The health and safety of our staff, customers, and community is our top priority. Read an important message from Rick Roush Honda.
Your brakes are one of your Honda’s most essential safety features, as they enable you to control your speed at any time. Brake components can wear out or get damaged, and this affects your Honda’s braking ability. As your Honda dealer, we’d like you to know some of the signs that you need to visit us for a brake repair.
Signs You Need a Brake Repair at Your Honda Dealer
Soft Brake Pedal
The braking system contains braking fluid, and this fluid is highly pressurized. High pressure is essential, as the average weight of a Honda is approximately 4,100 lbs, and the braking system must force it to stop moving almost instantly when you hit the brakes. You can feel the pressure inside the system as resistance when you press down on the pedal.
If you step on the brake pedal and you feel little resistance, you have a serious brake problem. The lack of resistance means there is either a leak in the system and brake fluid is draining out, or there’s an air bubble in the braking system. The lack of resistance means your brakes will be slower to respond than they should be and could even fail. We’ll find and fix the cause of the problem.
Overheating Brake Fluid
When you hit the brakes, the pressurized brake fluid is forced into the brake hoses and lines. Once you take your foot off the brakes, the fluid is withdrawn. If you have to ride your brakes, for example, you’re driving downhill or are stuck in traffic, the brake fluid is kept in the hoses and lines. The pressure in the system generates heat, and this can cause the fluid to overheat.
If you smell a foul burning chemical smell, your brake fluid could be overheating. If this happens, we advise pulling over ASAP and allowing your brakes to cool. Driving with overheating brake fluid is dangerous, as it loses its ability to generate hydraulic pressure. Without this pressure, your brakes are likely to fail. We’ll examine your braking system to determine any other cause for the overheating fluid.
Visible Damage
Most of the braking system can only be seen from underneath your car. You can, however, see several of its vital systems by looking through the spokes of your wheels. If you kneel, you can see the flat rotor behind each wheel, the brake caliper that’s positioned above the rotor, and the brake pads inside the brake calipers.
If you use a flashlight, you might see signs of damage like a jammed caliper, scouring on the rotor, or even a small leak from a worn hose. Our technicians can more closely examine the system and repair any problems we find.
If your brakes are slow to respond, or show any other signs of trouble, call us ASAP at Rick Roush Honda.
Connect with us
