Brake Repair and Service
Brake service has changed drastically over the years. Many service practices that were acceptable a few years ago, may actually damage a modern braking system. For example, many shops still squeeze the pistons back into the brake calipers when replacing brake pads.
On today’s vehicles, installing a set of brake pads improperly, may result in very expensive problems. The brake caliper is the lowest spot in the system and most debris and contaminants in the fluid tends to collect there. When caliper pistons are improperly pushed in when installing the brake pads, contaminates can be forced into your anti-lock brake system (ABS) controller or master cylinder, causing problems. This is why Diedrick’s thoroughly flushes the brake fluid before brake work is started. This helps eliminate moisture, trash and dirt from the system. It also keeps it out of expensive hydraulic components. With this simple change of procedure, many problems are avoided.
Why doesn’t everyone follow this simple step? They continue to do brake repair, just as they did years ago. In the past, brake components were simple and inexpensive. Improper brake service can cause major problems. These problems sometimes show up months later, causing major expense.
Diedrick’s can test your braking system to detect potential problems, before they occur. For example, we use a refractometer to test the boiling point of your brake fluid.
The boiling point of brake fluid is closely related to water content and by testing, we can advise a change of fluid before serious corrosion occurs.
Another major cause of brake problems is the use of brake pads that do not meet the original equipment manufacturer’s (OEM) specifications. Many shops use these pads to reduce the cost of the brake service. At Diedrick’s, we realize the price is not as important as the actual value to our client. We work very hard to provide the overall lowest cost.
A cheap set of brake pads may reduce the price of the brake service by $40.00 or so. The resulting squeak, dust, and shudder on braking, may result in not only having to replace the brake pads again, but more extensive replacement of the rotors. Now that $50.00 savings has turned into a $300.00 expense. Our philosophy is to do it right the first time and eliminate the aggravation and expensive rework.