Welcome to Buckinghamshire's Premier Vauxhall Service Centre

How Modern Car Brakes Work

The disc brakes on modern vehicles, operate using a similar principle to that used by bicycles. Bikes have what is known as a caliper that forces the rubber pad of the brake against the rim of the bike wheel. In a disc braking system, fluid is forced via a hydraulic mechanism through brake pipes and this forces the pads to press against a rotor, as opposed to a wheel and friction between the pads and the rotor to slow the vehicle down. Effectively every time your car slows down there is a conversion between movement to heat produced by friction. For this reason most car disc brakes have a series of vanes between the discs that act as vents. These vents provide a cooling system for the braking system within the wheel.

Common Car Brake Problems

• Low brake fluid is common and easy to diagnose simply by checking the brake fluid at regular intervals or when the brake light appears on the dash.
• If you notice a squeaking noise when you apply the brake this is often an indication that the brakes are worn and need changing.
• Sometimes brakes become so worn that there is an audible grinding noise each time the brake is applied. Not only can this cause significant and costly damage to the rotor, it also is a clear indicator that the car should not be driven and immediate brake replacement work is required.
• Sometimes drivers notice that their brake pedal appears less firm than it did previously and this can often indicate that there is air in the brake lines and they need bleeding.
• If the brake pedal slowly sinks to the floor when pressure is applied then there could be a need for a new brake master cylinder.
• If the car pulls to one side when applying the brakes this could indicate insufficient hydraulic fluid in one part of the braking system.
• Another common problem is smoking breaks accompanied by a strong burning smell. This can indicate a stuck brake calliper or wheel cylinder problem.

Servicing and Replacing Brakes

Although servicing or replacing brakes is not a particularly difficult or expensive job it is important that the problem is resolved as soon as an issue arises. At eVauxhall our skilled technicians will take the guess work out of diagnosing the problem and always provide you the customer, with the most cost effective and appropriate solution to your braking problems whilst ensuring safety remains the key priority.