What is that scraping sound coming from my car?

Brake repair - Bedford PA

Brake Service - Auto Repair Service Bedford PA

What is that scraping sound coming from my car? It’s an all too common question that most people immediately say: “Oh, that’s the brakes!” But then the response is… “no, when I hit the brakes, the noise goes away!”

At Town Hill Auto Repair Service providing Napa certified maintenance and repair to the Bedford PA community, we know cars; and the little noises that in this case… are trying to tell you something.

The Tab Tells the Tale

There is a thin metal feeler (warning tab) that protrudes from the side of the brake pad. This “tab” scrapes against the brake rotor when the brake pad wears to the point that they should be replaced by an auto repair service. One of the telltale signs that your brakes are in need of replacement is a screeching noise (metallic) heard before you touch your brakes. For most modern cars in the Bedford, PA area, this is by design.

Especially with ABS (anti brake locking system) the brake pads “float” a small fraction in the caliper (part that holds them) The gap is around the thickness of 2 business cards so it isn’t very much, but that movement allows to the edge of the brake pad, where the warning tab is, to touch the brake rotor (the part the brake pads clamp on to stop). This produces a scraping sound that can often be heard at low speeds.

Town Hill Auto Repair Service is your Complete, Napa Certified, Service Center
in the Bedford PA area. Call Today 814-310-2221

Napa Brake Pads - Auto Repair Service Bedford PA

Why does the sound go away when I hit the brake?

The reason why the sound goes away is when the brakes are applied, that “angle” of the pad that floats in the caliper is flattened parallel to the rotors, making the warning tab move away from the rotor. This design actually provides a greater warning that your brake pads will need replaced. That is even better considering the braking needs in the hills and roads here around Bedford PA; can wear out pads rather quickly.

What to do when it scrapes all the time?

At this point the brake pads are thin enough to have the brake warning tab to touch the rotor all the time. When this occurs you should make an appointment with our Napa Certifies Auto Repair Service to replace the brakes, before damage to other components occur; or you don’t have the brake needed to safely stop.

When Local Experience Matters

Town Hill Auto Repair Service in Bedford PA. is your main source for vehicle maintenance and repairs for your vehicle. Our ASE Master certified, dealer trained technicians can help you keep your vehicle ready for the road year around. Because we are a Napa certified repair facility, you can have peace of mind knowing that the repairs performed by Town Hill Auto Repair Service in Bedford PA. are backed with quality Napa parts and our nationwide warranty. Be sure to check with our automotive experts on best tips and practices to keep your car in Bedford PA. running its best.

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How often Should I Change my Brake Fluid?

Brakes - Auto Repair Service in Bedford, PA

The word of the day: Hygroscopic. Hygroscopic is a fluid’s ability to attract and hold water molecules from its surroundings. Why is this important? Because the brake fluid in your car is Hygroscopic.

Depending on the car you drive the mileage and time recommendations may differ, a lot; so make sure you look to see what the manufacture recommends for the interval of your car.

But Wait! If you drive a Ford Escape, Hyundai Elantra, Toyota Camry or several other models; there ARE NO recommendations from the manufacture!

In this article Town Hill Auto Repair Service  is going to get down and dirty with brake fluid, what it does and why it is important to keep it maintained.

What does Brake Fluid Do?

Brake fluid acts simply as the hydraulic translator between the mechanical pressure of the master cylinder out to the calipers or wheel cylinders of your vehicle.

Why do I need to change my brake fluid?

Because brake fluid is a hygroscopic fluid, as mentioned above, it attracts moisture into your braking system. Over a period of time this moisture can corrode internal braking components such as: lines, hoses, master cylinder, wheel cylinders and connections leading to expensive auto repairs. It also has a low temperature threshold meaning that the more you break in stop and go traffic the less viscosity that it maintains. The older the fluid the less viscosity, creating a condition known as brake fade.

Additionally, the moisture pulled into the fluid can also cause an inconsistent pedal as they water molecules will combine to create a pressure differential.

A common documented problem seen from this water contamination is on vehicles that use a metal clamp hanger for the front brake lines. Moisture collects on the inside of the hose at the point of the clamp where the hose cannot expand because of the moisture. The build up of moisture causes rust and pieces of the hose to begin to deteriorate causing a blockage. This blockage can result in a loss of braking or the inability of the pedal to return. The proper repair for this condition would be to have Town Hill Auto Repair Service replace the affected hoses, flush the old fluid from the system, clean the reservoir and replace with new fluid.

Town Hill Auto Repair Service is your Complete, Napa Certified, Service Center
in the Bedford PA area. Call Today 814-310-2221

Brake Fluid - Auto Repair Service in Bedford, PA

When should I change my brake fluid?

Many different manufacturers, depending on the fluid that used, have different intervals and mileage recommendations for changing your brake fluid. However, as mentioned above: many manufacturers no longer list an interval for changing out the brake fluid. This is for two reasons:

  • The brake fluid used is a high temperature or mineral based fluid
  • The manufacture doesn’t expect for you to maintain the car long enough to need to replace the fluid.

