Brake And Light Inspection | Most Important Safety Aspects

Posted by Smog-Latino on November 12th, 2019

In the holiday season, it is a tradition for many families to hold long road trips at different or visit their relatives. It is also a very busy period for many mechanics, who are flooded with vehicles getting a last-minute check over and service before going the road.

One of the most important safety aspects is to have a brake and light inspection for the vehicle. It could be between stopping safely or not at all. Fortunately, Smog-Latino has a checklist that will make a brake inspection quick and easy.

1. Spongy brake pedal: Does your vehicle have a spongy brake pedal recently? If your answer is yes, in this case, it is most likely time to do a brake fluid flush. The brake pedal becomes spongy from air bubbles present in the braking system. The brake fluid with Bubbles cannot provide maximum pressure to the brakes, reducing braking capabilities.

2. Low on brake fluid: If the brake fluid flush has been made recently, check the brake fluid reservoir and make sure that the fluid is at the maximum or full line.

3. Brake pads Visual inspection inspects if the brake pads require replacing. For a thorough inspection, remove the wheels of the car and check if the brake pads have reached the wear marks or have worn out. It is best to replace them with new brake pads if it is worn close to the indicator.

4. Uneven wear on brake pads: If there is significantly more wear on a set of brake pads than the other (left to right), then this usually indicates a problem with the brake caliper. Usually, it is just a simple re-grease of the sliding pins, and the caliper may need a rebuild or replacement.

5. Brake rotors With the wheels taken off: Make sure the rotors are cool before you take the vehicle for inspection. Check around for irregular grooves, rough spots, or cracking. Also, check for any uneven wear by visually inspecting the edges. Make sure the rotor is not worn down to its wear markers. If you observe any symptoms,, the brake rotors should be machined or replaced.

If, at any time you feel that your vehicle needs a brake and light inspection, visit our Smog Latino station in Fontana, CA.