as vital.  Stay safe!

Little Pieces & Parts of Your Car that are Saving Your life & Money!

What can your car learn from an aluminum can?  Quite a bit, it seems.  While it doesn’t sound like that can provide much safety, the people that make soda cans and aluminum foil are getting into the car business.

Here’s why:  Extra weight in your car means extra time to stop.  Extra time to stop means extra work for your brakes.  Extra work for your brakes means they wear out, and that’s where your safety comes in.

The trick is to create a car that is both lightweight, and also safe.  Aluminum manufacturers are teaming up with car manufacturers and they are finding out that people are willing to pay a little more money for a car that will get better gas mileage.  The heavy steel is being replaced by lightweight aluminum, while still offering great safety. It also has an impact on your stopping distance.  A lighter car, less effort to stop. 

Always be aware of your stopping distance, and if it seems like it’s taking you longer to bring your car to a complete stop, that’s the time to talk to a mechanic.  It takes about 175 feet to bring a car to a stop when it’s going 50 miles an hour.  That’s about 13 car lengths.  If it’s taking your longer than that, it’s time to get them checked… because even the strongest car (or aluminum can) can withstand only so much.

Brake Problems for You are Problems for All

Getting a car to go is half of the equation of driving.  The other half is getting it to stop.  We recommend very strongly that you have the “stop” part in place well before you ever try the “go” part.

 

The problems with brake problems is they almost never suddenly happen.  Brakes are always getting progressively worse, and they’re never quite as good as they were on day one.

Little by little your brakes begin to wear down.  Stopping takes longer and longer, and next thing you know you’re sitting in the middle of the intersection.

Your brakes are equipped with a funny little feature:  an alarm that goes off when the brakes are wearing down.  It’s that squeal you hear, and it’s trying to tell you something.   We don’t recommend you wait for that alarm, however.  A good mechanic will make it a point to really check your brakes whenever you are getting an oil change. 

Finally, consider this odd occurrence recently out west.  A car going down a hill in California actually started a brush fire when a small piece of metal flaked off of its brakes and landed in the dry grass.  Firefighters say this is not all that unusual.  So, keep in mind that bad brakes cause bad problems for you, people around you, and Smokey Bear.

The Rain and Your Brakes

Water on the roads isn’t good for anybody, and it really causes havoc with the ability to stop your car.  Inevitably, you’re going to drive through a puddle, and that’s likely to splash water up into your brakes.  A light tap a few times afterwards will actually help dry the brake pads to help you stop better the next time.

Got your cruise control on?  Turn it off!  Cruise control works on how fast it “thinks” the car is going. If you happen to hydroplane with cruise control on, those wheels will start spinning crazy-fast and you could have some big troubles once the tires make contact with the road again.

Lastly, if you hear some temporary squealing in your brakes after it rains that could be a couple of things.  Sometimes a little harmless rust forms on the surface rotors and makes noise until it gets knocked way, or trapped water in little grooves heats up and actually whistles like a tea pot as it steams away.  If the squealing lasts more than a minute or two, you might have something completely different going on and you may need to bring your car in for a complete check.

Beyond that, all the other safe driving rules apply:  Don’t drive through standing water, slow down during rain, and bring an umbrella.  You don’t want your hair all mussed up, do you?

Brake fluid, Unicorns, and Other Myths

The brake fluid is low… so just add some more, right?  We get that a lot at U.S. Automotive, but unfortunately brake fluid isn’t the same as coolant or even your oil.  If your brake fluid is low, something might be wrong. 

 

Topping off your Brake Fluid could mask larger issues

Here’s what’s going on:  As your brakes start to wear down, more fluid is needed to fill the caliper space.  You don’t need to know all those details, but you do need to know that just “topping off” the brake fluid could end up masking something important.

Brake fluid is actually helping the hydraulics in your system apply pressure to the brakes.  It’s a good idea to flush and change the brake fluid every couple of years, but it’s not always a good idea to just add some extra just so your little light goes off. 

If you do add some, it’s always important to release the old stuff when you have any work done on your brakes.  It’s the kind of thing that could make the difference between a nice parking job, and driving through the window of the flower shop.  As always, if you think something just doesn’t seem right, bring it on in and we’ll be happyto take a look.

Here’s to safe driving!

Auto-Braking For Bicycles

Bicycles sharing the road has been a debate for cities large and small for a very long time.  Love ‘em or hate ‘em, nobody wants to hit ‘em. 

Enter Volvo.

At the Geneva Motor Show, the Swedish car company known for safety, has unveiled a new system that will keep both motorists and bicyclists safe.  In what is an enhancement of automatic braking systems already in place in many Volvo models, this new system will actually scan for bikes that are riding parallel to the car.  A spokesman for Volvo explains that “if a cyclist heading in the same direction as the car suddenly swerves out in front of the car as it approaches from behind and a collision in imminent, there is an instant warning and full braking power is applied.”

For the past few years Volvo has been equipping cars with automatic braking that will detect a pedestrian or another vehicle, with great success.  This new innovation will be welcome in dense urban areas where bike and car collisions are all too common, and it will add a measure of safety in suburban and rural areas where kids risk darting in front of vehicles.

Will the day come when cars will detect dogs, squirrels and deer?  Perhaps.  Each advancement like Volvo’s takes us one step closer to the day when we have driver-less cars. 

How much would YOU trust a car that automatically brakes?

5 Noises Your Car Makes That Means It Needs Help

“The engine makes a clicking noise when I hit 40.”

“I hear whistling.”

“My brakes squeak”

We hear these phrases a lot and you may have heard these noises many times in all the years you’ve driven. Here are 5 noises we think you should be concerned with when you hear them.

1.       The “Hiss” or “Whistle – When you hear this coming from the engine, it usually means a leak in a vacuum hose. If you are hearing a whistle from near your serpentine belt, that could be an issue with the alternator.

2.       A “Whine” – If you hear a whine that just won’t go away as you drive, it could be an issue with the driveline and the gears – more than likely this is a differential problem and could be costly. There’s also a chance you just need new differential fluid!

CV Joint

3.       A “Knocking” – When your car hits 40 and you hear a sound as if someone is knocking on the tires, you more than likely have a worn CV joint.  If you are traveling at low speeds and hear this, it’s possibly a failing wheel bearing. 

4.       A “Clicking” – when this comes from the engine, it’s possibly loose valves. It’s an easy fix for older cars with synthetic motor oil.

5.       A “Squeal” – Common from the brakes when you apply them, this means the metal in the brake pad is exposed and you need new brakes.

Another piece of advice – listen very closely to where the sound is coming from and have another person sit in the car, in the back seat, to listen as well. This can help you determine where it’s coming from and that helps us figure out how to fix your problem!