Service Maintenance and Repair ROI_July 2021

AROUND THE WHEEL

DON'T UNDERESTIMATE THE IMPORTANCE OF CHECKING BRAKES THIS SUMMER Due to the multiple lockdowns, our cars have been left parked in our garages or outside our homes for a long time. Being encouraged to “stay home to save lives” has led to less traffic on our main roads, but elongated periods of being stationery can also be quite detrimental the condition of your car. Here’s what our partners at Brembo advise:

Ready, steady, go: time to drive! With restrictions on travelling still in place, staycations will be very popular and most of us will be using our cars to get to our destinations. This is exactly why we need our cars to be reliable and run like clockwork, especially when we are hundreds of miles away from home. The braking system is a safety critical part of the car and not something that can be neglected, particularly after the car has been left stationery for a substantial amount of time.

Get customers into your garage We highly recommend that before your customers depart for a long trip they have a thorough and complete vehicle check-up. The following checks are recommended: ■ the fluid levels (coolant, brake fluid and windscreen-washer fluid) and their condition ■ the thickness of the brake discs and pads ■ the presence of any grooves or cracks on the surface of the brake discs ■ the overall condition of the brake calipers ■ the condition of the car lights (side lights, full beam and dipped beam headlights, fog lights, brake lights, indicator lights, etc.) ■ the car battery ■ the operation of the air conditioning system ■ tyre wear and pressure. All of these components should be in excellent condition because if just one of them is worn excessively (e.g the brake pad or disc) or does not function correctly (calipers or other hydraulic components of the braking system) or has lost some of its performance (brake fluid), can result in poor braking performance that might seriously affect the safety of a journey.

Issues arising from being stationery Many components of the braking systems are manufactured from metals such as cast iron which is highly susceptible to rusting or corroding when exposed to the atmosphere. During lockdown many of us were still cleaning our cars but without being able to drive, the water and cleaning agents left on the surface of our brakes has accelerated the corrosion process. Corrosion will start to form on the surface of the brake discs and with normal use of the vehicle, this rust is removed by applying the brakes. But if the car has not been driven for a while, this can cause the areas affected by corrosion to expand. Corrosion on the surface of the brakes can cause noise during braking and even more worrying can increase stopping distances due to a reduction in the performance of the braking system. This is not the only issue, as the parking brake is engaged the pads/shoes have been left in contact with brake discs/drums. Corrosion will build up and can cause these components to stick to each other, and this will prevent the wheels from moving the next time that the car will be driven. This is known as brake stiction.

Something else to consider... We strongly advise your customers to get into a workshop a good few weeks before taking the long planned staycation journeys. Should any braking components need to be replaced and as they are mechanical and hydraulic components, a bedding-in period of approximately 100-150 miles is required to make the braking system perfectly operational. During this mileage, we advise against stressing the friction material too intensively. It is best to avoid braking suddenly or leaving brakes applied for a prolonged period and to brake gradually and briefly to allow the brake pads to align with the discs correctly.

Fluid must not be forgotten! Although most car owners are aware of the condition of their brakes, an often-overlooked aspect of the braking systems is the condition of the brake fluid. By nature, brake fluid is highly hygroscopic, meaning it tends to absorb moisture from the surrounding environment through the hoses of the brake circuit. This will lower the brake fluid boiling point which opens the system up to risks associated with ‘Vapour Lock'. This can be frightening and even fatal if you were to experience a total loss of braking power even with full pressure on the brake pedal. So it is crucial to ensure the fluid level is topped, without any leaks to the braking system.

If the type of journey they intend to make involves heavy use of the braking system ( e.g heavy traffic or mountainous areas ) it is best to take their car to have its brakes checked and possibly replace any detrimental components well before the departure, to have enough time to perform the bedding-in process in ideal conditions.

Remember to check tyres Even if a braking system is in an excellent condition, remember that braking time and braking distance are also tied to the set of tyres fitted to the car. Even with the same driver response times and braking system characteristics, you can get very different results depending on the tyre condition. In order to transmit all the braking torque to the road tarmac surface, you need tyres that are in good condition and inflated to the right pressure. If the tyres are under-inflated, it can increase the braking distance, and if they are over-inflated, it makes it harder to control the car during braking. You should also advise your customers that it's a good idea to check the tyre pressure frequently, so as not to be shocked by longer braking distances, which is potentially dangerous.

Although many vehicle manufacturers give a guideline based on mileage or age to check and change brake fluid, the safest way to test the condition is a ‘boil-test’. This test boils the brake fluid to accurately detect the amount of moisture.