Brakes are one of your car’s most important safety systems. The braking system relies on many different parts to bring your car to a stop ASAP. Over time, these parts can become worn or damaged, and your braking system will become less responsive. Fortunately, our Kia dealer in Salisbury, NC, can help you. These are some signs that you need to visit us for a brake repair.
Burning Chemical Smell
Acrid chemicals smell when you brake and are usually a sign that your brake fluid is overheating. The brake fluid provides the hydraulic power that allows the braking system to work. When we service your brakes, we check the consistency and quality of your brake fluid and replace it. As brake fluid ages, it becomes more prone to overheating.
If you’re driving and smell what could be overheating brake fluid, we advise pulling over as soon as it’s safe to do so. Overheating fluid can quickly start to boil, and boiling brake fluid doesn’t provide any hydraulic power. Without hydraulic power, your brakes will immediately fail when you step on them. We’ll investigate the reason for the overheating brake fluid and fix it.
Soft Brake Pedal
Brake fluid is highly pressurized. Pressurization is vital as it needs to bring a car weighing over 3,500 lbs to a stop almost instantly. As you step on the brake pedal, you’ll feel resistance. This resistance increases as you apply more pressure to the brake pad. If you stop on the pad and it goes almost to the floor before your brakes engage, you have a soft brake pedal.
A soft pedal is very dangerous, as it means that your ability to brake when you need to has been compromised. It is possible for air to enter through a tiny hole anywhere in the system. Once inside the hoses carry brake fluid, the air will form a bubble. This bubble blocks the movement of fluid and prevents your brakes from working correctly. We can bleed your brakes to remove any air in the system.
Hard Brake Pedal
A hard brake pedal is the opposite of the situation above. In this case, the braking system provides far more resistance than it should when you step on the pedal. This particular problem is caused by a failure of the brake pedal booster.
The brake pedal booster uses a vacuum system to reduce the pressure you need to exert to make your brakes work. It enables you to press down on the pedal and exert 10x normal human strength to make the braking system engage. If the vacuum in the booster has been compromised, your pedal will become very difficult to move. We’ll examine the booster and install a new one if it’s been damaged.
If you suspect you have a braking problem, schedule an appointment right away at Randy Marion Kia’s Service Center in Salisbury, NC.
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Warranties include 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain and 5-year/60,000-mile basic. All warranties and roadside assistance are limited. See retailer for warranty details.