by Admin | Sep 5, 2021 | Brake Repair, Diagnose Car Problems
Waking up to a shaking steering wheel can drive you to a frenzy and ruin what is left of your morning. This is never what you look forward to.
But what does it really mean?
A shaking steering wheel can be one of the symptoms of another problem that needs attention. Don’t wish it away because it will not and may only worsen the situation and put yourself at risk.
Reasons for a Shaking Steering Wheel
- Worn-out wheel bearings or suspension components can cause a shaking wheel. Often, the shaking happens immediately when you start the engine and pull off. A worn-out tie rod or ball joint is more common in older vehicles.
- But if the shaking speed is higher, it’s mostly an issue with the wheel or tire balancing.
- Wheels out of alignment will send vibrations to the steering wheel when driving at 50 miles an hour or faster. But the shaking may reduce when cruising at very high speeds and sometimes become unnoticeable.
- Check whether your tires are well inflated and that you don’t have a flat. These two issues will cause an imbalance and shaking.
- But if it only happens when braking, the issue is in the brake rotors. Your rotors are out of round, or they have started to wear out and warp. In such a case, the shaking will also be in the brake pedal.
- Shaking that appears after the installation of new brakes indicates a poorly done installation of the rotors. Take the vehicle to your mechanic as soon as possible.
Every so often, the issues that cause a shaking steering wheel require a professional mechanic to look into them. Contact us at A1 Performance Auto Repair today, and we will make sure the problem causing the shaking is solved and the vehicle stays on the road.
by Admin | Feb 13, 2020 | Auto Care Blog, Brake Repair
Brakes wearing out is a quiet, almost unnoticeable process usually. You drive the car every day and push the brake pedal often. Any change that is going on is so small that its unnoticeable. That’s why when the mechanic tells you that your brakes are in bad shape, you wonder how you could not have noticed they were so worn down.
Brake Need Repair
It usually takes a person who has never driven your car before to notice that something is amiss with your brakes. If their car has good brakes, it is very noticeable when they drive with worn brakes that need work. Here are some tips to use in recognizing brake problems in your own car.
Mushy Brakes
When your brake pedal feels mushy or goes almost to the floor when you press it, the brakes are in need of repair immediately. The car isn’t safe to drive probably.
Veering
When you press the brakes, your car should continue in a straight line and not veer off to one side. If it does, it could be a simple fix, but it needs a mechanic to find the cause right away before serious damage is done.
Fluid Leak
Brake fluid is clear or a light golden color. If you see this color on the pavement where you park then you probably have a brake line leak.
Wobbling
If you feel a wobbling sensation in the steering wheel or hear it when you apply the brakes, it is an indicator that the rotor has worn unevenly. You’ll need to have your brake repaired before it quickly shreds your brake pads.
Grinding
Grinding or squealing that sounds like metal on metal is the indicator sound the pads make when they are worn down. But if you just had your brakes done then it’s probably just cheap brake pads making their annoying sounds.
Get Your Brakes Checked
If you’re concerned you might need a set of brakes repaired, call for an appointment at A1 Performance Auto Repair. We’ll be happy to check it out and find the cause of the problem you’re having.
by Admin | Aug 26, 2019 | Auto Care Blog, Brake Repair
If you’re having a high pitch squeal when you drive, should you stop driving and start freaking out? Naw. It is a warning sound that you should pay attention to, but it doesn’t mean your car is going to blow up or that aliens are about to land. Although, it does sort of sound like that last one. Here is what you need to know.
The High-Pitched Squeal
If the high-pitched squeal happens while you’re driving and goes away when you push on the brake pedal to slow down or stop the car, then it’s just a warning indicator that’s built into some brake pads. So, not to worry, it’s ok. But it is telling you that something is amiss. Your brake pads have worn down to the point where if you don’t replace them then it’s about to get expensive. So get that appointment on the calendar to have the mechanic at A1 Performance Auto Repair replace your brake pads.
But what if you just replaced the brakes?! If you hear the squeal when you’re braking instead of when you’re driving around, and you just had a brake job, it’s likely the brake pads. Some budget-priced brake pads are noisy when you brake. The only thing you can do is to have them replace the pads with ones that are quiet.
Another thing with just having a brake job is that the mechanic might not have lubricated all the spots that needed it. Or the pads and shoes are slightly out of adjustment. That doesn’t do any harm to the vehicle, but it will make an annoying noise. The best thing to do is to return to your mechanic to have them make adjustments and lubrication to stop the noise.
A1 Performance Auto Repair
When you want to avoid high-pitched squeals, have the mechanic at A1 Performance Auto Repair fix your brakes. We hope to see you soon.
by Admin | Jul 4, 2019 | Brake Repair
There are a few reasons why your mechanic will tell you that it’s best to replace your bad rotors instead of having them machined. It isn’t that he’s making you buy unnecessary parts or doesn’t want the hassle of sending them out to be machined. There are some valid reasons why today you don’t have them machined.
Bad Rotors
A rotor is considered bad when it has grooves worn into it that are so deep it makes the brake pads wear out quickly. Up until rather recently, if you waited to change out your pads until they were completely worn down then you damaged the rotors, leaving grooves in it. Your mechanic would send your rotors to the machine shop and have them turned, smoothing out the surface so it is nearly brand new. That would allow you to get a long life out of your new brake pads and not get a bunch of noise when you braked. But things have changed and now they are either replaced or just left alone.
Rotors are made very thin these days and to machine them would greatly decrease their life. No good mechanic wants to charge their customer for a break job and then have them return in 20,000 miles to get another brake job. He won’t stay in business long doing that.
So, he’ll advise that you just replace the rotors along with the pads and any other parts that are worn out. Then everything is new and it’ll be a long time before you need another brake repair.
If your rotors are barely worn, he might suggest you just leave them as they are. You might hear a little minor squeaking, but it might be worth it to save a little cash. Usually, rotors are not just a little bit damaged, so this scenario doesn’t happen often.
Another issue with rotors is that these days it costs so much to machine them that you could have purchased new ones. So, your mechanic will just replace them.
Lastly, when a rotor is machined it doesn’t get that original proper finish, so it’ll make noise. And people hate it when they make a lot of noise after paying to have the brakes done.
So, be happy your mechanic opted to just replace those bad rotors.
