Components of car brakes

When you’re driving down the road and you press the brake pedal to stop your car, here’s what’s working underneath your foot:

Brake fluid, reservoir, and master cylinder

Your car brake system is a hydraulic system that requires brake fluid to create pressure. The pressure against other components of the brake system is what causes your vehicle to come to a stop. When you’re not using your brakes, the brake fluid sits in the reservoir. Located under the hood, the master cylinder is responsible for pumping out the brake fluid from the reservoir.

Brake lines and hoses

When the master cylinder begins to pump out brake fluid from the reservoir, it travels through lines and hoses toward the calipers and rotors. The lines connect to the hoses and the hoses transfer the fluid’s pressure to your calipers. Over time, hoses and lines can be punctured or leak. Have your hoses and lines checked routinely at our Charlotte Toyota Service Center!

Brake calipers and rotors

Responsible for holding the piston and the brake pad, brake calipers sit on top of the rotors. They are steel pieces designed to apply pressure to the pistons and brake pads. This pressure against the rotor slows your car down. If your car begins pulling to one side when you’re driving, this could be a sign that your brake calipers are sticking and you need Charlotte auto service.

Brake pistons and pads

Pistons are a metal rod that applies pressure to brake pads. Brake pads are metal plates with metal shavings held together with resin. When the pistons press against the brake pads, this creates friction against the rotors and is what brings your car to a complete stop. Because brake pads depend on friction, the metal shavings begin to wear down. Brake pads get worn down and should be replaced every 20,000 to 60,000 miles.

Get routine brake service in Charlotte!

As you can see, there are a lot of parts to a car brake system. Over time, these parts can become worn and need servicing. When you bring your car to our Toyota Service Center in Charlotte, our expert technicians will fully inspect your brakes. If they find any worn down or worn out parts, they can have them replaced in no time!

Routine brake service will help keep your car in great shape! If you neglect routine car maintenance in Charlotte like brake service, your car could experience brake failure. Brake failure is a scary situation in which your brakes completely go out and you’re unable to manually stop your car.

Stay safe on the road with regular brake service! To schedule Charlotte Toyota service, give us a call at (888) 378-1214!