Any car sooner or later requires replacement of brake pads. How to determine that this moment has come? You don't need to study to be a car mechanic for this. You just need to know the reasons that affect the wear of the brake system, as well as listen to what manufacturers and experienced motorists advise.
Engineers of automobile concerns give their recommendations on the timing of replacing brake pads. These assignments are specific to each vehicle model. And they are necessarily recorded in the vehicle operating manual. However, such advice is always relative. They most often determine when to start regularly checking the condition of the brake pads - both front and rear. At the same time, the range of mileage figures between them is tens of thousands of kilometers. As a rule, the front brake pads wear out first. When braking, it is on them that the main load falls. On average, they are enough for 20-30 thousand km. Rear pads wear out two times slower, but these figures are very relative. Because the wear of the pads depends on a large number of factors. Some of them are set initially and the same for all cars of the same series. These are the design of the brakes, the weight of the car, the quality of the material of the pads and brake discs (or drums). There are also circumstances depending on the owner of the car. For example, in what weather conditions and in what season the transport is operated. Usually in summer, in good weather, the car is used more intensively. During this period, mileage, speed inevitably increase, and wear also accelerates. Affects the condition of the pads and the loading of the vehicle. The more often it is fully loaded, the faster the brakes wear out. Driving style strongly influences the rate of wear of elements of the braking system. Aggressive driving, when the driver maneuvers and changes a lot and, therefore, accelerates sharply and often brakes, leads to accelerated wear of the brake pads. The residual life of the brake pads can be determined visually by their condition. Usually, there are special transverse grooves on each block in the thickness of the protective linings. If the pads are worn down to the base of these grooves, then the time has come to replace them. It is also considered the minimum allowable thickness of the linings of 2-3 mm. However, what thickness is considered permissible, it is better to focus on the recommendations of the manufacturers, both the cars themselves and the brake pads. A clear indication of the need to replace the brake pads is a decrease in braking efficiency, which is especially noticeable during emergency braking. And also an increase in the travel of the brake pedal. Another sign is a noticeable decrease in the level in the brake fluid reservoir. And, of course, there is an unpleasant sound that is heard when braking - creaking, grinding or crunching. You should not bring your car to such a state and save on pads. First, they are not very expensive. Secondly, the safety of the vehicle depends on them. And one more good news: a modern car itself is able to tell the owner when it is time to change the pads. For safety reasons, manufacturers now equip many models with brake pad wear sensors. Information about their ultimate wear is displayed on the dashboard, where the indicator is triggered.
