Hearing a lot of noise from your European car’s brakes can definitely make you more than a tiny bit nervous. Jackson Auto Repair knows that feeling, and we have some information to help you to understand why your brakes might be making more noise than usual.
Problems with the Rotors
If the rotors are worn or damaged in some way, that can cause them to have trouble lining up properly with the brake pads. This alone can cause some noises that are a bit unusual for you to hear. It can also cause the brake pads to wear unevenly, which is another big issue for your car’s brakes.
Worn Brake Pads
As the brake pads wear down with normal usage, they eventually get to something called wear tabs. These are pieces embedded in the brake pads that are designed to get your attention. They do that by causing noises that are loud enough for you to hear in the passenger compartment.
Hot or Glazed Brake Pads
When your car’s brakes get hot, that isn’t necessarily good for them in the long run. In particular, the brake pads can form something called glazing. That means that as the pads get too hot, they get softer and then as they cool down, it’s almost like when glass cools. The surface is smooth and harder than usual. When you apply the brakes, that hard surface against the rotors sounds pretty bad until it wears off.
Junk Caught in the Brakes
It’s actually pretty surprising what all can get caught up in your car’s brakes. There are a lot of nooks and crannies, and everything from twigs to road debris and just dirt can get caught up in the brakes. Sometimes those items might get in spots that make a bit of unusual noise until they get dislodged.
The Car Hasn’t Moved in a While
Not everyone drives their European car every day. If that describes your situation, you might find that once in a while you go to fire up your car and the brakes sound terrible for the first little while you’re driving. That’s often because moisture and even just sitting for a while can leave a coating on the brakes that can sound pretty loud.
It’s never a bad idea to get your brakes inspected when you’re hearing new and unusual noises. Let us help you at Jackson Auto Repair in Jackson, TN. We can set up an appointment for you right away and put your mind to rest about what you’re hearing with your European car’s brakes.