Monday, September 30, 2013

Inspecting Your Brake Rotors

 
None of us need to be explained the importance of brakes when it comes to vehicle safety (especially when you own a Mazda…), but it is still virtuous to inspect yours regularly.  In light of that, we thought we’d cover some information on brake rotors, and how to check them.

Luckily, brake rotors are one part you can not only inspect visually, but acoustically as well.  When your rotors are bad, you’ll hear it.  The telltale sign of bad rotors is a high pitch screech from your brakes when stopping.  This sound is made by an indicator, a small shim used to let you know it’s time for the rotors to go.  Sometimes though, after a hard rain and similar water exposure, rust can form and cause a similar sound which usually goes away quickly.

And now for some visual signs of worn rotors.  The most obvious sign to look for – and the easiest to see – is rust.  We’re not talking surface rust from water exposure (like we mentioned above), we’re talking corrosive rust.  This can occur when you go a long period without driving (and canbe common during rougher NC winters).  Other signs include: warped rotors, grooves  and cracks in the rotors, a lipped edge, and heat spots (resulting in vibration, which are caused by improperly bedded rotors).  For most of these, all it takes is a close glance at the rotors and a swipe of your finger along its surface to check.

There are plenty of more in-depth articles on the web covering brake rotor inspection, and we suggest searching for a few once you’ve inspected your brakes and notice something curious.  If you’re already sure your rotors need replacing (or if you aren’t sure as well),Parks Mazda  will be more than happy to service your Mazda for you, or provide you with genuine OEM Mazda parts if you’d rather change your brake rotors yourself.

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