How To Check If Your Brake Pads Are Working

Brakes have a crucial function. They are the car part that lets you slow down and stop safely, which is why they are essential. Brake pad maintenance is something that every car owner should focus on to ensure safety for them and their passengers.

If your car brakes when you push the pedal, it does not mean that your brake pads are correctly working. You can see the brake pads through the holes in the wheel on most cars. This offers good visibility and lets you roughly see their condition. However, checking their condition is not an easy thing to do.

In the parts below, we will talk about it in detail – helping you understand how to check your brakes, when to do it, and how to tell if you need to replace your brake pads.

When To Check Your Brakes?

Before we show you how to check your brakes, let’s start with the when. Replacing your brake pads should happen when they wear out. There is no specific schedule, but you should regularly check them to determine the amount of wear and tear.

What are brake pads?

If you are new to brake pads, you should first understand what they are. Commonly described as small, highly resistant pads located on either side of each of the car’s brake discs, brake pads are attached to the wheel’s axle, so braking them stops the axles from turning.

However, these brake pads grip the discs and get very hot. Despite their fire-resistance material, they eventually wear out and must be replaced. The average lifespan of brake pads goes anywhere from 50,000 to 70,000 kilometers, but some might wear out even sooner than that.

Brake pad wear has a lot to do with your driving style and the areas where you drive. For instance, if you commute in urban areas in the UAE, your brake pads will likely wear out faster than they would if you drive on rural roads. This is due to the constant stopping and starting in city traffic.

Replace your car brake pads in UAE if you see the following:

• Longer stopping distances
• Squealing or screeching noises
• Less than 5-6mm of brake pad
• Deep metallic grinding and growling

We recommend checking the brake pads whenever you rotate or change your tyres. This should happen about every six months, and while you are at it, you should also understand what service schedule and parts may be right for your specific vehicle.

How To Check Your Brakes?

Brake pads are designed to give accurate signals when they need inspection or replacement. Now, you can do the check both by seeing your brake pads and while you are driving. Here is some information on both examinations.

Checking Your Brakes While Driving

To see if your brakes need replacement while driving, you need to turn down the radio and listen. Also, you need to feel the pedals and be able to notice if something is off. In practice, you should:

• Listen To Your Brakes: Each car has brake pads that are designed to make a noise as an early warning signal that they need replacement. The noise sounds similar to metal scraping on wheels when your car is moving. So, if your vehicle is making similar noises, it’s time to visit your car technician to diagnose them.
• Watch The Pedals And Steering Wheel: Worn out brake pads cause vibrations felt in the pedals and steering wheel. If your steering wheel or pedals are vibrating, especially when you brake, it is a sure sign that you need replacement.
• Warning Light: Modern vehicles have dashboards that show warning lights related to low brake fluids. If you see something like this, visit your car technician as soon as possible.

These are some of the clear signs that you need brake pad replacement. However, if you suspect that something is wrong with the way your car drives or brakes, you should have it inspected by a UAE brake pad professional.

Visually Inspect Your Brake Pads

Taking a look at your brakes to see if there are obvious signs of wear and tear is the next step. You can do this when your car is parked, and the ignition is off. Ideally, you should:

• Look At The Wheels: If there is dust in your brake pads, you should know that it is normal. However, if your wheels are dirtier or cleaner than usual, it might be the brakes causing that. In that case, we recommend having your brakes inspected.
• Observe your Brake Pads: Brake pads can be seen through the wheel on many cars. If your wheels have a similar structure, you should look at the brake pads to determine their thickness. If they seem very thin and less than 50-60mm, they are likely in need of replacement.
• Check The Brake Pad Indicator: When visually observing your brake pads, you should look for a slot in the center which serves as their wear indicator. Look at it – if it is almost gone, you need to replace your brake pads.

Looking For Quality Brake Pads And Brakes Replacement In UAE?

Sooner or later, the time to replace your brake pads will come. If you are looking for quality brake replacement in Dubai or any other region within the UAE, you should look no further.