Yes it is true, many owners manuals have been rewritten over the years because auto manufacturers, in today’s current climate; do not anticipate vehicle ownership to exceed seven years. (With the average ownership of three years)

Town Hill Auto Repair Service in Bedford, PA recommends the changing of your brake fluid every two years or 45,000 miles for American vehicles prior to 2010. We recommend for European cars to change their brake fluid every three years or 60,000 miles. Hyundai’s, Kia’s and Volkswagens can typically go a little bit longer than the American recommendations, This is because the vehicles are generally smaller with less heat breakdown in the braking system.

If however, you have a full size model or are in continuous stop and go traffic where you need to consistently heat up your brakes to stop; you should consult with the experts here at Town Hill Auto Repair Service for the best recommendations for your particular driving needs.

Sportier performance vehicles such as Mustangs, Camaros, Corvettes, Dodge Challenger and vehicles of similar nature that are using oversize brakes; should also consult the experts at Town Hill Auto Repair Service as to the best recommendations for your driving style.

When Local Experience Matters

Town Hill Auto Repair Service in Bedford PA. is your main source for vehicle maintenance and repairs for your vehicle. Our ASE Master certified, dealer trained technicians can help you keep your vehicle ready for the road year around. Because we are a Napa certified repair facility, you can have peace of mind knowing that the repairs performed by Town Hill Auto Repair Service in Bedford PA. are backed with quality Napa parts and our nationwide warranty. Be sure to check with our automotive experts on best tips and practices to keep your car in Bedford PA. running its best.

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How often should I change my brakes?

A question that is often presented to the service consultants at Town Hill Auto Repair Service in Bedford PA is “How often should I change my brakes?”; and that’s a really good and responsible question to ask. There are many variables in Bedford PA that come into play when answering that question, such as: how often you drive your car, traffic conditions, the braking style of the driver and the type or condition of the brake components of your vehicle.

To better answer this question let’s look at a few of the braking components, braking conditions and scenarios to answer: how often should I change my brakes?

Driving Conditions in Bedford PA

Driving conditions in Bedford PA vary from driver to driver, car to car and city to city; greatly impacting how long your brakes might last. Most brake component manufacturers will tell you that the average life of a brake pad is approximately 30,000 miles “depending on driving conditions”. In simpler terms, the more you use your brakes the faster you will need to replace them.

If you are in the stop and go traffic of congested city driving, then your brakes will typically wear faster than those that may do more rural driving found in the Bedford, PA area. By that same token, your braking style may wear the brakes more aggressively such as waiting to the last moment to hit your brakes at a stop vs. gradually applying the brakes over a longer period of time.

Town Hill Auto Repair Service is your Complete, Napa Certified, Service Center
in the Bedford PA area. Call Today 814-310-2221

What’s That Screeching Noise?

One of the telltale signs that your brakes need to be replaced is a screeching noise (metallic) coming when you apply your brakes. For most modern cars in the Bedford, PA area, this is by design. There is a thin metal feeler that protrudes from the side of the brake pad that when the brake pad wears at the point that the pads should be replaced, the metal feeler rubs against the brake rotor creating the metallic screeching noise, that you should be hearing.

This is absolutely normal and should be the sign that you need to replace your brakes. Other more sophisticated vehicles utilize an electronic wear sensor seen on many high-end European models. If you are hearing a metallic screeching noise yet, you know that your brakes are in good condition (because you have them regularly inspected at Town Hill Auto Repair Service in Bedford PA) then there may be a mechanical problem that should be investigated by the master mechanics at Town Hill Auto Repair Service.

Rear Brake Replacement

As cars continue to change each year in the Bedford, PA area, so do the components in the braking system. Over the last 10 years, especially, passenger vehicles have been produced with very small brake pads that wear as quickly as the front or faster because they’re so small. This has naturally created a level of confusion as older vehicles could typically go 50,000 miles and up on rear brake pads or drum shoes.

Why does it seem like I need to replace my brake rotors every time?

Brake rotor thicknesses have been changed due to recommendations from the NTSB making them, in some cases, below the recommended thickness as they come out of the box. Because of the use of composite materials in brake rotor construction, turning or resurfacing is a practice seldom done except for larger pickups and SUVs that traditionally have much thicker brake rotors. The service professionals at Town Hill Auto Repair Service will always make recommendations based upon your safety, not to just sell more parts.

Conclusion

For those vehicle owners that appreciate the advantages of a vehicle that is well maintained and inspected by a qualified auto repair service such as Town Hill Auto Repair Service serving Bedford PA; brake wear is regularly inspected to let you know the approximate life left on your brake pads. For those DIYer’s, the brakes themselves will have a metallic feeler that will let you know when the brakes are worn to a point of recommended replacement, providing that your using quality parts like premium brake pads from Napa Auto Parts.

When Local Experience Matters

Town Hill Auto Repair Service in Bedford PA. is your main source for vehicle maintenance and repairs for your vehicle. Our ASE Master certified, dealer trained technicians can help you keep your vehicle ready for the road year around. Because we are a Napa certified repair facility, you can have peace of mind knowing that the repairs performed by Town Hill Auto Repair Service in Bedford PA. are backed with quality Napa parts and our nationwide warranty. Be sure to check with our automotive experts on best tips and practices to keep your car in Bedford PA. running its best.

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Learn more about our services – click here

Learn more about our team – click here

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