Your car’s braking system is arguably one of the most important assemblies of your vehicle. Not only is it in constant use, but a failure of any type can place your life – and the lives of your passengers – at risk. Despite this, most drivers rely on their brakes every day without understanding how they work.

Even though automotive braking systems have evolved over the last several decades, the current design is surprisingly simple. This article will explain how they work and describe some of the problems that can occur.

How Your Car’s Braking System Works

When you want to stop your car, you press the brake pedal with your foot. However, the force with which you press down on your pedal is insufficient on its own to bring your vehicle to a stop. In fact, you would be unable to stop your car on your own even if you used as much force as you were able to muster. To solve this problem, a system must be put in place to amplify the force of your foot. This is the job of your master cylinder.

The brake pedal is attached to a plunger within the master cylinder. The master cylinder is connected to the calipers at each wheel through a network of hoses. This network is filled with hydraulic brake fluid. When you press the pedal with your foot, the plunger is pushed forward. This, in turn, pushes the hydraulic fluid forward, amplifying and transferring your foot’s force through the hoses to the calipers.

Each caliper sits atop a disc rotor, surrounding the top portion of the rotor. When the hydraulic fluid reaches the caliper, it pushes a caliper piston against the side of the disc. Because the piston and disc are both made of metal, their rubbing against each other would cause each of them to wear the other down. It would also produce a jarring grinding noise. Thus, a buffer is needed: brake pads.

The pads are designed with wearable material, and are mounted on the inside portion of the caliper. When fluid reaches the piston and pushes it toward the disc, the disc is squeezed between the pads. This causes friction and generates energy. This energy is responsible for helping stop your car.

What Happens When Air Gets Into The System?

The hydraulic fluid in the hoses is not compressible. When you press the brake pedal, there is no room for “give” in the network of hoses leading to your car’s wheels. As a result, the pedal will feel firm.

As the pads wear, however, the caliper piston is forced to move further out to apply pressure against the rotor. This means more fluid is allowed between the caliper and the piston. When this happens, the master cylinder may introduce air into the lines. Unlike hydraulic fluid, air is compressible. If it is introduced into the system, the pedal will feel spongy when you press it.

What Is That Squealing Noise?

As mentioned earlier, the brake pads are designed with wearable material. Over thousands of miles of rubbing against each of the rotors, they will slowly wear down. Most pads have metal markers in them that become exposed once 75 percent of the wearable material has worn away. When these markers rub against the rotor, they produce a squealing sound. This is an indication it may be time to replace the pads.

What Is That Grinding Noise?

Suppose you refuse the replace the pads after they have worn to the point of squealing. Eventually, the metal will begin to scar the rotor, causing a grinding sound. If you have the problem addressed quickly, your mechanic may be able to simply resurface the rotor and replace the pads. If, however, you wait too long to have the issue addressed, the rotors may need to be replaced. This can be expensive.

It is important that you maintain the health of your car’s brakes to ensure your driving safety. When you notice problems, regardless of their size, have them resolved as quickly as possible.

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