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- Symptoms Without Summary
- Car Leaking Coolant
- AC Isn't Cooling
- AC Blowing Hot Air
- Shaking While Driving
- Overheating AC
- AC Smells Like Vinegar
- Heater Not Working
- Windshield Wipers Don't Work
- Car Leaking Water
- Car Leaking Red Fluid
- Car Battery Leaking
- AC Only Work Sometimes
- Shaking While Idle
- Shaking At High Speeds
- Evap System Leak
- Shaking While Braking At High Speeds
- Shaking When Stopped
- Shaking When Accelerating
- Radiator Leaking
- Pink Fluid Leaking
- Car Leaking Oil
- AC Not Working.
- Car Leaking Gas
- Power Steering Fluid Leak
- Bad Brake Caliper
Caliper Replacement
A brake caliper is an important element of the car’s braking system, located on the car’s wheel, responsible for the mechanical contact of the brake pads with the brake disc. Provides and transmits from the driver the force when pressing the brake pedal, necessary for braking and stopping the car.
Depending on the make of the car, the manufacturer produces two types of calipers, with cylinders located on both sides of the brake disc or on one inner side. Mostly car manufacturers use the latter version of the brake caliper.
The rear caliper differs from the front caliper in the presence of a mount for the parking brake, but in general the principle of their operation is the same.
The brake caliper is made of durable, heat-resistant and high-quality material - this is due to the fact that the caliper takes on heavy loads, both mechanical and thermal.
Replacing the entire caliper assembly is very rare due to reasons such as corrosion, mechanical damage, deformation of the mounting holes, and excessive wear of all caliper parts. As a rule, individual parts are changed, for example, bleeder fittings, caliper brackets or brake cylinders, oil seals or the pistons themselves are changed.
Stages of replacing a brake caliper in a car service
- The car must be lifted on a special lift.
- The wheel with the faulty caliper is removed.
- Clamp the brake hose to prevent brake fluid from leaking. But in some cases, it may be necessary to drain the brake fluid; to do this, the hose is not pinched.
- Unscrew the caliper fasteners and remove it.
- The brake discs are checked for wear and, if necessary, replaced.
- Everything is reassembled in the reverse order, but with a new brake caliper.
- Add brake fluid and bleed the system.
- Wheel alignment is checked.
Before leaving the service station, the driver must press the brake pedal several times until the brake pedal stops being pressed.
Repairing the brake system requires certain knowledge, skills, experience, as well as the availability of special tools and devices. A small mistake during repairs can lead to brake failure at the most inopportune moment and provoke an accident with the most severe consequences.
The best way to avoid this and have your brake caliper replaced professionally is to contact a specialized auto service center.
This is a high-priority fix. Find more details and shops performing this fix in your area here
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Squealing Noise
The squealing is caused by stuck partially-applied brakes or worn-out brake linings. The linings are designed to squeal over time as if saying "replace us" to the motorist. But there might be alternative common causes.
The most common causes for a car squealing are:
- Faulty axle seal: A faulty axle seal can cause squealing noises by allowing lubricant to leak out, leading to inadequate lubrication of axle components. This can increase friction between metal parts, causing squealing sounds.
- Stuck brake caliper: A stuck brake caliper can cause squealing noises due to the constant friction between the brake pads and the rotor. When a caliper gets stuck, it fails to retract properly, keeping the brake pads in constant contact.
- Heat-cracked rotors: When rotors are subjected to excessive heat, they can develop cracks on their surface. These cracks can create uneven wear on the brake pads, leading to squealing noises.
- Worn-out brake pads: Worn-out brake pads can cause squealing noises due to the wear indicators built into the pads. As brake pads wear down, these indicators, usually small metal tabs will purposefully start screeching, yelling that you need to change them.
- Bent brake rotors: When a rotor is bent, the distance between the rotor and the brake pads fluctuates, causing the pads to touch the rotor unevenly. This uneven contact can lead to vibrations and squealing noises.
- Low-quality brake pads: Low-quality brake pads can cause squealing noises due to their composition and lack of effective noise-reducing features. These pads may be made from inferior materials that produce more friction and noise.
Brake rotors, ball joints, pads, calipers, and other brake system parts are crucial to your safety. When discussing with a mechanic, it's common to describe the sound as a squealing brake or squeaking brake sound.
You can do a quick inspection of your own by checking your vehicle's wheels to see if they have an open-type design. In some cases, you may see the brake wear indicator, which is the culprit of making a brake squealing and squeaking sound that only ceases when pressing the brake pedal.
Brake Light
If the brake light is constantly on the dashboard, the brake sensor might be faulty. But, if the vehicle is driving weirdly (pulling to one side), then the brake is actually applied, and this might be a caliper issue. Alternatively, it might be a power steering leak or a master cylinder issue.
Stay alert if your car's dashboard begins to pop the brake system warning light. Your vehicle might be under progressive damage and can end up requiring hefty repairs in the future. Note that this notification pops up when you activate the parking brake; this doesn't mean there's an issue.
The brake warning light comes naturally if all systems are working fine. So please, keep track of your car's odd symptoms and browse through our articles to find out the information you'll need to share with your go-to auto shop.
Tire Pressure Light
The tire pressure light warns about a tire-kinda-empty(at least 25% below proper air), a flat tire, or broken sensors. If it’s the sensors, the tires should look normal. Alternatively, the tires might have overheated and want to cool off.
Stay alert if your car's dashboard begins to pop the "tire pressure" warning light. You might be driving under flat tires, causing progressive damage and requiring hefty repairs in the future; it'll also feature considerable safety risks. Alternatively, it can be electrical issues with the car's computer.
Either way, driving with a low tire pressure light on is pretty risky. So, measure tire pressure every once in a week to ensure you're up to safety standards. Extra tip: bad tire inflation can lightly cause poor fuel efficiency.
Are you having trouble with a tire pressure warning light on your car's dashboard? This warning light indicates issues like faulty wheel speed sensors, broken instrument clusters, temperature changes, old tire pressure sensors, etc. Typically, the symptoms are flat tire, handling difficulties, intermittent dashboard warnings, and much more. In extreme cases, not fixing this can result in a blown-up tire mid-traffic.
Other Vehicle Symptoms
Below are just a few examples of typical Symptoms and Fixes your car might be experiencing
