identifying auto issue by sound and feel

Need to save a bit of cash on your car maintenance needs? Perhaps one of the best ways to go about doing so is to simply take care of your brakes. Although there is much to be said about how you go about replacing your brakes, and what sort of money you're willing to invest them, there's also something to be said about taking care of them. A careful person who is willing to take good care of their car's brakes will find that they can last upwards of tens of thousands of miles. That's nothing to balk at. This brief article will serve to inform you of 4 ways that you can take care of your car's brakes, ensuring that you can have good brakes for years and miles to come.

Slow It Down

When it comes to taking care of your car's brakes, this is perhaps the most rewarding advice that you can be given. The less kinetic energy that your brakes expends, the less pressure that your brakes are going to use, which ultimately means they are not going to wear out faster. It is recommended that by paying attention to the road, you can slow down from a greater distance, which means expending less energy than slowing down from a shorter distance at a greater speed. Your brakes will thank you.

Right Foot Only

This is something that you should have learned in a driver's ed course, but it bears repeating, as many people do not seem to get the message: only use your right foot when operating your brake and gas pedals. There are several reasons for this. One of these reasons is that your brakes will wear out quickly if you insist on using a method where your left foot is planted on the brake pedal and your right foot is planted on the gas. By using this method, you are often times, without realizing it, operating both pedals at the same time. By doing this, your brakes are working overtime in attempt to stop the car while the gas pedal is attempting to accelerate it. This creates an undue expenditure of kinetic energy, which can serve to grind your brakes into dust.

Coasting and Cruising

The less you operate your gas pedal, the less you will have to operate your brake pedal. In addition, whenever you use your gas pedal, you eventually have to operate your brakes, this means that your brakes are going to have to put in additional work to slow down. By revving and breaking often, you're putting a lot of undue stress on both your brakes and your engine.

Don't Follow The Lead

Essentially, what this means is that just because the person in front of you pressed their brakes does not necessarily mean that you have to. It can be difficult to tell whether you need to press your brake pedal or not if the person in front of you did, so whenever in doubt, it is probably best to go ahead and just do that. However, most of the time, braking is unnecessary simply because the person in front of you lightly tapped their brakes. In most situations, especially on the interstate, you can easily lower your speed a bit by taking your foot off the gas pedal and then continue using your gas pedal, rather than overusing your brakes.

Your brakes are a relatively easy part of your vehicle to take care of. By not overusing them and making sure that you are not misusing or abusing them, your brakes can last you miles upon miles. However, it's still a good  idea to get them checked out periodically at a shop like Jensen Tire & Auto.