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Brakes are the most important feature on any vehicle, so keeping them in good condition and working effectively is paramount. A key part of this is ensuring that your brake pads are in good working condition.
Typically, brake pads last anywhere from between 60,000-150,000km. However, this largely depends on your driving habits, coupled with a few other factors. Brake pad replacement often costs a couple hundred dollars per axel. Therefore, if you can make your brake pads last longer, you can save quite a bit of money
At Car Lane Auto, we’re always trying to save our customers money wherever we can. In this blog, we’re going to show you the top five ways to extend the life of your brake pads. Though, please note that there are a few you instances in which you should always replace your brake pads. For example, if they start to “screech” when braking, or you notice decreased performance.
1. Slow and Steady
When it comes to braking, full and complete stops from a high speed are the number one cars premature brake pad wear. Speed causes brake pads to wear exponentially fast and causes the brake pads to dissipate more energy. Instead of braking late and aggressively, we recommend slowly braking for a longer period of time.
Car Lane Auto Fact: Brake pads work by transforming energy into heat. As a result, brake pads become worn out more quickly the more energy they have to dissipate. Therefore, if you slow down just a little bit, you can save a bit of wear and tear on your brake pads, which will save you money down the road.
2. Coasting
Coasting is another great way to extend the life of your brake pads. This means paying more attention to the flow of traffic, and stopping or slowed-down cars that are ahead of you, and coasting whenever you can to lower your speed – rather than braking.
For example, if you’re going on a highway off-ramp, coast from 120 kph to 80 kph, and then press the brakes to slow down the rest of the way. Your brakes will thank you.
3. Don’t Brake Suddenly Unless Necessary
This tip is one of our favourites. Not only will this advice help you save on gas, but it will also help with brake wear and tear. Notice a red light or a stop sign coming up? Start coasting and slowing down.
There is no reason to step on the gas and to brake suddenly when the cars ahead of you are not moving. All you’ll do is waste fuel, and put excessive wear on your brake pads.
4. Keep Your Car Light
Although people don’t often keep heavy objects in their car, but if you tend to keep a lot of stuff in your car, that weight can add up and have serious implications for your brake pads. This larger kinetic load puts excessive force on your brake pads, meaning increased wear and tear when your brake pads must halt to a stop.
5. Flush Your Brakes
Your brakes should be bled and flushed about every 2 years, especially if you have an older car or put a lot of kilometres on it. This will help your brakes work more effectively, and make your internal components work longer.
Brake fluid naturally attracts water. During emergency braking or repeated brake use, this moisture can boil, which reduces braking effectiveness. Moisture can also cause internal corrosion, which also reduces the lifespan of brake components such as rubber seals.
Eventually, your brake pads and rotors will have to be replaced — it’s inevitable.
However, if you follow these simple tips for extending the lifespan of your brake pads, you can receive quite a bit more life out of them.
If you’re not sure whether or not your brake pads need to be replaced, give Car Lane Auto a call and let us take a look at your vehicle.