Your Brake System
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One of your car's most important components may not help you get great mileage, enhance your driving comfort, or make your car go faster -- it actually slows you down! That's right, it's your braking system! Your car uses a highly complex system consisting of friction material, a master cylinder, boosters, rotors and drums, calipers or wheel cylinders and an intricate assembly of springs, hoses, steel lines, valves, and sometimes computers, to always bring you to a safe stop.

With today's wind drag reduced car designs, lifting your foot off the gas pedal no longer quickly slows your car's momentum. Plus, most modern cars are front wheel drive and virtually 80 percent of your braking power now centers on the correct operation of front disc brakes where all the weight is. In addition, breakthroughs in braking technology now allow smaller, lighter brake components. These modern brake systems operate at temperatures hundreds of degrees hotter than the braking system of just 10 years ago!

With the complexity of current braking technology, it's easy to see why proper brake maintenance and repair service should only be performed by trusted and experienced professionals.

BRAKE PROBLEMS: THE WARNING SIGNS

Brake warning light comes on
Your car pulls to one side when braking instead of stopping in a straight line
When applied, your brakes grab, causing jerky stops
Brakes grind with continuous loud metallic noise when applied
Brake pedal is either mushy or very hard to depress
Brakes must be pumped to work properly
Wheel(s) are excessively hot after short drives
Brake fluid leaks are seen around any wheel or in engine compartment, near master cylinder location
Brake fluid very low or very dirty looking.

 

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Keep A Well Tuned Engine For Maximum Performance
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"My engine has gone over 45,000 miles without a tune-up and it's still running fine, except it idles a little rough and the gas mileage isn't what it used to be."
True, today's engines are designed to travel farther without major maintenance. However, this assumes you carefully adhere to the manufacturer's routine maintenance schedule, no matter what your mileage. It also assumes you don't constantly use your vehicle under what car and truck makers describe as "special or harsh circumstances."

These include driving in dusty conditions, weather extremes, towing, and off-road operation. Another performance weakener is the trip to the bank or supermarket that's less than five miles away. Short trips, when an engine barely reaches operating temperature before being shut off, play havoc with engine performance and components. Extensive idling and driving at low speeds for long distances is also detrimental to continued performance capability.

The "if it isn't broken don't fix it" attitude doesn't apply to the modern fuel injected, computer-controlled engines. Computers help and hinder performance by making ongoing adjustments for minor malfunctions. These computerized adjustments may mask serious and costly problems.

The best way to ensure long engine life is to entrust the care of your vehicle to only highly-qualified technicians. Pep Boys knows your engine like few others. Our technicians are nationally-certified and trusted professionals who understand the complexities of modern engines. They will skillfully perform engine diagnostic service, routine maintenance tune-ups and major performance tune-ups to help ensure your engine performs at its absolute best.

 

ENGINE PERFORMANCE PROBLEMS: THE WARNING SIGNS

Loss of power
Drop in gas mileage
Knocking when your engine is accelerating
Stalling when engine is either hot or cold or when using air conditioning
Hard starting, although the battery easily turns the engine over
Dieseling (the engine continues to run even after ignition is turned off)
Noxious exhaust odor
Rough running at any speed
Backfiring
Engine dash warning lights stay on

 

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