The brakes on your car are arguably the most important safety feature, ensuring that you and your family have stopping control in an emergency situation. Common car brake issues can be dangerous for this reason, and it’s vital that you look after your brakes with regular servicing.

How to know you need a brake service

There are many signs you should be on the lookout for when driving your car that will let you know when it’s time to have your brakes examined. They include:

Dashboard warning lights

The clearest signal that you’re in need of a brake service will come from your car itself. A warning light will appear on your dashboard as soon as your car detects that there is an issue with the braking system. This will usually present in most models of car as a circle with a ‘!’ in the centre, and the word ‘BRAKE!’ written nearby (usually below or above). 

This can indicate a range of issues, from simply needing a mechanic to top up your brake fluid, or something more serious that needs fixing. Whatever the problem ends up being, it is considered unsafe to drive a car that is showing this brake warning, and it should be taken to a mechanic as quickly as possible.

Concerning noises while braking

By paying attention to the noises your car makes as you’re driving and braking, you may catch problems early. Listen carefully when you apply pressure to the brake pedal for anything out of the ordinary. This could be the common squeaky brakes that you may have experienced before, something more concerning like a squealing or screeching noise, or even a grinding, crunching sound coming from your brake disc.

As soon as you consistently hear something that’s out of the ordinary, get in touch with a mechanic so they can diagnose and fix the problem.

Brake response issues

Your brakes may also suffer when it comes to their actual performance. If you’ve noticed that your vehicle isn’t stopping as reliably as it used to, this can be a sign of a serious issue. A delay of less than a second in an emergency situation can be the difference between an accident and a near-miss. 

You might also experience a difference in how your brake pedal feels when applying pressure. If it is taking more pressure to push the pedal down, or it’s feeling more slack or ‘spongy’ under foot, then something is wrong and you’ll need to organise a brake check as soon as possible.

Shuddering when you brake

Similar to the pressure that you’ll feel from your brake pedal, it’s important to take note of any concerning shaking or vibrating coming from the pedal. This can often travel up the steering column and into the steering wheel, resulting in your wheel shaking while you brake. If you notice this, it’s vital that you seek a brake service immediately.

Burning smell

Another obvious sign to look out for is if you notice a sharp burning smell after you’ve applied your brakes or returned from a drive. Smells from your car are reasons for real concern, but can often be missed by drivers because they don’t make it into the cabin or can only be noticed once the car is parked. If you’ve noticed any other issues with the brake, make sure to assess whether there’s a concerning smell alongside it, and immediately ask a mechanic to take a look as well.

Even if you aren’t noticing any of these signs from your car, brake servicing is recommended every six months. This will ensure that your mechanic catches any potential problems early and may prevent a costly brake repair later on. 

Your local brake service experts

The team at Highfields Mechanical are experts at all things brake servicing, and will make sure that your car is safe for you and your family, and that your brakes will look after you when you need them most. To book in for a brake service, or any of our car services, get in touch on (07) 4646 1780, or fill out our online contact form.

Electric vehicles (EV) are becoming more common with each passing day, as internal combustion engines (ICE) become less standard and electric cars gradually become more popular. But for many people, how they actually work and how they need to be maintained is still a bit of a mystery.

The expert mechanics at Highfields Mechanical are here to help answer any questions you might have about electric vehicle servicing and what you need to know about maintaining an electric car.

What needs servicing in an electric car?

One question you might have is: do electric cars need mechanics at all? It can be easy to think your electric car would only need an auto electrician, but in reality, electric vehicles do need a professional mechanic, just like the car you grew up with. 

Your specially-trained electric vehicle mechanic will be able to perform all of the necessary checks and maintenance that your car needs to keep running smoothly. But what exactly makes an electric car service different from a standard service?

What’s different from a regular service?

The main and most obvious difference between maintenance on EV and ICE vehicles is that EVs don’t have an engine that needs to be serviced regularly. The electric motor itself is a fully enclosed unit that doesn’t require any internal maintenance like a traditional car might. In fact, most of these motors are expected to last between 15–20 years without needing to be replaced or even opened.

This means that there’s no need to swap out all of the small consumable parts that make up an internal combustion engine, such as the various belts, fans, spark plugs and filters that are part of a traditional mechanic’s checklist during a routine service. There are also no emissions-related systems like the muffler, exhaust pipes or catalytic converters – with an EV, they simply aren’t needed.

What’s the same as a regular service?

There are still quite a few components in an EV that would be familiar to a traditional mechanic and require the same or similar type of servicing. Most of these fall under the category of ‘auxiliary’ items that do something other than moving the car. They include:

• Monitoring safety systems, such as the traction control and airbags
• Checking the health of the 12V battery that runs the cars internal systems
• Inspecting and replacing windshield wipers and fluid as required
• Assessing the general condition and air pressure of the tyres

All of these are relatively standard operations that are no different in an EV but are still important to the safety and comfort of driving your car.

How to look after your electric car

As a driver, it’s also vital that you understand how best to maintain your EV so that you’re not putting any unnecessary stress on the car and to keep it running smoothly for as long as possible. There are a few simple things to keep in mind as you drive.

More than anything, you need to make sure that you’re looking after your battery. As batteries age, they’re able to hold less and less of a charge, meaning your vehicle will be unable to reach the same range as when it was new. The trick to EV battery maintenance is to keep it as close to 80% charged as often as you can; it’s actually bad for the battery’s health in the long term to be consistently charging it to full, due to its complex chemical makeup.

It’s also important that you regularly inspect your vehicle’s tyres – EVs are much heavier than traditional cars that are a similar size, as the batteries contribute a surprising amount of weight. This means that your EV will be harder on the tyres, and they may wear out sooner than you were expecting.

The best thing you can do to maintain your EV’s health is to find a qualified EV mechanic that will look after it properly and bring it in for its service at least once every 12 months, or every 10,000km (the same as a traditional car servicing schedule).

The electric car mechanic you can trust

If you have any questions about what it’s like to own an EV or how different they are to service, get in touch with the expert team at Highfields Mechanical today. Our staff have the right training to make sure that your electric vehicle is performing safely and at its best. 

Give us a call today on (07) 4646 1780 or fill out our online contact form at any time.