Brakes

We check the entire brake system,

• Tyres
• brake drum / disc
• Pedals
• Level and condition of brake fluid
• Brake light

I did the parking brake test and I'm not sure....

Is everything okay? Should I play it safe?

• Then come over

I'm not comfortable with these brakes!

• Then we'll come by - and check it out.
• Get in touch with us!

We have tools to help us do that. But you can also check a few things yourself:

Parking brake test

If the brake has a malfunction, you will notice this discrepancy in free travel, resistance and tightness of the brake system. This can be checked by a parking brake test.

1. Switch off the engine
2. Apply the brake firmly - the foot brake travel should not exceed one third of the pedal travel.
3. Stay on the brake for 30 sec. If it jerks or gives way, this indicates that the brake circuit is leaking.
4. In this case come to our workshop immediately.

If the pedal even presses through to the floor plate. Leave your vehicle! It must be towed away to be on the safe side.

Brake fluid level

Even if the level is displayed on the on-board computer, this does not mean that the brake fluid is at the correct level. As the driver, please also check the level manually on a regular basis. There are usually level markings on the fluid reservoir for this purpose. If the fluid level is below the minimum mark, the brake fluid should be topped up. A replacement is also necessary if the brake fluid, which is normally honey-brown, has taken on a dark brown or black tone. However, we should carry out this work! Any intervention in the brake system should only be carried out by us, not least for insurance reasons.

To ensure that the brakes function optimally, we recommend that you have the brakes checked at least once a year. You can have this done during the annual pickle check with us or at any time during our brake check.

If you notice acute problems with the brakes, we recommend that you come to the workshop immediately - in the case of serious defects, e.g. a significant reduction in brake performance, please call us beforehand so that we can ensure that no one is endangered on the way to the workshop.

The reason for this is usually corrosion.

Corrosion on the brake discs is not a safety problem as long as the rust is regularly rubbed off during braking. On the front axle, this happens during regular operation. However, rust can become a problem on the disc brakes on the rear axle, as this is less stressed. To avoid rust spots, you can also sometimes brake a little harder on an empty and thus easily manageable parking space.... Then that should go away.

The parking brake test also allows various elements of the braking system to be checked at home.

The tests are carried out with the engine switched off

• Pedal free travel: this should be no more than one third
• Tightness test: for this, the pedal is pressed strongly for 30 seconds, whereby the pedal must not give way!
• Brake booster: the brake pedal is pressed several times in succession and then held - the engine is then started and the pedal must give way.
• Brake fluid: Whether sufficient brake fluid is present can be examined under the engine hood - the maintenance of this system should take place only by expert persons since errors can lead here to a failure of the brake achievement!
• Brake lights: checking the brake lights is extremely important, especially for other road users - this can prevent rear-end collisions.
• Parking brake: To do this, the handbrake must be applied and then an attempt made to drive off in first gear - the engine must stall in the process.

If any of the checks reveal defects, you should contact our workshop immediately. Defects in the braking system can lead to complete failure of the braking effect!

If the brake indicator light is on, first check that the handbrake is released! If the handbrake is fully released and the brake indicator light is still on, stop at the next safe opportunity and call the breakdown service! If you continue to drive, it is possible that the brakes are no longer working!