You press the brake pedal of your car hundreds of times each day. Every press of the brake pedal involves a complex safety system that will remain dependable for years with proper maintenance. Safely stopping a 3,000-4,000 pound vehicle requires your brakes to be in optimum working condition at all times.

You’ll need to know a few terms before truly understanding brake systems. There are many varieties of brakes, though the focus below will be on newer model systems.

  • Brake fluid container – container that holds clean brake fluid under the hood.
  • Master cylinder – holds brake fluid and forces fluid into the brake lines.
  • Brake lines - rubber lines running from the master cylinder to the brake assembly for each wheel.
  • Brake pads - also called brake shoes. Pads are made of copper, brass, and steel. Brake pads are attached to a caliper that grips the disc or drum for stopping.
  • Drum brakes - located on the rear wheels. Brake pads press against the brake drum to stop the rear wheels.
  • Disc brakes - located on the front wheels of the car. Brake pads press against the disc brake assembly to stop the front wheels.
  • Rotor - circular center part of a disc brake system that the brake pads grab to stop the car. Rotors can become grooved from pressure from brake pads and require resurfacing (grinding to smooth) at maintenance time.
  • Parking brake - controls the rear brakes through a series of steel cables.
  • ABS-antilock braking system - is standard on newer vehicles and automatically applies the brakes at the point of wheel lock up. Basically, ABS pumps the brakes for you.

How the Brake System Works
Braking your car starts when you press the brake pedal. The pressure transfers from the pedal to the master cylinder. The master cylinder forces brake fluid into the brake lines connected to your wheels. The fluid moving through the lines creates friction that reaches the brake pads and drums or discs. The heat generated from this friction causes the brake pads to compress on the drum or disc to stop the car.

Signs of Wear on Your Brakes
Be aware that your safety every day relies on the stopping ability of your brakes. Most brake systems require service every 20,000-30,000 miles. Some signs of brake wear are:

  • Squealing sound when the brake pads have worn to their replacement indicators.
  • Vibrations when pressing the brake.
  • Brake warning indicator light is on.
  • Steering wheel pulls to one side when brakes are applied.
  • Brake pedal is spongy or hard to push.

Servicing your Brakes
It’s recommended that you have a safety inspection of your braking system every year. However, your brakes should be completely serviced every 2 years. This service should include:

  1. Replacement of front brake pads
  2. Resurfacing of the rotors grooved.
  3. Replacement of rear drum or disc brake pads.
  4. Bleed entire brake system.
  5. Replace brake fluid.
  6. Complete inspection of the braking system.

Modern brakes are very reliable, but accidents do happen. If your brakes fail, you may be able to come to a safe stop if you pump the brakes. The cause of failure may be a leak or air in the brake line, and several pumps may help you stop. If this doesn’t work, try activating the emergency brake. This will at least allow the car to come to a safe stop. Then obviously, contact your service technician to repair the car.

We probably don’t give much thought to how brakes work or just how important they are for our car to function. It’s important to stick to a regular brake service schedule and pay attention to signs of wear. Understanding how brakes work will arm you with knowledge for safety and automotive repairs too.