We cannot stress enough the importance of pulling over and stopping your vehicle if the brakes are overheating. The brakes do not work if they are too hot. Consequently, you may find yourself unable to stop your car, SUV, or truck if the brake system is overheating. Do not take chances. Pay attention to the following signs of overheating brakes and call for a tow truck for your automobile.
Squealing Brakes
One of the first signs that your brakes are getting too hot is squealing every time you press down on the brake pedal. The brakes are going to squeal if they are too hot because the excess heat smooths out the brake pads and rotors. The brake pads and rotors rely on unsmooth surfaces to generate the friction the brakes need to produce kinetic energy. This energy is the energy that slows down and stops your vehicle. If the brakes are squealing, you may have smooth brake pads and rotors.
Burning Chemical Odor
Brakes that are overheating also release a strong burning odor that smells like chemicals. This is an indication that the brake fluid is actually boiling in your brake system. This is dangerous because, again, the brakes could fail. The heat of the brake fluid can prevent the fluid from slowing down your vehicle when you press down on the brake pedal. When you press down on the brakes, the fluid presses the calipers against the brake pads to press the brake pads against the brake rotors.
Burning Carpet Odor
In addition to smelling burning chemicals, you may also smell burning carpet coming from your brake system. This confirms that the brake pads have smoothed out. The pads smell like burning carpet when they are too hot. Unfortunately, as discussed above, this can prevent the brake pads and rotors from generating the friction that you need for your car, truck, or utility vehicle to reduce its speed and actually stop moving. You can easily cause an accident if you cannot stop your automobile.
To prevent your brake system from overheating, call us every 12,000 miles to schedule a brake system inspection. This gives us the chance to inspect the brakes and replace any parts that are worn out. For example, you generally need new brake pads every 10,000 to 20,000 miles. The rotors also often need to be resurfaced every 60,000 miles. Finally, you need new calipers every 75,000 miles. We can check all of these parts and take the action necessary to keep your brake system in tiptop shape.
