What’s a brake safety inspection, and why should you care?
Pop in any day at Grimmer Motors and you’ll hear it – “Hey, can you check my brakes? They’re doing something weird.” In Hamilton, with our rubbish potholes down Avalon Drive and those endless stop-starts on Te Rapa Straight, your brake system really gets a hammering. Especially when winter rolls in, the roads get slippery, or you’re crawling through roundabouts in Rototuna – the brakes have gotta be bang on. Your brakes are your last line of defence when that light goes green to red faster than you expect, or if a cyclist suddenly pops out on Peachgrove Road. If your brakes aren’t up to scratch, you’ll end up with a much longer stopping distance – and no one wants that.
What actually gets checked in a brake inspection?
When you bring your car in for a brake safety check, one of our techs gets right in there under the bonnet and round the wheels. Doesn’t matter if it’s a Mazda Axela doing the school run from Cambridge, a Toyota Hiace slogging away for a tradie up in Huntly, or a tidy little Peugeot 308 from Morrinsville. We don’t just look for the obvious stuff. Here’s what we get up to:
- Check the brake fluid – level, colour, leaks (fluid loss is a biggie!)
- Inspect the master cylinder and reservoir for cracks or weeping
- Look at the state of your brake pads and rotors – you want plenty of meat left, and no nasty grooves
- Check all brake lines and hoses for splits, corrosion, or leaks (we see this a lot after a rough Hamilton winter)
- If your car’s got drum brakes – we’ll look at those shoes and drums too, not just the pads
- ABS warning lights? We’ll scan the system and find out what’s up
Had a Ford Escape pop in from Ngaruawahia last week – pedal felt soft, turned out the pads were literally down to metal. We gave the owner a full printout of what was wrong and how we could sort it. We reckon it’s only fair you know what’s going on before anything gets fixed.
How do you know you need a brake check?
If you’re hearing grinding or squealing when you brake, feeling a vibration through the pedal coasting down Boundary Road, or your steering’s tugging when you hit the picks, that’s your car’s way of yelling “Help me out!” Other signs? Leaking fluid around the tyres, a spongy pedal, or finding you need to push harder to stop – don’t muck about, just get it checked. Brakes really aren’t something you want to leave till next payday.
If the dash is lighting up like a Christmas tree, our gear will dig into those codes for you too. The sooner you get onto it, the safer you’ll be as you zip round town or head out to Gordonton or Matangi for the weekend.
Why choose Grimmer Motors for your brakes?
We’ve seen it all, seriously. From hybrids needing an odd-sized pad in Frankton, through to families in their trusty Subaru Legacy needing a proper check before heading to Raglan. No hard sell, no surprises, no repairs going ahead until we’ve chewed it over with you. We do brake pad replacement, brake shoe replacement, and a bunch of other brake jobs – even on Euros and less common stuff like SsangYong or Suzuki Swifts.
So if you’re worried about anything brake-related, or just want a second opinion, bring your ride down to us. We’ll keep you safe out there, whether you’re pootling around Fairfield or heading down SH3. Easy as.