The average lifespan of brake pads is broad; usually 25,000 miles to 60,000 miles or more. You can check your owner’s manual to see if your vehicle’s manufacturer recommends a mileage milestone for brake pad changes, but the best thing to do is to let us here at East Coast EuroWerks check your brakes on a regular basis. This allows us to assess the lifespan of your brake pads and when they need to be changed. Let’s talk more about this below.
Regular Brake Inspections Help
Schedule a brake inspection every 12,000 miles (or every 15,000 miles at the latest) to make sure that your European automobile’s brakes are always operating as they should be. This not only allows us to keep your brakes in like-new condition by replacing parts that are wearing down before they cause trouble, but it also allows us to ensure that you can safely stop your automobile whenever you need to.
Knowing When to Change the Brake Pads
During each brake inspection, we will measure the pad depth that you have left on the brake pads on each wheel. Once the pad depth reaches one-quarter-of-an-inch, it will be time to put new brake pads on your automobile. As we said in the introduction to this blog post, your pads may wear down to this depth anywhere between 25,000 miles and 60,000 miles. It depends on how much you drive your automobile and how hard you are on your brake system.
Signs You Need to Change Your Brake Pads
Your vehicle may tell you when it’s time to change the brake pads if you have a warning light on your dashboard. Many European automobiles have a low brake pad warning light that lets you know that the pads have reached the end of their lifespan and need to be replaced as soon as possible. Other signs that you need new brake pads include squealing brakes when you’re driving and when you stop, overheating breaks that smell like burnt carpet, wobbling when you stop, and scraping or grinding sounds.
Dangers of Driving With No Brake Pad Surface
If you continue to drive with no brake pad surface you run the risk of being unable to stop your vehicle. You will notice that your stopping distance will increase greatly because there is no brake pad surface to generate friction with the rotors to create the energy your automobile needs to slow down and stop. You also run the risk of ruining the rotors because the metal brake pad backings will warp them as they press against them.
If it’s been 12,000 miles since your last brake inspection, call or stop by our shop. East Coast EuroWerks is the best auto service shop in Wilmington, NC, and we are experts in European automobile service and repair.
