Brakes

Brake repair involves changing brake pads and other essential break components. Automotive technicians who fix brakes may change brake pads, but in order to ensure safety, the technician must check all major components of a braking system.

Automotive mechanics that fix brake systems should check all brake pads or shoes, rotors, hoses and wheel bearings. Mechanics should check for leaks in the braking system from areas such as master cylinders, brake lines, wheel cylinders, brake lines, brake hoses and calipers.

Brake rotors are the surface the pads press against to stop the vehicle. Rotors need to be checked when brake pads fail to see if they are warn or damaged. If they show signs of wear, they may be turned so that the surface of the rotor is sanded down by a machine and the surface of the rotor more receptive to the brake pad. Technicians can check and assess rotors to determine if a rotor should be turned or should be replaced.

Some automobiles have brake sensors and lights that need to be checked, including the ABS light. ABS is an acronym for anti lock brakes. These brakes prevent the tire from locking up and skidding when the brakes are applied suddenly and also allow steering capability that would normally be lost if the tires are skidding on a slick pavement. There are sensors and lights in cars that have ABS, and a technician specializing in brake repair should check to see that they are functioning correctly.