Generally if your brakes are losing their bite, you really need to have them checked.

Your brakes are one the most important safety system of your car, if not the most important. Brakes allow you to control the speed of your vehicle, will stop the car and the brake pedal is the first pedal you will hit in an emergency.

So they are vital for you and your car.

Like any other system in your car, they need to be regularly maintained and inspected to make sure they are working correctly and effectively.

Your annual MOT or annual Service are both times a qualified car mechanic or technician can review the condition of your brakes but also you should always be on the lookout for warning signs that tell you your brakes are not in the best condition that they can be.

Here are 5 Signs You can look out for to see if you need New Brake Pads

1. Squeaking noise.
Many brake pads have wear indicators.
Wear indicators are metal tabs located near the top of typical brake pads. When the brake pad itself wears down to a dangerous extent, the indicator will scrape against the rotor.

2. Clicking noise.
In some cars, the brake pads fit snugly into a special holding device. Other vehicles keep them steady with clips, bolts, or pins.
If they become loosened somehow they begin to rattle.
The clicking sound rings out whenever the brake pedal is pushed or released.

3. Stopping takes longer.
Known as “brake fade.” More often than not, it’s the direct result of intentionally applying the brakes over a vast distance without bringing the car to a full stop, for example when driving down a long hill.
By forcing the brake pads to make contact with the rotors for a long, uninterrupted period, both components will heat up.
In the process, their ability to generate needed friction against each other is reduced over time. As a result, you’ll find that your car won’t come to a complete stop as rapidly as it once did.

4. The nose of your car pulls to one side when you brake.
Your vehicle’s brake pads won’t always wear out at the exact same rate. Sometimes, those on one side will get thinner faster than their counterparts on the other side. Should this occur, the car may pull slightly to the left or right once you hit the brakes.

5. The brake pedal vibrates when pressed.
Does the brake pedal violently shake whenever you step on it? Your brake pads might be causing the problem. Brake pads are typically held together with a kind of binding resin. As each brake pad wears down, this adhesive gets hot and gets smeared across the rotor. Under ideal circumstances, it will form a layer that’s evenly spread over the disc’s surface. But if a brake pad gets overheated, the resin may not be distributed uniformly.

If any of these are occuring bring your car to us at Baldwins Garage in Bromsgrove.