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Car brakes that function properly means that your used car can stop safely. However, there are instances where you can hear an annoying squeaking sound each time you brake for a full stop. Squeaky brakes are a result of contact of one metal to another. If your brakes are making noise or squeak every time you stomp the pedal, Airport Auto Sales Used Car Dealership in Alexandria, Virginia gives you some common ways on how to stop brakes from squeaking.

Make a regular check on your brakes

Even if you don’t have squeaky brakes, it is still important to check the brakes of your used car once a year to make sure they are functioning properly and effectively. This will also make sure that you will not lead to any untoward incident caused by malfunction brakes. 

Apply grease to the brake pads

If your brakes are brand new and still create some squeaking noise, you may need to apply some grease on the contact points. First, you need to remove the brake pads from the calipers before applying brake grease to all the contact points, including the backside of the brake pad and any other contact points on the caliper carrier. Airport Auto Sales Used Car Dealership in Alexandria, Virginia advises you not to apply any grease and oils on the rotor and brake pad friction surface.

Install a set of shims

Consider using brake pad shims to allow extra resistance against squeaky car brakes. Your brake pads may have shims already fitted out of the box, depending on the type of your used car. If there are no brake pads shims installed, some used car dealership advises you to install it on the reverse side of the pads to prevent squeaky noise on your car brakes. This will work by taking up any slack that allows the brake pads to move around. It also usually has a small layer of rubber to absorb any vibrations that would cause the brake to squeak.

Replace the rotors and brake pads

If you think that the pads and rotors are already worn out, maybe it is now time to replace them. If the brake pad friction surface gets old and worn out, you can hear a squealing noise because the pads and rotors are making direct contact from one metal to another. Moreover, warped rotors could be another cause of squeaking. This means that the pads cannot evenly make contact with the rotor surface when you intend to brake. In this case, you need to replace the brake pads and rotors already.

Worn rotors and pads are easy to identify in most used cars. If the brake pad has less than one-fourth of friction materials left, noticeable grooves will be present on the rotor surface, or maybe the rotor has a pronounces outer lip. When one or both are evident, consider a brake job immediately.

Let the technician do the job

There are various ways on how to fix car brakes, and even though there are many reasons why your brakes could be squeaking, the best advice that most used car dealership that could give is to get your brakes checked by a qualified technician to ensure that you won’t misdiagnose the problem and drive around on potentially faulty brakes and might put you at risk afterward.

Inspect for squeaking brakes

Be mindful of the most important safety features of your used car, especially its brakes. When you hear your brakes squeaking, check them immediately. Contact Airport Auto Sales Used Car Dealership in Alexandria, Virginia to know more expert advice to fix squeaky car brakes before those squeaks become ear-deafening or could cause you untoward accidents afterward. You can also opt for an appointment for brake service and inspection if necessary.