Don't Let This Happen To You

A customer came into Bryant Automotive today with a complaint that the brake pedal did not feel right.  This complaint, described as a "soft" or "mushy" pedal, sometimes is due to air getting into the brake system, and is usually remedied by what is called Bleeding. To bleed the brakes, the fluid reservoir is filled, and the brake pedal pumped and depressed while a bleed screw is turned to allow air to exit at each wheel.  This vehicle however, did not have a soft pedal caused by air in the system.

 

This is the left front brake caliper. The brakes were worn so significantly that the brake pad had actually fallen out of the caliper.

 This was the right front. As you can see, it looks different from the the left front above. This is what the brake caliper and pad should look like.

 This shiny surface is what normal wear on a brake rotor looks like. There is some groves formed, but overall the surface is fairly smooth.  For a rotor like this we would use a lathe to smooth the surface to provide a clean surface, which translates to better friction against the new brake pads.

This is the left front Brake Rotor. As you can see, the grooves are deep and coarse.  There is also a significant lip formed at the edge of the rotor.  These are all caused by the excessive wear that occurred once the brake pad had worn through and fallen away. This rotor is not salvageable and must be replaced.

Visual Blind Spots When Driving Around Redding California

When we drive on our Redding California streets, we encounter blind spots. We can greatly reduce our blind spots by properly adjusting our mirrors to give the widest coverage possible. Make the adjustments to your SUV before you start to drive.

First, adjust your rear view mirror to give the best possible view directly to the rear of your SUV or other vehicle type. You don't need it to get a better view of either side of the car, the kids in the back seat or your dazzling smile. The rear view mirror should look to the rear.

Next, lean your head until it almost touches the driver's side window. Adjust your side mirror so that you can just barely see the side of your car.

Now, lean your head to the middle of the car and adjust the outside mirror so that you can barely see the right side of the car.

With your SUV mirrors adjusted this way, you'll have maximum coverage. Of course driving in Redding is a dynamic process – things change every second. So it's wise to take a quick look to the side when passing to make sure that another vehicle hasn't moved into an area you couldn't see in your mirrors.

As you drive in the Sacramento area, avoid staying in other diver's blind spots. You can't count on them to be watching their mirrors and looking out for you. Pass large trucks and buses on the left whenever possible. A trucks' blind spot is much larger on the right.

Be attentive and wear your seat belts, and thank you for reading!
At Bryant Automotive in Redding California (96002) we install quality NAPA replacement parts. Give us a call at 530.222.3313.