Signs When The Cars Brake Pads Run Out

Brake pads are components made of fragile ceramic material. This makes the surface of the brake pads increasingly eroded. So that under certain conditions the entire surface of the brake pads will be eroded and you have to buy new brake pads. When your car’s brake pads run out, the braking system cannot work normally as usual. The following are the signs you will feel when your car’s brake pads are worn out:

Squealing sound when the brakes are pressed

Indeed, not all sounds indicate the brake pads are used up, but there is one sound that can indicate the thickness of the brake pads is very thin. This sound is similar to the friction between zinc and iron, and this sound only appears when we press the brakes. This squeaking sound comes from the brake wear indicator rubbing against the brake disc. Brake wear indicator is a small plate that is located next to the brake pads and leads to the brake disc. This plate is attached to the brake pads so that if the brake pads move closer to the disc, this plate also moves closer to the disc. If the condition of the brake pads is thick, then the plate will not rub against the brake disc. However, if the brake lining is very thin, this plate will rub against the disc and make a sound.

The volume of brake fluid drops dramatically

The relationship between the volume of brake fluid and the thickness of the brake lining is on the piston which is located inside the brake caliper. The disc brake system does not have a return spring on the caliper. So that if the piston sticks out of the caliper it cannot return automatically. When the piston sticks out of the caliper, the hydraulic space inside the caliper will be filled with brake fluid in the reservoir. In other words, brake fluid is sucked into the brake hydraulic lines. The brake lining construction consists of two brake linings located beside a disc. While the calipers will clamp the three components.

The brakes don’t grip as usual

Unused brakes are not only caused by worn out or thin brake pads. However, logically, when the brake pads run out, the surface of the pads will be uneven. This will make the pressure of the canvas against the disc also less evenly, so that the cross-sectional area of the brake will be smaller. This makes the braking power generated less than the maximum even though we have stepped on the brake pedal hard enough.

Step on the brake pedal feels deep

If the drum brake pads that are usually used on the rear wheels of the car run out, then this symptom has the potential to be present. This is because drum brakes have a return spring. So that no matter how far the piston moves, it will return to its original position automatically. If the brake pads are still thick, it is enough for the piston to move a little, the brake drum is depressed. But if the brake pads are thin, then the piston needs to move farther so that the drum can be pressed. This distant piston movement will be felt on pressing the brake pedal which feels deeper.

The front wheels are dirty and full of dust

The cause of the car’s front wheels being dirtier than the rear wheels is due to the difference in the brake system. Front wheels that use disc brakes have the potential to be dirtier because disc brakes are an open type of brake. So that the resulting brake dust will scatter throughout the suspension including the wheels. Of course from the brake pads, the brake pads that continue to rub against the disc will erode. The erosion of the brake lining is in the form of dust that sticks to the components near the brake lining.