5 December 2016 · Motoring Tips & Advice
How Often Should Your Toyota's Brakes Be Inspected | Phil Gilbert Toyota
A car’s brakes are actually a system made up of a number of different components. Each component serves its own functions and experiences its own stresses and strains.
Front Brakes
When you depress the pedal, brake fluid is pumped through a series of tubes to activate the brake calipers. This slows you down by creating friction with the metal of the brake pads (housed in the the calipers) and the disc rotors on your front wheels.
Rear Drum Brakes (if fitted)
With the rear wheels, brake fluid goes to the cylinder inside the drum. This causes the brake shoes to move toward the rotating drum, slowing and stopping it. The rear brakes are also connected to your park brake by a cable.
Servicing the Brake Components
Each of the components in a braking system is quite different – brake fluid, pads, calipers, and so on – and each has different servicing needs:
- Brake pads and shoes on average may require to be replaced every 30,000 to 100,000 kilometres, depending on wear and tear.
- The disc rotors may require to be machined, to create an even surface and ensure even brake pad wear.
- Brake fluid, depending on manufacturers guidelines, is recommended to be replaced every two years.
Keep an Eye on Things
As well as regular servicing, brakes may need unscheduled maintenance. Having to take your car in for extra servicing can be a hassle, but brakes are too important to ignore.
Keep an eye on your brakes in between services by:
Paying Attention to Your Pedal
If your brake pedal feels soft or you have to push it down a long way to get any slowing effect, bring your car to a Toyota service centre for a brake check-up. If the pedal feels hard & makes a hissing sound when pressed, you also likely have problems. Another problem is brake pulsation or fading. A pulsation felt through the brake pedal or steering wheel on brake application can indicate possible warped disc rotors, which can be rectified by either machining the disc rotors or replacing.
Listen to Your Brakes
If you are noticing sounds when you slow down, get someone to have a look. Squealing or squeaking may be a sign of worn brake pads and damage being done. If you hear grinding, treat it as an emergency: this sound usually means your brake pads have severely deteriorated!
Schedule Checks a Little Closer Together
Urban driving puts a lot of strain on your brakes and regular servicing will help you catch and avoid problems.
Check Your Brake's Health Today
At Phil Gilbert Toyota, we carry out professional brake inspections and repairs at two locations in Sydney. We can supply genuine Toyota spare parts for replacement and our team is made up of Toyota specialists. Get in touch today to book a service.
