7 Habits That Harm Your Car's Brakes In A Long Run

Although brakes can be made to last a very long time, they can also be quickly worn out. To extend the life of your brakes as long as possible, avoid performing the following:

1) Going too fast

When you drive too quickly and then suddenly slow down, the brakes must expend more energy and use more pad material. If you can, try to lay off the accelerator.

Besides wearing out the pads, you also risk overheating your brake fluid with excessive braking from very high speeds. This can cause both brake fade and excess pedal travel when the fluids are past their boiling point.

2) Left foot braking

Some drivers like to press the brake pedal with their left foot. Whilst this is a common technique in the racing world, it's something we highly advise against for road use. That's because sometimes  users tend to step on the accelerator with their right foot whilst using their left foot to apply the brakes simultaneously. This is both dangerous and very unhealthy for your car. Remember, both the accelerator and brake pedals should be operated with just your right foot and not simultaenously.

3) Not coasting

Some drivers have the impression that they should always be applying the brakes or the accelerator. However, there are numerous occasions where using neither pedal isn't just a viable option, but is recommended instead. Just prepare for stops by lifting off early and letting the car coast and slow itself down.

Depending on your speed, your car's weight, as well as wind and road resistances, naturally slow your car down. Do this and you'll find yourself only applying the brakes to bring your car to a halt easily at the last possible moment, thus conserving your brakes more effectively.

4) Not looking far enough

Always keep an eye out for opportunities to plan your next move. By doing this, you may see numerous vehicles in front of you and plan when to apply the brakes properly.

In other words, just please don't tailgate. Create as much room as possible and plan 3 to 4 steps ahead.

5) Braking too soon

Most of us tend to automatically apply the brakes whenever we see the brake lights of the car ahead of us light up. However, if you're far enough along, you can actually just lift off  and avoid using the brakes completely until their application becomes an absolute necessity.

6) Keeping junk in the car

The brakes have to work harder and use more pad material as a car's weight increases. In fact, this is something easily noticeable when you drive your car with and without passengers - you'll note the latter situation offers greater braking performance. To prevent this, avoid overloading or carrying any unnecessary items and cargo on your trips. If you're lugging things or ferrying people about, always factor in the extra weight when judging the braking distance you'll need.

7) Not changing brake fluid regularly

Damage to the brake lines might result from infrequent brake fluid changes. The master cylinder, brake lines, and pistons may rust because old brake fluid attracts moisture. The seals may become worn down by this deterioration, and if they leak, your braking force may be significantly diminished or lost altogether. At the very least, the brake fluids must be inspected from time to time, and refreshed annually at the very least.