We should do more than just listening for unusual noises when engaging the brakes. There are clear clues that can tell us whether the brake system has started to perform poorly. In this case, we should look for ways for the braking system to work properly once more. In this case, we should look for any unusual symptom. As an example, braking problem can happen due to grabbing or pulling to one side. It could happen due to numerous reasons and none of them are good. In this case, the brake system could be misadjusted. Leakage of grease, brake fluid and oil could also be symptoms of brake problems. Grabbing and pulling to one side could also be caused by frozen brake cables during winter seasons. Brake pedal could become less responsive when we have started to lose brake fluids, often due to leakage. Brake line faults or bad master cylinder could cause leakage. Any experienced mechanic should be able to easily diagnose this problem.
Another big problem could also be caused by vibrating brake pedal. It happens when the brake system surface has warped. When excessive wear combines with high temperature, the surface of the drum or rotor could warp. This could cause unique vibration. When vibration occurs, it is very likely that we need to resurface a brake element or replace it completely. When we have clicking noises during braking, it is possible that a component that is intended to stop the brake pads moving has failed. In this case, brake pads will rattle or get loose during braking. During acceleration, we may also encounter excessive drags. If we rarely use the emergency brake, the cable could freeze or become rusty. Regardless of what happens, we should check the car when the brake performance has degraded. Complete brake failure could cause the car to lose the braking system and it won’t be able to stop quickly when we drive at higher speed.
Complete brake failure could happen due to crystallized brake shoes or pads. The pad material should be able to hold and grab the drum or rotor surface. During this braking operation, some amount of heat will be generated. Brakes will degrade faster when we stop too fast, putting a lot of pressure to the brake surface. It is also a bad thing to ride the brakes, because the brake will be engaged. In some cases, the brake pads will become hard, due to crystallization. When it happens, the brake pad will not be able to grab the surface of the rotor and our car won’t be able to stop completely in a short time. We should also check whether brake components are soaked with grease or oil. If it happens, we may need to repair broken trans-axles or boots. When grease and oil leak on to brake pads, the stopping effectiveness will be reduced. There could also be hotspots on brake drums or rotors that cause the braking system to work poorly.