No car owner wants to hear that the problem the car is having is in the transmission. Transmissions are one of the most expensive parts that a car owner might have to replace – if the car is old enough, it sometimes makes more sense to replace the car entirely than to replace the transmission. But I’ve found that there are ways to save when you need transmission work! Not only are there ways to save money on a new or rebuilt transmission, there are also ways to locate transmission problems and have them fixed before they become too serious. This blog is designed to help you take better care of your transmission, and avoid paying too much for transmission repairs.
If you've been hearing screeching from your brakes, there could be a few other things going on. Most people know about the high-pitched squeal that starts gradually and gets louder as time goes on -- that's the wear indicator at work, warning you that the brakes need to be replaced. But there are other brake issues that signal other things going on. Some aren't bad, but one is a near-emergency.
Loud, Growling Scraping
If you start hearing not a high-pitched squeal, but a low crunching and growling that is very loud and very alarming, you have every right to be alarmed. Chances are your brake pads are gone, and now the brakes are pressing down on the rotors. This is highly damaging at best and downright dangerous at worst because your brakes are essentially gone. It doesn't mean you won't be able to stop your car at all, but if you do, you're going to be crushing and scraping the rotor instead.
The sound will happen every time you press on the brake pedal. When you hear this, try to get off the road as quickly and as safely as possible. Slow down and brake gently. Get the car to a shop -- preferably through towing -- as soon as you can.
Light, Fading Squeaking
Your brakes work by having the brake press down on the pad, bringing the wheel to a halt. Technically there shouldn't be anything getting in between those two. But sometimes moisture and dust can, and this can create a bit of noise. The key is whether the noise occurs when you first start driving, and then it fades.
If it does, you have a little humidity affecting the brakes, or something similar. in the middle of all that for no apparent reason, then something is happening inside the brake assembly or to the pad's surface itself," versus "If the sound starts up after you've been driving for a while, and you haven't just driven through a dusty or humid area, you need to get your brakes checked. Something is happening inside the brake assembly or to the pad's surface itself.
Get your car to a good repair shop that can look at your brakes immediately. The longer you let the sound go on unchecked, the greater the chance the rotors will be affected. You want an all-clear before you hit the road in your car again.
Share22 December 2014
