Category: Brakes

The Need for Speed (Wheel Speed Sensor Maintenance)

Today’s vehicles have some pretty amazing technology in them, including a computerized braking system we all pretty much take for granted these days. Antilock brake systems (ABS) have been around for years but they help drivers stop in much shorter distances reliably than ever before. When you see your ABS warning light come on, it’s important to find out what’s causing the problem. It’s a safety issue.

Often the problem when the ABS light comes on is a faulty wheel speed sensor. (In some cases the traction control light will also come on, perhaps because of a non-working wheel speed sensor.) Your vehicle uses the speed sensors to measure the rotational speed at each wheel. That sensor sends the speed data to a computer that can then adjust braking power and prevent your wheels from locking up.

If any of the wheel speed sensors isn’t working right, the ABS warning light will go on and the vehicle’s computer will turn off the antilock brake system. You’ll still have working brakes, but you will lose the functionality of that computerized system.

When your vehicle warns you the ABS has a non-working sensor, you can have a technician check to see what’s going on. It could be one of the sensors is dirty and a cleaning will solve the problem. But it also could be that one or more sensors needs to be replaced.

A technician will use computerized diagnostic equipment to determine what and where the problem is, replace any bad parts and then check to make sure the system is fully operational.

Antilock brakes and traction control are significant technologies that help prevent your vehicle from slipping on less-than-perfect road surfaces, especially useful during wintery weather. Make sure they’re helping you drive the way they designed to.

Autotronics of St. Peter
111 Jefferson Avenue
St. Peter, MN 56082
507.934.9290
http://autotronicsstpeter.com

Brake Service at Autotronics of ST Peter in St. Peter

Brakes really aren’t optional equipment for St. Peter drivers. And taking care of them isn’t optional either.

A regular brake inspection is on every MN car’s maintenance schedule. At Autotronics of ST Peter, our team will check your brake system and let you know if there are any essential problems. Of course, if you’re having trouble with your brakes, get your car into your St. Peter or Kasota service center right away. And watch out for these problems:

Low or spongy brake pedal
Hard brake pedal
A brake warning light that stays on
Constantly squealing or grinding brakes
Vibrations or clunking sounds when you apply your brakes

There are two types of brakes: disc and drum. Disc brakes have a rotor that’s attached to the axle. Calipers straddle the rotor, kind of like the brakes on a bicycle. Drum brakes are more common on back wheels. Pads, called shoes, push against the inside of the drum to slow the vehicle.

There are several things that need to be serviced on the brake system. First, the brake pads and shoes wear out with use, and become too thin to really help. If the brake pads wear away completely you can damage the rotors. The calipers can grind grooves in the rotor. Then the rotor must either be resurfaced or replaced and that can be expensive. But putting it off is dangerous because your minivan won’t stop as quickly. Sometimes rotors warp or crack and must be replaced.

Brake fluid is also important. When the brakes are applied, the pressure in the fluid activates the brake pads or shoes. Not enough fluid, not enough pressure to brake properly. Also, water builds up in the brake fluid over time, which leads to corrosion, leaks and harmful brake damage, and with hard use, the brakes could severely fade or even fail. St. Peter drivers should change the brake fluid when their automobile manufacturer recommends it.

There are different grades of brake pads sold in the St. Peter area. There are regular, metallic and ceramic – higher grades are more expensive, but give better braking performance and smoother operation. It’s OK to upgrade your brake pads. But, never use a grade that’s lower than what the vehicle manufacturer recommends.

Be sure to properly maintain your brakes because it’s a lot cheaper than paying your nearest Cleveland area body shop after an accident.

Hitting The Brakes In Saint Peter

Hello St. Peter, let’s talk about brakes. Braking, as all MN auto owners know, is slowing or stopping your vehicle. As you can imagine, brakes are engineered to work well on a particular vehicle application. For example, you would expect more powerful brakes on a heavy-duty pickup that routinely hauls big loads and pulls trailers, than you would on a compact car. And a Corvette that can go over 180 miles per hour would have much different braking needs than the family mini-van you drive around between St. Peter, Cleveland and Saint Peter.

But the mechanical aspects of the brakes themselves are just one issue. There’s also the power brake pump and brake fluid. And then there are the tires, which are critical to the effectiveness of the brakes.

Let’s step back. A new minivan or truck rolls off a local St. Peter showroom floor. It has brand new brakes with brand new brake pads. The brake lines and pump are filled with fresh fluid and are completely clean inside. And the tires are brand new, with full tread. It is ready to go.

Naturally, braking power is at its peak performance. Now the miles start to add up on the minivan. St. Peter motorists tend to focus on the brake pads. In the automotive business, the pads, and shoes on drum brakes, are called the friction material. That’s because they provide the friction used to stop the vehicle. The pads are designed to be effective throughout their useful life – it’s not until they are worn so thin as to be out of vehicle manufacturers’ specs that they lose their ability to stop.

The mechanical parts of the brakes have pistons and springs that get quite a workout while breaking. Over many miles around MN, these wear and get gummed up. They start to lose effectiveness gradually and could even fail – a scary possibility That’s why a regular brake inspection at Autotronics of ST Peter is important for your minivan and your family’s safety. At Autotronics of ST Peter we can test the operation of the brakes and see if any parts need cleaning or replacing.

That leads us to brake fluid service at Autotronics of ST Peter. Some of the critical additives in the fluid that lubricate and clean the minivan fluid system are depleted over time. That and moisture building up in the system reduce the performance of the brake fluid. A brake service at Autotronics of ST Peter cleans out deposits, water and dirt. Then the system is filled up with fresh fluid.

The tires are what connect the minivan to the road. Stopping force all comes down to traction. The better the tires grip the road, the quicker you’ll stop.

This is especially important on wet Cleveland area freeways and surface streets. Studies have shown that wet stopping distance increases significantly as tires wear down. MN car owners need to understand that they can have brakes that are operating at peak efficiency and yet still be in danger because their tires are worn out.